Time to wake up, coach Renard tells Saudi Arabia ahead of Yemen clash

Doha: Saudi Arabia head coach Herve Renard warned his underperforming team that it is time to wake up and labelled his side as average after losin...

Doha: Saudi Arabia head coach Herve Renard warned his underperforming team that it is “time to wake up” and labelled his side as “average” after losing their Arabian Gulf Cup opener against Bahrain.

The Saudis take on Yemen in their second Group B match today, at the Jabar Al Mubarak International Stadium.

Renard recently returned to the post after a disappointing run of World Cup qualifying results, and the latest 3-2 defeat brought more criticism to the players, with some believing they are more concerned with their club than country.

The experienced tactician accepted responsibility following Saturday’s defeat, and conceded that he has a lot of work to do if Saudi are to qualify for the semi-finals, starting with tomorrow’s match.

“The first round is three games, and the most important is to be in the first or second position at the end of them,” said Renard, who addressed the club vs country claim.