Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Saudi Arabia Draw with Czechia Before Returning to World Cup Race

Saudi Arabia held hosts Czechia to a 1-1 draw in an international friendly, highlighted by a stunning Abdullah Al-Hamdan free kick in first-half stoppage time that spared the “Green Falcons” from defeat in their final outing before diving back into the AFC playoff path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup next month.

Slavia Prague forward Tomáš Chorý put the home side ahead from the penalty spot (21), before Al-Hamdan equalized with a brilliantly struck free kick in the dying moments.

Saudi Arabia will face Indonesia and Iraq in the remainder of their World Cup playoff campaign, with the Kingdom hosting the group stage during the upcoming international break.

The team, back under the management of French coach Hervé Renard, had beaten North Macedonia 2-1 less than a week ago in another friendly.

Tough Draw for Lebanon as Well

In one of the standout Arab friendlies of this international window, Lebanon played out a goalless draw with rejuvenated hosts Indonesia at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium in Surabaya, in front of nearly 30,000 fans.

Lebanon’s Montenegrin coach Miodrag Radulović made just one change from the lineup that started in the 1-0 win over Qatar, deploying Karim Darwich as the lone striker. He created the visitors’ best chance in a locked encounter, latching onto a pass from captain Mohammad Haidar in the 47th minute and firing a powerful shot that was brilliantly saved by Cremonese goalkeeper Emil Audero.

Despite dominating possession for much of the game, Indonesia struggled to create clear-cut chances, with most of their attempts flying well off target.

The hosts, who are currently competing in World Cup qualifying, showed strong readiness with a squad stacked with Europe-based professionals, while the “Cedars” players, many of whom are still in pre-season mode, tried to keep pace with disciplined, organized play.

In another notable friendly, the UAE defeated Bahrain 1-0 thanks to a 24th-minute strike from Luan Pereira. The “Whites” will play in Group A of the AFC playoff alongside hosts Qatar and Oman next month.

The match was witnessed by Spain’s Julen Lopetegui, head coach of Qatar, who will face the UAE on October 14 in Doha after opening against Oman on October 11.

For the Emiratis, this was their final warm-up ahead of the playoff and their second September fixture after beating Syria 3-1 last Thursday, while Bahrain had drawn 2-2 with hosts Qatar earlier in the window.

Elsewhere, Palestine fell 1-0 to Malaysia, with Brazil-born João Figueiredo scoring the lone goal as the Malaysians prepared for upcoming Asian Cup qualifiers against Laos.

Meanwhile, Kuwait and Syria played out a 2-2 draw in Doha, with Mohammad Daham and Mahdi Dashti netting for Kuwait, and Noah Shamoun and Ahmad Fakaa on target for Syria.

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Tough Draw for Lebanon as Well

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