Former national team player and technical analyst Abdurrahman Mohammed emphasized the importance of reducing the average age of the national football team. He stated that any player who has reached the age of 30 should not be selected to represent 'Al-Abyad' (the team's nickname), stressing that the age of any selected player should not exceed 29 years, especially concerning upcoming major tournaments such as the 2030 World Cup qualifiers and the 2027 Asian Cup finals.
He stressed the need to properly prepare the team for participation in the 27th Gulf Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup, while also stating that if there is an intention to replace the current Romanian coach, Olariu Cosmin, he hopes the next coach will be Argentine or Portuguese, to align with the requirements for the team's upcoming phase.
Abdurrahman Mohammed told 'Al-Ittihad': 'The upcoming phase concerning the team's future, especially regarding participation in the 2030 World Cup qualifiers and the 2027 Asian Cup, requires reducing the team's player age to between 25 and 29 years, in addition to including players under 25 years of age.'
The latest squad that participated in the 2025 Arab Cup in Doha included 23 players, four of whom were over 30 years old and were also key pillars of the team. These are: Ali Khaseef (38), Khaled Eisa (36), Sasha (32), and Caio Lucas (31). Meanwhile, national team player and Al-Ahli youth player Mohammed Jumah Al-Mansouri (19) was the youngest player in the latest squad that participated in the Arab Cup.
Regarding the team's level in the past period, Abdurrahman Mohammed said: 'Despite the team having more than one opportunity to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, it failed to do so because it did not handle most of the matches it played properly, whether in terms of individual or collective errors, in team formation, or in the coach's approach to the group and matches.'
