TOKYO, 9 June — Prince Nawaf ibn Faisal ibn Fahd, deputy chief of the Youth Welfare Presidency and head of the Saudi delegation to the World Cup finals, paid a courtesy call on Sami Al-Jaber, Saudi Arabia’s most prominent striker, who has undergone an appendectomy operation at a Tokyo hospital earlier today.
Prince Nawaf was reassured of Al-Jaber’s health. Al-Jaber, whose injury deprived him of taking part in his team’s last match against Cameroon, thanked Prince Nawaf for his noble gesture, noting that he wished he would join his team’s remaining match against Ireland on Tuesday.
Irish prepare for crucial clash with Saudi Arabia
In Chiba, Ireland manager Mick McCarthy has told his players to shed their habitual underdog status ahead of Tuesday’s final Group E game against Saudi Arabia.
The 43-year-old said yesterday the Irish needed to change their mentality to secure the win they need against the Asian side, already out of the competition but with a point to prove.
Ireland can assure themselves of a place in the next round if they defeat Saudi Arabia by a two-goal margin.
But McCarthy wants to head off any possibility of his side becoming burdened by their status as favorites against Saudi Arabia, which follows Ireland’s battling 1-1 draws with Cameroon and Germany.
“Too often teams have gone from performing well as underdogs to playing like absolute amateurs when put in the position of favorites,” McCarthy said.
“It’s almost as big a test of mental strength. If the goals don’t come the important thing is not to panic and just retain the self-belief.
“Fortunately, we have that in spades at the moment,” he added.
Saudi Arabia were smashed 8-0 by Germany in their first match before regaining some pride in a 1-0 defeat to the ‘Indomitable Lions’ of Cameroon.
Though they are now out of the tournament, McCarthy believes Tuesday’s opponents will have a point to prove.
“They are not going to be a walkover if they repeat their performance against Cameroon. They showed great spirit and skill going forward,” he said. “I know that if we were in the same position with no points and no goals and we were going home we would make it one hell of a parting shot against the team we were playing. “There should be no such thing as a team leaving a World Cup finals with a whimper and I fully expect the Saudis to give it a go.”
To quell the Saudi threat Ireland needed a positive mindset.
“We need to change our mentality from the previous two matches where in most people’s minds we were considered the underdogs,” he said.
McCarthy meanwhile said his squad had only one serious injury worry, left-sided midfielder Kevin Kilbane struggling with a knee problem. McCarthy insists his players will afford Saudi Arabia as much respect as Germany. “To underestimate the Saudis would be folly indeed,” McCarthy told reporters. “Others may expect us to walk all over them but that won’t be the case. We were focused for the Germany game and it will be the same again.”
Germany and Cameroon have four points each, although the Germans’ superior goal difference gives them the advantage going into their group-ending clash, also on Tuesday.
McCarthy maintains his side deserved their point against three-time former world champions Germany, secured when striker Robbie Keane plundered a last-minute equalizer in Ibaraki on Wednesday.
“We weren’t scared by Germany...we came here expecting to do well at the tournament and hopefully that will be the case,” McCarthy said.“Saudi Arabia impressed me against Cameroon. They defended well and created a few chances, and our task is not an easy one.
“They will get men behind the ball...they will not want to go out with three defeats.”
Midfielder Matt Holland (rib), goalkeeper Shay Given (hip) and defender Steve Finnan (hamstring) all sat out training yesterday as a precaution. Ireland’s other injury concerns — Mark Kinsella (knee), Steve Staunton (hamstring) and Gary Breen (calf) — are back in light training, but McCarthy says all his walking wounded will be fit for the Saudi Arabia game.
It should mean he sticks to the starting lineup which held Germany, with Damien Duff and Keane again preferred as the strike duo ahead of Niall Quinn, whose introduction as a substitute in Ibaraki helped Ireland rescue their World Cup hopes.
