Saudi Arabia will be eyeing all the three points when the team plays Qatar in their first match at the 19th Gulf Cup at the Police Stadium in Muscat on Monday. The Saudi team concluded its preparation for the tournament on Saturday after a short training session at the match avenue. Prince Sultan Bin Fahd, Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, attended the Saudi training session and held discussion with coach Nasser Al-Johar. Prince Sultan, who heads the Saudi team delegation to Oman, said the side will give its best during the tournament and will be working hard to bring the title back to Riyadh. Al-Johar closed the training Saturday with some fitness exercises. He was confident that his selected squad will make it easy for him to apply the right tactics of the match. Qatar is a strong rival and has raised the level of its play in the last couple of years. It has a strong defense and plays on counterattacks against the Saudis. The Qataris, moreover, will be looking to avenge its defeat in the 2002 Cup final at the hands of the Saudis in the tournament held in Riyadh. Qatar received a setback days before the match when the French coach Mitsu was forced to drop two key players from the final list after defenders Saad Al-Shamari and Younis Ali picked up injuries. On the other hand, the Saudi team is expected to start the match with a 4-4-2 formation, as Al-Johar has played the last two friendlies in that style. Ace strikers Yasser Al-Qahtani and Malek Al-Hawsawi will be in front with Ahmed or Abdu Ateef supporting from behind. Al-Johar will have many options in the midfield with Khaled Aziz, Taiser Al-Jassem, Saud Kariri and Ahmed Al-Fraidi all raring to go while the defense line will be secured by the experienced Redha Tukar, Osamah Hawsawi, Majed Al-Marshadi and Osamah Al-Harbi. Goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah is expected to start the match. Saudi Arabia is placed in a tough group with Qatar, defending champion the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The Saudi Arabia match will kick off at 7:15 P.M. and it will broadcast on Al-Jazeerah and Kuwait Sports Channels. The eight participating teams have been drawn into two groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals to be played on Jan. 14. The final will be played on Jan. 17. Group A comprises host Oman, Bahrain and the 2007 Asian champion Iraq. Saudi Arabia has won the title three times in 1994, 2002 and 2003. Only Yemen, Oman and Bahrain have not yet won the title while Iraq has bagged the crown three times. Qatar has won the cup twice. Saudi Arabia has held an intensive training camp in Dammam and Riyadh. __
