Saudi Arabia Football Federation president Adel Ezzat has revealed that three players will be punished following their disastrous opening day defeat against hosts Russia in the opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Saudi Arabia were hammered 5-0 by Russia which took their winless run at the World Cup to 11.
And according to Al-Youm Assabaa newspaper monitored by Daily Mail, Ezzat says the performance in Moscow fell well below expectation.
“We are very disappointed by the defeat. This result is totally unsatisfactory, because it does not reflect the true level of our preparedness.
“Several players will face a penalty – goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf, striker Mohammad Al-Sahlawi and defender Omar Hawsawi.”
There was also criticism from another government figure Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al-Sheikh, Chairman of the General Sport Authority, who described the game as a ‘total fiasco’ in a video posted on his Twitter page.
He said, “These players have made my face go black with embarrassment and fury.
“This is down to their weak potential and ability. We did everything for this team and this generation of players, everything.
“We brought them the best technical support, a team of the highest level and we paid them for three years.
“But now we see they have limited capabilities.
