Suspect charged after Vancouver car ramming leaves 11 dead    Suspect in killing of general claims he was paid by Ukraine    North Korea confirms troop deployment to Russia for first time    Rock & Roll Hall of Fame picks Outkast but not Oasis    400-800 year old giant coral colony discovered within AMAALA waters in the Red Sea    Makkah police arrest Yemeni and Egyptian suspects of fake Hajj campaign    Kafalah grants 1,900 loan guarantees worth over SR4.8 billion to SMEs during 1Q 2025    Council of Senior Scholars reaffirms performing Hajj without a permit is a sinful act    HR Ministry launches 'Ajeer Al-Hajj' service for seasonal work during Hajj 2025    stc reports strong first-quarter 2025 results with 11% rise in net profit    King and Crown Prince offer condolence to Iranian president over the deadly port explosion    Saudi Awwal Bank records SR2.1 billion net profit after zakat and income tax for 1Q25    Virgin Atlantic celebrates one month of nonstop service between London and Riyadh    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Australians wary of aggressive Saudi crowd
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 06 - 10 - 2016

Australia defender Matthew Spiranovic has warned his teammates to expect a "hostile" reception when the Socceroos take on Saudi Arabia in their Asian section World Cup qualifier in Jeddah Thursday.
Australia leads Group B on goal difference from the Saudis, with both teams boasting 100 percent records after two games.
Spiranovic had a bruising experience on his last trip to the Kingdom, when Western Sydney Wanderers faced Saudi club Al-Hilal in Riyadh in the second leg of their victorious 2014 Asian Champions League final.
The 28-year-old center back was head-butted by Al-Hilal's Nasser Al-Shamrani in the second half of the scoreless draw and also spat at by the striker after the final whistle as the Australian side claimed a 1-0 aggregate victory.
Al-Shamrani, who was given an eight-match ban for the behavior, has been recalled to the Saudi Arabia team for the match at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
"I've never played in front of such a crowd," China-based Spiranovic told Australian media in Jeddah. "It was surreal, just a sea of blue and white, very loud, hostile, not friendly at all.
"It was packed to the rafters, 65,000 screaming men, basically."
But defender Ryan McGowan said the Socceroos can deal with the pressure of a packed-out Saudi crowd.
"If you look at where most of the boys play, we are playing in front of big crowds and intimidating crowds every single week," he told the Socceroos website. "We enjoy that, we embrace it and it's better for us to play in stadiums that are packed and hostile than playing in front of no one."
Victory for the Socceroos would go a long way to securing their passage to a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance at Russia in 2018.
The Green Falcons are bidding for their first World Cup appearance since the 2006 tournament in Germany.
Ambitious China and 2022 host Qatar will also come out fighting as they seek to salvage their bids to reach the 2018 Russia World Cup.
China, with one point from its two games so far, entertains war-torn Syria in Xian, while rock-bottom Qatar has it all to do against Son Heung-min's South Korea.
Japan, stunned 2-1 by UAE in its first game, hit back by beating Thailand and it will be strong favorite when it takes on Iraq in Saitama.
South Korea was surprisingly held 0-0 by Syria in its second outing but it will be expected to blow a giant hole in Qatar's World Cup bid in Suwon.
Qatar is scrambling to reach its first World Cup before it hosts the tournament in 2022, but a third straight defeat would leave its chances remote.
It is also dealing with internal turmoil after Jose Daniel Carreno was sacked and replaced earlier this month with fellow Uruguayan Jorge Fossati.
The top two in each of the six-strong Groups A and B will book their places in Russia, while the two third-placed teams head into a playoff series.
China has set its sights on bringing the World Cup back to Asia by 2030, but first it wants to add to its sole, and goalless, appearance at the tournament in 2002.


Clic here to read the story from its source.