Adelaide: After netting what proved a crucial equaliser the last time Saudi Arabia played Australia, Nassir Al Shamrani is again hoping to get on the scoresheet when the sides clash in Group B of the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 qualifying campaign at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.
Al Shamrani, 33, earned a recall to the national team for the match against Australia in Jeddah last October, his first appearance for his country in almost two years.
And the forward, who came off the bench to tie the game at 2-2 with 11 minutes remaining, believes the goal sparked a turnaround in his career both at club level and with the national team.
Al Shamrani (right) warms up for match against UAE in October
“First of all it’s a big game for both teams,” said Al Shamrani, whose side will all but secure their place in Russia with three points in Adelaide.
“I hope that we will be lucky and go back to Saudi Arabia with a good result that helps us on our pathway to qualifying for the World Cup.
“There is no doubt [the goal meant a lot], I was away from the team for a long time and I got back in and it was like a turning point for me.
“To get back to the national team and score a goal that was surely one of the reasons we got a draw meant a lot and I hope we are going to continue like that.”
Since that match Al Shamrani, who joined Al Ain on loan in January, has managed to recapture his form of old, scoring 11 times in 15 matches for the Emirati side, including eight goals in his last six games, which has left him full of confidence ahead of the meeting with Australia.
“First of all it was an incredible experience with Al Ain,” the veteran with over 70 caps for Saudi Arabia explained.
“In a very short time with Al Ain I scored a very good number of goals, 11 to be exact, in addition to the other seven goals with Al Hilal, which is the maximum ambition for any striker.
“So in total it was about 18 goals in the season, as well as what I added with the national team. I think it’s the maximum that could be done by a striker and the goals contributed a lot to get Al Ain into the quarter-finals [of the AFC Champions League] and the national team to qualify.”
Al Shamrani credits Ducthman Bert van Marwijk, who he said is one of the best coaches he has played under, for Saudi Arabia’s turnaround in fortunes, saying the stability he has provided has been the foundation for their success.
“The inconsistency was due to the consistent changing of the technical staff over the years,” he noted.
“Now it’s almost two years since Bert van Marwijk came in with his staff, so there are no changes, and don’t forget the players, the squad is almost the same. So I am hoping we will continue like that and we will continue to get better performances.”
Australia need all three points to keep alive any realistic hopes of achieving a top-two finish and automatic qualification to Russia and, after a 2-0 victory over the United Arab Emirates in March brought a run of four successive draws to an end, the Socceroos go into the fixture with a newfound momentum.
“I think the Australian team will attack from the first moment of the game but it depends on the rhythm of the match itself,” he added.
“They a strong team and rich with professional players, but we are also prepared for such moments, so I hope it will be our day.”
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com