The announcement said Prince Sultan was relieved of his duty on his request. Prince Nawaf was the presidency’s former vice president.
Prince Nawaf thanked King Abdullah for the appointment and commended the government's support to sports and youth welfare programs. "I pray to the Almighty seeking His help to shoulder this responsibility to work for strengthening the Kingdom's youth and sports sector," he said.
The news comes after the Saudi national team’s disappointing performance in the knockout matches of the Asian Cup in the Qatari capital, Doha. Three-time champions Saudi Arabia exited from the tournament Friday after being defeated by Jordan.
The Kingdom lost the opening match against Syria 2-1 and lost the second match against Jordan 1-0. The Saudi team is yet to play a final match against Japan. This is the first time in the Kingdom’s football history that the national team has left the Asian Cup in such a way.
Prince Sultan blamed four parties — the Saudi Football Federation, the Portuguese coach who has been fired, the players and the development committee comprising British and French experts — for the team’s failure.
