SAUDI Arabia face Jordan today at the Asian Cup under a new coach following Jose Peseiro’s dismissal after just one game at the tournament, but the new man warned he doesn’t have a magic wand.
The Saudis’ quest for a fourth Asian Cup title lay in tatters after their embarrassing 2-1 Group B defeat to unfancied Syria in their opening game, with Portuguese Peseiro sacked immediately afterwards.
Experienced veteran Nasser Al Johar has taken over a deflated Saudi Arabian team that desperately needs a victory to get their campaign going.
But Al Johar, who was similarly drafted in at the 2000 Asian Cup when the Saudis fired Milan Macala also after the opening game, was making no bold statements.
“I don’t pretend to have a magic wand to change things immediately,” he said yesterday.
“But we will do our best and I have big hopes for the team.”
Al Johar will do well to repeat the feat of 2000, when he steered the team to the final, where they lost to Japan.
He was also at the helm during the 2002 World Cup and took over again in 2008 when Helios Dos Anjos was let go, only to resign in February 2009 when the Saudis lost to North Korea in World Cup qualifying.
Al Johar, the man the Saudis seem to call in an emergency, said he felt no pressure, nor were his players shaken by Peseiro’s abrupt early tournament dismissal.
“I’m here to serve my homeland and I’m very happy to be serving my country,” he said.
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