#SAUDI ARABIA#

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Current FIFA Ranking: 34th
Qualified: Winner of Asian Group A
Qualifying record: 
                  W  L  T  GF GA  PTS
                  4  2  2   8  6   14

World Cup appearances: 1
World Cup record: 2-2-0
World Cup goals for/against: 5-6
Best performance: 2nd round in 1994

Primary Uniform Colors (shirt-shorts-socks): green-white-green
Secondary Uniform Colors: white

1998 World Cup group: Group C
1998 World Cup schedule: Friday, June 12 vs. Denmark (at Lens)
                         Thursday, June 18 vs. France (at Saint-Denis)
                         Wednesday, June 24 vs. South Africa (at Bordeaux)

COACH: Carlos Alberto Parreira

KEY PLAYERS: Mohammed-al-Daeyea (Al-Fayed), Sami-al-Jaber (Hillal),
             Fahd-al-Muhallad (Hillal), Saeed al-Owairan (al-Shebab)

OUTLOOK: Saudi Arabia qualified under the direction of German coach
         Otto Pfister, but the Federation decided to go with a 
         different approach and hired Brazilian Carlos Alberto 
         Parreira.

         Parreira coached Brazil to the World Cup title in 1994 and 
         will be at the helm of his fourth different nation in World
         Cup play this summer, sharing the all-time record with 
         Bora Milutinovic.  This is his second stint with the Saudi 
         team.

         Parreira will be well rewarded for a respectable effort in 
         France, as will be the players.  Four years ago, players
         were awarded $75,000 and a Mercedes just for qualifying.

         The Saudis are one of the most successful Asian countries 
         in international competition.  They won the Asian Cup last 
         December for a third time and captured the 1994 Gulf Cup.
         Saudi Arabia also competed in the 1996 Olympic Games in 
         Atlanta after an impressive performance at the 1994 World 
         Cup.

         Saudi Arabia defeated Belgium and Morocco in USA '94 to 
         become the most successful Asian team in World Cup finals 
         history.  Only North Korea had previously won a match, 
         that coming 28 years earlier in England.

         Speed is a Saudi asset and the team demonstrated that it can
         finish its opportunities in 1994.  But the defense is suspect
         and the possibilities for advancement are limited.  

         The top players are striker Sami Al Jaber and midfielder 
         Khamis Owairan.

         Talented creator Saeed Al-Owarain, who dribbled past four 
         Belgian players from his own half to score a superb goal 
         in 1994, was not expected to compete in France.  Owairan, 
         nicknamed the "Desert Maradona", has completed a one-year 
         ban from soccer after being found guilty by an Islamic court 
         of "immoral acts".  In Saudi Arabia that refers to either the 
         use of alcohol, adultery, or both.   But he is on the squad 
         after all.