U-23 footballers steal seniors’ spotlight in Saudi double-header

It is not often that Saudi Arabia’s senior side are in action on the same day as the country’s under-23 team, and it is even rarer that the latter clash seems more important.

While Thursday’s friendly with Venezuela in Spain is important for the Green Falcons’ World Cup preparations, the more immediate focus is on whether the youngsters can get the point against the UAE that is needed to guarantee a quarterfinal place at the AFC U23 Asian Cup.