Saudi Arabia team swimming in a pool of uninformed and shark-like media and people

Hypothetically, if the World Cup 2006 was a pool, then we will have 32 privileged nations swimming in it. The 32 nations will be joined by the media, spectators and security forces. The security forces’ job is to create a hand-to-hand chain around the 32 nations to protect them from the media and spectators. This year, Saudi Arabia got to swim along other privileged nations and is given services similar to other nations. However, they are having a different experience. The nation is given few security forces and is experiencing attacks from shark-like media and spectators. Also, the rational media and people have kept as much water-distance between them and the Saudi team.

Do you get my point? Usually the attacks range from underrating, constant negative media, historical humiliation from spectators and others. While, the distance kept by some are caused by the lack of interest in researching on the team, dependent of biased-sources for information and over-confident of the nation’s course in the World Cup 2006

In 2002, Sami Jaber said

Our media don’t show what we have. When I was in England people were always asking me what it was like in Saudi Arabia. We have good talent, good players and a good league but why does no one know?

In 2006, the media still stands firm to its 2002 position, with so many people lacking information on the team’s whereabouts and players. Two months ago, I have received more than four to five e-mails requesting information about the players. Clearly, the media are looking for information about the team. But, can getting information from the public a wise decision? (not saying that I am a bad source) People are naturally inclined to be biased. Therefore if media places too much trust on public sources, we basically have a chain of biased news. Saudi Arabia’s football news is a product of media and biased public sources.

With World Cup very close, there are many websites with information about Saudi Arabia. If you look closer, you will notice that the information are similar and rotate around limited information. The journalists take what they can from the internet and stops asking the Saudi Football Federation. For example, the media will only go as far as referring the most cited player. Here’s an example of recent team information from the foxsports.com website.

Soccer is by far the country’s most popular sport, and players and teams are the playthings of the oil-rich barons of the kingdom. That noted, it was banned in the kingdom until 1951 as “decadent” and Western.

Sami Al Jaber is the only player on the squad with any international experience, having served a brief spell at Wolverhampton in England.

KEY PLAYERS: Sami Al Jaber (KSA: al-Hilal) , Yasser Al Qahtani (KSA: al-Hilal).

The Saudi Team has more key players than the above mentioned ones.

With so little information on the team, how can football observers decide to undermine the team’s prospect? Even first-time World Cup entrants like Serbia- Montenegro and Togo are predicted to do well in the coming World Cup. So, if I had more information about the Saudi football, am I expecting better predictions than Bob’s infallible predictions and Google’s predictions? I’d say yeah.

How does negative environment mentally affect the Saudi players? Saudi Arabia is a collective society unlike the individualistic society of the west and some of Europe. In this society, there are few practices that play an important role within a person, such as respect to elders, treatment, humbleness, and society status. If we rage a media war on the players, we will 100% demoralize the players. Before the game against Belgium and Togo, the Saudi players requested observers to be patient in judging their performance. How many media took note of that? None, so we got the normal bashing after the Belgium game and got little to no attention for the Togo game.

Check the media’s response for Beligum

Saudi Arabia slip up against Belgium

Check media’s response for Togo

Saudi Arabia beat Togo with late winner

The Saudi team cannot rise and become an underdog in the World Cup, with all this continuous rage from the public.

Historically, media pressure always played a role in firing national coaches. In 1998, Brazilian Coach was sacked after the first game of Saudi Arabia against France, with the intense pressure from the public.

Is information available for media to write about? Well technically the answer is no on internet (you should note this website is the only English-source for Saudi Football. Do media go a step further and interview players or request more information from the Saudi Football Federation? No. Do they access the videos from Saudi media to watch the players? No.

There is no central database of information on Saudi Arabia (as far as I know). I really don’t know, if Saudi Football Federation has decided to establish an institute for protection of Saudi Football from shark-like media. Its creation will help eliminate the past and shape the road to the future for Saudi Arabia. In end, the World Cup 2006 pool will become a friendlier place for Saudi Arabia.