Harve Renard’s Saudi Arabia Beats Favourite Argentina
2-1 Saudi Arabia Registers Astounding Upset
Hervé Jean-Marie Roger Renard (born 30 September 1968) is a French professional football coach and former player who is the manager of the Saudi Arabia national team.
Renard has previously been the manager of Zambia national team, with whom he won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations; he also won the competition in 2015 with the Ivory Coast, becoming the first coach to win two Africa Cup of Nations with different teams.
Final Results Argentina Saudi Arabia.
Argentina were stunned by Saudi Arabia as their highly anticipated 2022 World Cup campaign began with a seismic Group A defeat by the 750-1 outsiders, ranking as one of the greatest upsets in the history of the competition.
The Albiceleste, unbeaten in 36 matches over the past three years, went ahead with a 10th-minute penalty from captain Lionel Messi, looking to cap a wonderful career by winning the tournament at the fifth attempt.
But Argentina failed to build on their first-half dominance, having three further goals — one for Messi, two for Lautaro Martinez — ruled out for offside.
They were made to pay in a remarkable opening to the second half as Saudi Arabia first leveled and then went in front in the space of five sensational minutes.
First Saleh Al-Shehri surged past Cristian Romero and clipped a left-footed shot into the far corner before, in the 53rd minute, Salem Al-Dawsari spun round, swerved away from a defender and curled in a brilliant effort from the left edge of the area into into the top-right corner.
Argentina tried to find a way back into the game, but Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Owais made a series of saves from Nicolas Tagliafico, Messi and Julian Alvarez to seal one of the most remarkable results in World Cup history.
Saudi Arabia now have a chance of reaching the last 16 for only the second time as they prepare to face Poland next, while Argentina must pick themselves up before facing Mexico.
Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia final score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Argentina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Saudi Arabia | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Goals:
ARG — Lionel Messi (pen) — 10th min.
SAU — Saleh Al-Shehri — 48th min.
SAU — Salem Al-Dawsari — 53rd min.
