World Cup 2018 Team Profile
posted on Jun 14, 2018
Russia Vs Saudi Arabia
GROUP A
RUSSIA
FIFA RANKING: 70
FIRST FWC: 1958
BEST ACHIEVEMENT: 4th Place 1966 *including participations of Soviet Union
THE COACH: STANISLAV CHERCHESOV- A former USSR and Russia international goalkeeper who was selected for the national squads at the 1994 and 2002 FIFA World Cups, Cherchesov was appointed coach in 2016. The former Dynamo Moscow and Legia Warsaw boss led the hosts at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
TO GET THE GOALS: Fedor Smolov
STAR: IGOR AKINFEEV- A six-time Russian title winner, Akinfeev has over 100 caps for his country. He is also the national team’s captain and will be an influential figure as they attempt to impress on home soil.
SAUDI ARABIA
FIFA RANKING: 67
FIRST FWC: 1994
LAST FWC: 2006
BEST ACHIEVEMENT: Round of 16 1994
THE COACH: JUAN ANTONIO PIZZI- The Argentinian-born coach took charge of Saudi Arabia in November 2017, after his time in charge of Chile came to an end. As La Roja coach, he won the Copa America Centenary in 2016 but failed to lead Chile to Russia 2018. Pizzi was a prolific forward during his playing days. He represented Spain at international level and featured at UEFA EURO 1996 and the 1998 World Cup.
TO GET THE GOALS: Fahad Al Muwallad
STAR: MOHAMMAD AL-SAHLAWI- Saudi Arabia’s dynamic forward enjoyed the rare distinction of finishing joint-top goal scorer in Russia 2018 qualifying with 16 goals. Fast feet and a rare turn of pace make Al-Sahlawi a genuine star in Saudi football, following his breakthrough campaign for Russia 2018.