In the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers, Saudi Arabia qualified for the FIFA 2026 World Cup following a goalless draw against Iraq in Jeddah.
The earned point was worth the struggle as it got the Green Falcons the top spot in Group B and ensured them a seventh appearance at the finals.
The tense and attritional game was certainly no simple spectacle at a time when most of the 60,000 or so fans in Jeddah were celebrating at the end of the game. Meanwhile, it was a large part of the qualification campaign that had preceded it.
However, not many people in the crowd had given any of that a second thought as coach Hervé Renard and his players, together with Saudi officials, celebrated on the pitch at the end of the whistle.
It was a matter of “job done,” and a summer of football on the global stage in North America awaited next year.
During the first half of the game and most of the game, the Saudis were able to make the running as they led Iraq back; however, clear opportunities were hard to come by.
A more promising chance followed at 14 minutes when the bypass ball by Musab Al-Juwayr over the top saw Saleh Abu Al-Shamat free down the right, but the 23-year-old was slightly too high.
After a short time, Salem Al-Dawsari shot outside the field, but he did not succeed in disturbing Jalal Hassan in goal. Closest Iraq would have been when Ibrahim Bayesh had a close-range shot blocked.
Seven minutes before the break, Abu Al-Shamat ran through the defense and into the field, but with only one goalkeeper to beat at the near post, he chose to pass the ball with his square foot, and therefore, the defense was able to clear.
The second half followed the same pattern, with Saudi Arabia pushing and probing. Ten minutes later, Abu Al-Shamat made Hassan save a shot by him outside the field.
The shots were taken high and further; there was always a fear that Iraq, which had not yet really posed a threat, would someday have that one chance they were waiting to get.
As they had 14 minutes to go, they made their only foray into the home penalty area, and Mohanad Ali twisted and turned in an effort to find a shot, and when he at last did, Hassan Tambakti was there to make the block.
At a time when it seemed that the matter was closed, Nawaf Al-Aqidi saved masterfully a free-kick by Iraqi players in the 94th minute.
Not many will recall what happened on the pitch in this game, but the atmosphere of making it through to another World Cup after a long and tiring, and not entirely persuasive campaign will not be forgotten by the home fans and the players.
The difficult work begins now, as they have to prepare for their upcoming matches. The Iraqis, therefore, completed second in the group and will play the Group A runners-up, the UAE, next month in a two-leg playoff, the victors of which will proceed to the inter-confederation playoffs.
The Emiratis also lost 2-1 to Qatar on Tuesday, which qualified for the finals next year.
