MOSCOW: Three Saudi Arabia players will face punishment after their disastrous opening-day World Cup defeat by hosts Russia.
This is the scenario reported by the Daily Mail which quoted Saudi Arabia football federation chief Adel Ezzat on the issue.
Critics said Saudi Arabia were one of the worst teams to ever perform at the World Cup finals when they were thrashed 5-0 by Russia.
Ezzat said the performance in Moscow fell well below expectation and named three players facing a 'penalty' for their poor performance.
“We are very disappointed by the defeat,” Ezzat was quoted as saying in the Al-Youm Assabaa newspaper.
“This result is totally unsatisfactory, because it does not reflect the true level of our preparedness.
“Several players will face a penalty, goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf, striker Mohammad Al-Sahlawi and defender Omar Hawsawi.”
Saudi Arabia, ranked World No 67, will have two more group games to redeem their battered pride.
But they face an uphill task against Uruguay and Egypt, who are ranked much higher than Russia.