JEDDAH, 17 July 2006 — Members of the Saudi national youth football team will do further training camp in Taif for 25 days after a week-long training in Riyadh.
The training is to prepare the team for the Asian Cup where they will play in a group that includes Iraq, Malaysia and Vietnam. Friendly matches against Yemen Olympic team and Japan are also lined up.
The Riyadh training focused on fitness program. Brazilian coach Milson and his assistant Bandar Al-Juaithen conducted the training.
Al-Juaithen said that the current crop of players is one of the best groups. He said, “the players are determined to win. They put their team loyalties behind and focused on the idea that they play for one national team as one family. The allowance of intervening days between training camps was a good move by the team management to give more time for players to finish their exams.”
The Taif training camp will concentrate on fitness and strength-building exercises.
Shabab in Czech Republic for Training Camp
Al-Shabab are hopeful they will benefit hugely from a training camp in Czech Republic in preparation for the season-opening Prince Faisal ibn Fahd Cup tournament next month.
New Portuguese coach Kelhu is to join the rest of the team in Czech Republic one of these days. The training in Czech Republic will last for 21 days. The Shabab contingent comprises 30 players and 12 officials.
Prior to the takeover of Kelhu, Saudi national coach Abdul Latif Al-Hussini was in charge at Shabab who are looking to repeat the success of 2005 when they won the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.
The new Shabab club president, Prince Khaled ibn Saad, who took over after Khaled Al-Baltan resigned citing personal reasons, graced the club’s training sessions along with board members.
Prince Khaled announced the club new budget for the season, which is SR35 million. Honorary member Prince Khaled ibn Sultan is throwing his full support to the club. Prince Khaled said that the new budget will go a long way toward achieving good results for the season.
Ghanaian Atram and Iraqi Nashaat Akram are the two professional players at Shabab who are hoping to recruit the Wehda duo of Naser Al-Shamrani and Essa Al-Muhayyani, who are both strikers.
