Georgios Donis reshapes Saudi Arabia squad for Gulf 27
Georgios Donis has wasted no time putting his stamp on Saudi Arabia. For the Gulf Cup “Gulf 27” on home soil in Jeddah, the Greek coach has taken a scalpel to the squad that went to the recent World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico – and no one can say the cuts were gentle.
Captain out, World Cup names dropped
The headline decision is brutal in its clarity. Salem Al-Dawsari, captain and long-time talisman of the Green Falcons, is out. So is Roma defender Saud Abdulhamid. Both were central figures at the World Cup; neither will walk out at Al-Inma Stadium when Saudi Arabia open their campaign against Kuwait on 23 September.
They are not isolated omissions. Ahmed Al-Kassar, Ali Majrashi, Ali Lajami, Ayman Yahya, Saleh Al-Shehri and Khalid Al-Ghannam have also been left at home. Eight World Cup players, eight absentees from Gulf 27. Donis has not opted for a gentle transition. He has chosen a reset.
The message is unmistakable: reputation no longer guarantees a place.
Eight new faces for a new cycle
To replace them, Donis has turned to fresh blood. Eight players step into the senior Gulf Cup squad:
- Hamed Al-Shanqiti
- Mohammed Mahzari
- Zakaria Hawsawi
- Mohammed Al-Qahtani
- Saleh Abu Al-Shamat
- Abdullah Al-Salem
- Rayan Hamed
- Hammam Al-Hammami
Some are familiar to domestic followers, others less so on the international stage. All of them now carry the weight of a home tournament and the expectations that come with it.
This is not a token sprinkling of youth around a veteran core. It is a deliberate injection of new energy into a team that must now show it can evolve quickly.
The 26-man squad
Saudi Arabia’s account on X confirmed a 26-man list for Gulf 27, a group that blends established names with Donis’s new picks:
Goalkeepers
Mohammed Al-Owais, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Hamed Al-Shanqiti
Defenders
Abdulelah Al-Amri, Jihad Zikri, Rayan Hamed, Hassan Kadesh, Hassan Tambakti, Nawaf Boushal, Mohammed Mahzari, Mutaib Al-Harbi, Zakaria Hawsawi
Midfielders
Musab Al-Juwayr, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Mohammed Kanno, Ziyad Al-Johani, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Alaa Haji, Sultan Mandash, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, Hammam Al-Hammami, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat
Forwards
Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Firas Al-Buraikan, Abdullah Al-Salem
Names like Mohammed Kanno and Firas Al-Buraikan will be asked to anchor the spine. Around them, Donis has surrounded the side with legs, intensity and players desperate to prove they belong at this level.
Host nation, heavy expectations
The setting only heightens the stakes. Jeddah hosts Gulf 27 from 23 September to 6 October, with Saudi Arabia drawn in Group One alongside Kuwait, Oman and Iraq.
The schedule offers no time to ease into the tournament. Kuwait await first on 23 September at Al-Inma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City. Oman follow on 26 September. Iraq close out the group on the 29th.
Every match carries a different kind of test: Kuwait’s organisation, Oman’s resilience, Iraq’s edge and intensity. For a coach reshaping his squad, it is a demanding early examination.
Group Two gathers Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Yemen, a cluster that could produce a heavyweight semi-final opponent if Saudi Arabia navigate their way out of Group One.
A clear break with the past
By leaving out his captain and several World Cup regulars, Donis has chosen clarity over compromise. He has signalled that this Gulf Cup is not just about lifting a regional trophy in front of home fans. It is about drawing a line under one chapter and starting another.
The stands in Jeddah will make their verdict known quickly. The question now is simple: will this new-look Saudi Arabia justify such ruthless choices when the whistle blows against Kuwait?
