November 22, (THEWILL) – In their Group C opening match against Argentina on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history by coming from behind to beat the reigning South American champions 2-1.
La Albiceleste, one of the favourites to win in Qatar 2022, got off to a strong start at the Lusail Stadium and took the lead thanks to Lionel Messi’s penalty after 10 just minutes of play. The expected rout of the Arabian side appeared to be underway.
However, before halftime, three attempts by Lionel Scaloni’s team were disallowed for offside. And, Saudi Arabia pounced on this reprieve early in the second half, scoring two goals, from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari, in a five-minute span.
Herve Renard’s team equalised through Al-Shehri’s 59th-minute goal and then, shortly after with a beautiful strike from the edge of the penalty box, Al-Dawsari clinched a historic victory for the Saudis.
On Saturday, both teams are in action once more, with Argentina playing Mexico and Saudi Arabia playing Poland.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
