Sports critic Ali Al-Habsi launched sharp criticisms at Italian coach Roberto Mancini, holding him primarily responsible for the Saudi national team's struggles during the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

Al-Habsi considered that the lackluster performance at the start of the qualifiers under Mancini's leadership was a key factor in complicating the green team's mission later on, leading to the loss of a direct qualification opportunity.

In his statements on the program "Dourina Gheer," Al-Habsi pointed out that the team's start was weak, which is unforgivable in a strong group that includes Japan and Australia.

He clarified that collecting only five points in the matches held on Saudi soil is a clear indicator of a significant technical flaw that began with Mancini and continued later with Renard.

He added that the lack of improvement in collective performance and the absence of a clear technical fingerprint contributed to the failure of the green team, emphasizing that the problem was not only in the results, but also in the weakness of football development.