Saudi national team and Al-Ittihad striker Saleh Al-Shehri confirmed the difficulty of the matches against Bahrain and Australia in the ninth and tenth rounds of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Al-Shehri stated in his remarks: "We have two very difficult and decisive matches ahead of us, and we as players are aware of the importance of these matches."

He added: "First, we have a match against the Bahrain national team on their home ground, and we must achieve victory to secure the three points. Finally, we will face the Australian national team at home, and then we will address each situation as it arises."

He affirmed that Al-Ittihad deserves to win the Roshan Saudi Pro League title this season, in addition to winning the King Abdulaziz Cup against Al-Qadisiyah.