DOHA: Favourites Saudi Arabia face Oman in a Group F match at the AFC Asian Cup here at Khalifa International Stadium on Tuesday.
Head coach Mancini had led a then unfancied Italy side to overcome powerhouses such as Belgium, Spain and England to win the title, and he wants his Saudi players to give their all to bring home the Asian title for the fourth time in the country’s history.
“We are here, we know we are a big team but this is also a very important tournament. We know there are many top national teams in this tournament, and we want to do our best job,” said Mancini.
“Saudi Arabia is a very important country, but we know if we want to win the title, we need to be very strong. Football is a strange thing; things can quickly change during the tournament. For Italy during the Euros, we were only the sixth favourites, but we won it.”
An influx of foreign superstars to the Saudi Pro League last summer meant playing opportunities became limited for many members of the Saudi squad, with the likes of forward Saleh Al Shehri making only four league appearances for the club all season, but Mancini believes the group stage matches will help him overcome the challenge.
The former Inter, Manchester City and Italy boss has tweaked the team’s formation since his arrival, deploying a three-man defence in pre-tournament friendlies.
“No one knows the first XI for tomorrow, but I want only players who want to fight for their country. We could play with 3, 4 or 5 defenders tomorrow, the system is not important, the important thing is the mentality with which you approach the games.”
