Khaberni - Yasser Al-Qahtani, the Saudi football legend, expressed his anger at the situation of the Saudi national team after being eliminated from the semi-finals of the Arab Cup 2025.
The Saudi national team lost to its Jordanian counterpart with a score of 0-1 in the semi-finals of the Arab Cup 2025 currently held in Qatar, and will compete for third place against its Emirati counterpart.
Yasser Al-Qahtani said in statements at the press conference after the game on the "beIN Sports" channel: "Every beginning has an end, the Saudi national team needs a new football federation."
He added: "The current board, led by Yasser Al-Mishal, has continued for 7 years, with two more years until 2029, but the writing is clear from the title."
He continued: "I demand the administration of the Saudi Federation to resign, the Saudi national team currently needs a new, capable federation with fresh energy and ideas, which may better match the support we receive from the Ministry of Sports."
He followed up: "As a Saudi citizen, why did Hervé Renard come back? He didn’t bring anything new, we needed a coach who would develop the football of the Saudi national team."
He went on: "Our qualification for the 2026 World Cup came through the playoffs and was not satisfactory, despite the resources available from the Ministry of Sports."
He added: "The excuse that the players do not play with their clubs in the league is a disappointment, you are supposed to impose yourself on the lineup and play as a starter, this is not an excuse."
Al-Qahtani concluded his statements saying: "There are no excuses now in light of this support, the Saudi Federation must leave, and Hervé Renard must go."
