Saudi National Team's Record Against African Teams

The Saudi national team reviewed its history against African teams ahead of the anticipated match against Cape Verde in the third round of the group stage at the 2026 World Cup.

The match carries a decisive nature for the Green team, as they need to win in order to qualify for the round of 32. Any setback would mean exiting the tournament, amidst the intensifying competition within Group H.

The Cape Verde national team is the sixth African team that the Saudi national team will face in the history of its participation in the World Cup, having previously encountered five African teams in past editions.

The encounters with African teams began in the 1994 World Cup, when the Saudi national team achieved a historic victory over Morocco with a score of 2-1, thanks to Fouad Anwar and Sami Al-Jaber.

In the 1998 World Cup, the Saudi team drew 2-2 with South Africa, with Sami Al-Jaber and Yousuf Al-Thunayan scoring the goals for Saudi Arabia.

In the 2002 edition, the Saudi national team lost to Cameroon 1-0, with the goal scored by star player Samuel Eto'o.

In the 2006 World Cup, the Saudi team drew 2-2 with Tunisia in an Arab encounter, during which Yasser Al-Qahtani and Sami Al-Jaber scored.

In the 2018 World Cup, the Green Falcons returned to secure an important 2-1 victory over Egypt through Salman Al-Faraj and Salem Al-Dawsari, enhancing their relative superiority against African teams with two wins, two draws, and one defeat.

The Saudi national team hopes to capitalize on this positive record before facing Cape Verde, in order to continue their journey in the 2026 World Cup.