Saudi Arabia's Gulf Cup Squad Announced by Georgios Donis
Georgios Donis has wasted no time making his mark.
The Greece-born head coach of Saudi Arabia has announced his squad for the Gulf Cup “Gulf 27” in Jeddah, and it comes with a jolt: national team captain Salem Al-Dawsari is out. So is Roma defender Saud Abdulhamid. Both were on the plane to the recent World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Both are now on the outside looking in.
They are not alone.
Ahmed Al-Kassar, Ali Majrashi, Ali Lajami, Ayman Yahya, Saleh Al-Shehri and Khalid Al-Ghannam have all been omitted as well. Eight World Cup players, gone in one sweep. For a new coach, it is a clear message: reputations no longer guarantee a seat on the bus.
In their place, Donis has opened the door to a new wave. Eight fresh faces have been called up: Hamed Al-Shanqiti, Mohammed Mahzari, Zakaria Hawsawi, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Abdullah Al-Salem, Rayan Hamed and Hammam Al-Hammami. For them, Jeddah is not just a tournament venue; it is a stage to stake a claim in a new era for the Green Falcons.
According to the Saudi national team’s account on X, Donis has settled on a 26-man squad for Gulf 27. The goalkeepers are Mohammed Al-Owais, Nawaf Al-Aqidi and Hamed Al-Shanqiti. In defence, he turns to Abdulelah Al-Amri, Jihad Zikri, Rayan Hamed, Hassan Kadesh, Hassan Tambakti, Nawaf Boushal, Mohammed Mahzari, Mutaib Al-Harbi and Zakaria Hawsawi.
Midfield is packed with energy and competition: Musab Al-Juwayr, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Mohammed Kanno, Ziyad Al-Johani, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Alaa Haji, Sultan Mandash, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, Hammam Al-Hammami and Saleh Abu Al-Shamat all make the list. Up front, the responsibility falls on Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Firas Al-Buraikan and Abdullah Al-Salem.
The challenge starts immediately.
Saudi Arabia open their Gulf 27 campaign against Kuwait on 23 September at Al-Inma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City. Oman await three days later on 26 September, before a potentially decisive clash with Iraq on the 29th closes out the group stage.
The draw has placed the hosts in Group One with Kuwait, Oman and Iraq, a pool heavy on regional rivalry and history. Group Two brings together Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Yemen.
New coach. New names. Old expectations. In Jeddah, Donis will discover quickly whether his bold cuts and fresh calls can carry Saudi Arabia through a demanding Gulf Cup, or whether the absence of some of the country’s biggest stars will haunt this first major test.
