Riyadh - Arabstoday
Saudi Arabia\'s football is not as great as it used to be. It\'s a sad thing because it is public knowledge that the budget allocated to them is even bigger than before. In the past 28 years, we had proudly won three Asian Cups and between 1991 to 2005, we bagged 11 Asian Football Championships in the Clubs categories. Al-Hilal alone bagged six of them. Beginning in 1994, we qualified for the FIFA\'s World Cup four times in a row. Unfortunately, it has been a while since we\'ve even come close to half of what we used to be. What seems to be the problem when the government is giving its hundred percent support? As a matter of fact, they are giving more funding these days. Could it be the people who run the teams here? Could it be that the players now care more about the money, unlike their predecessors who played more for the pride of our country? In my opinion, we need major changes as soon as possible. Maybe, we need new blood... those who hunger more for winning! And if we must get people outside of our country, let it be those who deserve it. Bring the right people! Those who can actually deliver, otherwise, what is the whole point? The silver lining in this situation is having an upcoming game with Australia on Feb. 29th for the final round of the World Cup qualifiers. We need to win! The sports enthusiasts of this country have been longing for a real victory for too long already. Let this match be our hope. As I said, we need to rebuild our football and now is the best time to reclaim our glory. Let\'s beat Australia. Let us win!