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Lusail, Qatar: Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard is no stranger to success during his nomadic coaching career spanning two decades, but he will forever be remembered as the man who captained one of the greatest players in the world. Globalism Trophy shocks of all time.
Renard, who led Morocco to the World Cup four years ago and won the Africa Cup of Nations during stints with Zambia and Ivory Coast, watched his Green Falcons defeat Argentina 2-1 on Tuesday in their Group C opener.
As thousands of Saudis crossed the border for clssh at Lusail Stadium, their team responded with a Lionel Messi penalty kick to win with goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dosari within a magical five minutes after the break.
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“We made history for Saudi football, and it will remain forever,” Renard, who was appointed in 2019 to lead Qatar’s qualifier bid, told reporters after the result that shook world football.
“This is the most important thing. But we have to look forward – we have two tough games ahead of us.”
With their next two matches against Poland and Mexico, Saudi Arabia now has a chance of reaching the knockout stage of the tournament for only the second time in six attempts, having reached the last 16 on their debut in 1994.
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Rennard, whose coaching career includes a spell at Cambridge United in the lower tiers of England, picks from a squad made up entirely of players from the Saudi League.
But while Saudi Arabia may be 51st in the FIFA rankings, the second lowest out of Qatar’s 32 nations, he said it should not be seen as a light footballer.
Especially with the support of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is determined to make the country a sporting powerhouse.
Read also: ‘The Saudi ghost will haunt Argentina forever’ – Fans welcome ‘biggest surprise’
“When I decided to coach this team three years ago, I found all the support,” said Renard. “We have a wonderful federation president and the sports ministry.
When we met Prince (Mohammed bin Salman), he didn’t put any pressure on us, which is great. Being under pressure doesn’t do much.”
Indeed, the Saudi victory added to a turnaround in the fortunes of the prince himself in the wake of the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. US intelligence said it believed the prince ordered the operation, although responsibility in Riyadh was pinned on lower-level officials.
The de facto Saudi leader sat prominently at the opening of the World Cup on Sunday.
Once the dust settles, Reynard said his team must quickly refocus and ensure they capitalize on Argentina’s defeat.
“You know the nature of the Saudi player, when it will fly, but we must keep our feet on the ground.”
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