Saudi Arabia vs Kuwait: Donis Flags Attacking Issues
Saudi Arabia beat Kuwait 1-0 at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah, but coach Dônis said the side still lacks composure in front of goal. The win opened Gulf Cup 27 for…
JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia vs Kuwait ended 1-0 at Al-Inma Stadium on Wednesday, but the result did little to hide the hosts’ ongoing problems in attack. Saudi Arabia opened their Gulf Cup 27 campaign with a narrow win, yet the only goal came from an own goal by Youssef Al-Haqan.
The victory put Saudi Arabia on the right side of the scoreline. The performance did not fully convince.
Humam Al-Hammami’s shot struck Al-Haqan, deceived the goalkeeper and rolled into the net for the match’s lone goal, according to the source report. It was enough to give Saudi Arabia three points at the start of the group stage, but it also extended a worrying run: the team has now gone three matches under Dônis without scoring itself.
That stretch includes defeats or blanks against Spain and Cape Verde at the 2026 World Cup, followed by the Kuwait match at Gulf Cup 27. The team’s last goal of its own came against Uruguay in the opening round of the group stage at the World Cup, a match that finished 1-1. The picture looks even less flattering when the final friendly before the tournament is added in, a goalless draw with Senegal.
Saudi Arabia vs Kuwait and the scoring problem
In total, Saudi Arabia have scored just one goal of their own in their last five matches, and that is a rough number for a side trying to build momentum. Dônis has now taken charge of seven games, with Saudi Arabia scoring six goals in that span. Three of those came against Puerto Rico, ranked 154th in the world, while another was the own goal against Kuwait.
That is the key issue for Saudi Arabia. They can control matches, push the ball near the penalty area and still come away without a clean attacking finish. Against Kuwait, the game again exposed the same weakness: possession without enough sharpness, pressure without a decisive final touch.
Dônis addressed that problem after the match and tied it to the team’s World Cup form. He said the side is still suffering from the same issue and pointed to chances that were not taken. The coach also said there was no simple fix, suggesting the solution depends on the players as much as the structure around them.
What the result changes for the hosts
For Saudi Arabia, the win matters because it keeps the group-stage campaign moving after a difficult scoring run. For the wider tournament picture, though, the concern is that the hosts are still relying on moments rather than a consistent attack. That can work once. It gets harder when the matches tighten.
Kuwait, meanwhile, left Jeddah without points but with a clearer sense of what Saudi Arabia still lacks. The Blue were not broken open by flow or rhythm. They were beaten by a deflection, and that detail says a lot about how narrow the margin was.
Dônis has already shown he can organize a side that competes. The next task is uglier. He has to find goals, and quickly, because Saudi Arabia have now gone 270 minutes without one of their own.
Source: goal.com
