DHABI, JAN. 24, SPA -- THE SAUDI NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM QUALIFIED FOR THE ARAB GULF SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS AFTER BEATING IRAQ 1 - 0 IN ABU-DHABI TONIGHT. YASSER AL-GAHTANI SCORED THE MATCH'S SOLE GOAL FROM A PENALTY KICK IN THE FIRST HALF. WITH SEVEN POINTS, THE SAUDI TEAM LED ITS GROUP TO PROCEED TO THE NEXT STAGE, FOLLOWED BY BAHRAIN WITH FOUR POINTS. FOLLOWING THE MATCH, PRINCE SULTAN BIN FAHD BIN ABDULAZIZ, PRESIDENT OF YOUTH WELCOME, HERE TO LEAD THE SAUDI MISSION TO THE TOURNAMENT, CONGRATULATED THE PLAYERS AND THE SAUDI PEOPLE ON THE WIN, WISHING THE TEAM FURTHER SUCCESSES IN THE MATCHES TO COME. SAUDI ARABIA PLAYS HOST UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ON SATURDAY. LATER, PRINCE SULTAN BIN FAHD BIN ABDULAZIZ THANKED PRINCE RASHID BIN ABDULAZIZ BIN SAUD BIN MOHAMMED FOR HIS DONATION OF SR100,000 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE SAUDI TEAM IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR FINE PERFORMANCE IN THE MATCH. IN A TELEPHONE CALL WITH PRINCE SULTAN BIN FAHD FROM RIYADH, PRINCE NAWAF BIN FAISAL BIN FAHD BIN ABDULAZIZ, DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF YOUTH WELFARE, EXPRESSED PLEASURE OF THE WIN, WISHING THE TEAM MORE AND MORE WINS. HE CONGRATULATED PRINCE SULTAN, THE SAUDI PLAYERS AND PEOPLE ON TODAY'S RESULT, LAUDING THE SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE SAUDI FANS IN THE STADIUM.
