The Saudi national team earned a valuable point from their Japanese hosts after a thrilling goalless draw in the match held at Saitama Stadium, as part of the eighth round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The match witnessed complete Japanese dominance from the early minutes, with the home team threatening the Saudi goal early on. Daizen Maeda nearly opened the scoring in the 9th minute, but the left post denied his shot, allowing the Green Falcons to maintain a clean sheet.

Despite the intense pressure from the Japanese team, the Saudi defense, led by Hassan Tambakti and Ali Al-Lajami, along with the new player from Al-Qadisiyah, managed to withstand the continuous attacks. Goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi also excelled in protecting his goal, preventing the hosts from scoring.

In attack, French coach Hervé Renard deployed a front trio led by Salem Al-Dawsari, alongside Feras Al-Breikan and Marwan Al-Sahafi, but the Saudi team was limited to few attempts due to the Japanese control over the match proceedings.

With this draw, the Saudi national team raised its points tally to 10, remaining in third place in Group C, while Japan strengthened its lead after reaching 20 points, edging closer to securing qualification for the World Cup.