SAPPORO, 2 June — Prince Nawaf ibn Faisal, deputy chief of the Youth Welfare Presidency, announced yesterday that there was no plan to fire Saudi coach Nasir Al-Jowhar after Saudi Arabia’s 8-0 defeat at the hands of Germany at their opening World Cup encounter in Sapporo, Japan yesterday.
Speaking to reporters after the match, the prince said Prince Abdullah, the regent, had contacted him to convey his greetings to Saudi players. “Every horse has its failure and we pin big hopes on you,” Prince Nawaf quoted the regent as telling the players. He said Prince Abdullah’s phone call reflected the government’s keen interest in sports affairs.
“Prince Abdullah’s phone call will boost the morale of the entire Saudi team,” Prince Nawaf, who is head of the Saudi delegation to the World Cup, said.
Speaking on the team’s big defeat, the prince said that he himself and all connected with the team take the responsibility. “We hope in the coming matches we can perform well, correcting the mistakes of today’s match,” he added.
He said the Saudi team might have underestimated the strength of the German team after media reports said that they were not in full form.
