Saudi Arabia

Population: 20.1 million.

FA Established/Affiliated to FIFA: 1959/59.

No of players: 117,000.

World Ranking: 30.

Highest achieved: 25 (March '01).

Previous finals: Two.

Best performances: Second round in 94.

Qualifying record: Pl: 14, W: 11, D 2, L: 1, F: 47, A: 8.

Leading goalscorer: Talal Al Meshal (11).

Best performances in Asian championships: '84, '88 and '96. Runners-up: '92 and 2000.

It was hard to find an Iranian in the build up to Ireland's recent game in Tehran who didn't feel that their's had been a better side than the Saudi one that topped their qualification group and progressed automatically. It's hard to argue, however, with the consistency that the Saudis have displayed in recent years, even if they are once again likely to find the step up from the Asian stage to the world one a difficult one to negotiate.

After their remarkable first appearance at the World Cup, when they qualified for the second phase from a group that included the Dutch and Belgians, the Saudi authorities have been desperately looking to build on the performance. But with few of their players ever gaining any exposure to top-level club football their overall progress has been slow.

Things haven't been helped by the regularity with which the local association changes managers; they average comfortably more than one a year. Nasser Al Jawhar (above) is in the middle of his second crack at the job (he was sacked after last year's defeat by Japan in the final of the Asian championships), and don't be surprised if they bring in a better- known figure by next summer.

Several of his players, however, pose a threat. Sami Al Jaber, a veteran of previous World Cup campaigns, and his new striking partner, Nawaf Al Temyat (Asian Player of the Year) work well together.