World Cup ’94 : WORLD CUP USA ’94 / GROUP F PREVIEW : Saudi Arabia at a Glance

* COACH: Jorge Solari.

* KEY PLAYERS: Majed Mohammed, Khaled Al Muwallid, Sami Al Jaber.

* STRENGTHS: Saudi Arabia is one of the rising soccer powers in its part of the world. The government, that is to say, the royal family, has spent millions of dollars on the sport over the past 18 years or so and has been rewarded first with an Olympic Games appearance in 1984, an under-17 world championship in 1989 and now a World Cup appearance.

* WEAKNESSES: The Saudis change coaches at the drop of a burnoose, sending them packing whenever things go wrong. As a result, the players always are changing training methods and tactics. Small wonder they have had little success outside Asia and the Arab world.

* WORLD CUP HISTORY: First appearance.

* LITTLE-KNOWN FACT: In gratitude for having qualified for the World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history, the Saudi government reportedly gave each player a luxury car and $100,000.

* OUTLOOK: The team is one of the youngest, if not the youngest, in the tournament. It will struggle against such experienced powers as the Netherlands and Belgium but will put up a fight against Morocco in the hope that a victory might put it in the second round.

* PREDICTED FIRST-ROUND FINISH: Third.

ROSTER

No. Name Position 1 Muhammad Al Daeyea Goalkeeper 21 Hussein Al Sadik Goalkeeper 22 Ibrahim Al Helwah Goalkeeper 2 Abdullah Saleh Al Dossari Defender 3 Muhammad Al Khilawe Defender 4 Abdullah Zebermawi Defender 5 Ahmed Jameel Madani Defender 13 Muhammad Abdul Jawwad Defender 15 Saleh Al Dawood Defender 17 Yasir Al Taifi Defender 18 Awad Al Anazi Defender 6 Fuad Amin Midfielder 8 Fahd Al Huraifi Al Bishi Midfielder 10 Saeed Al Owairan Midfielder 14 Khaled Al Muwallid Midfielder 16 Talal Jebreen Midfielder 19 Hamzah Saleh Midfielder 7 Fahd Al Ghashiyan Forward 9 Majed Mohammed Forward 11 Fahd Al Mehalal Forward 12 Sami Al Jaber Forward 20 Hamza Idrees Saeed Falatah Forward