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JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis said the Green Falcons are targeting the Gulf Cup 27 title as they prepare to face Kuwait in their opening match in Jeddah on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Donis said representing Saudi Arabia on home soil carried a special responsibility and called on fans to support the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to develop and play better, and our goal is to win the tournament,\u201d Dounis said. \u201cRepresenting the Saudi national team makes things different. We want to give our best and make our fans happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dounis also acknowledged the impact of midfielder Musab Al-Juwair\u2019s exclusion from the squad for disciplinary reasons, describing his absence as a technical loss while expressing confidence in the players available to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened gives us some negative energy, but we have quality,\u201d he said. \u201cMost of the players also have good experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on Saudi Arabia\u2019s campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Donis said the team had worked hard but needed to improve its decision-making.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the World Cup, we ran a lot and worked hard, but we made some wrong decisions,\u201d he said. \u201cThe important thing is to maintain our confidence and control of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Donis also addressed the rapid development of the Saudi Pro League and its impact on the national team, saying a stronger domestic competition does not automatically translate into a stronger national side.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Saudi league has developed significantly, with many quality foreign stars and players joining,\u201d he said. \u201cBut having a strong league does not necessarily mean we have a strong national team.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the development of the league could help Saudi players build stronger personalities and compete at higher standards, while also creating challenges in terms of playing time for some local players.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to play to better standards and with a stronger personality,\u201d Dounis said. \u201cThe negative side is that sometimes we lack playing time. Goalkeepers, for example, are mostly foreigners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Donis said he remained confident in the Saudi players and wanted the team to build on the positive aspects of the domestic game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe in the players and we have to strengthen the positives,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow is not a final. We will play Kuwait with our personality and identity, then analyze our mistakes. Every match is different, and our goal is to improve from where we were.<\/p>\n
The Greek coach also said pressure is a natural part of football, particularly when playing a major tournament at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying football without pressure is not normal,\u201d he said. \u201cThe important thing is to control the pressure well and not allow it to make us lose our way or our style.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n