JEDDAH: Herve Renard, the French coach of the Saudi national team, has said that the Kingdom’s match against Iraq in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers is one of the most important matches of his coaching career.
“We are just 24 hours away from the match, and our goal is clear: qualifying for the World Cup. We must be fully focused to achieve that,” Renard said during a press conference on Monday ahead of the match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah on Tuesday night.
The coach spoke of his journey with the Saudi national team since his return to coaching, saying: “When I returned to coach the national team, I had great confidence in the players, and I also had the confidence of the president of the federation.
“Football, like life, is full of challenges, and I love these challenges. We have great motivation, and we are one step away from achieving a new accomplishment.”
Renard responded to Iraq coach Graham Arnold’s comments that the pressure would be on Saudi Arabia, saying: “We like pressure. For us, it’s positive pressure that pushes us to perform at our best.”
