Saudi Arabia's Bold Gulf 27 Squad Changes Under Georgios Donis

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 torn up the script and left out some of the biggest names in the country.

The headline omission is brutal and clear: captain Salem Al-Dawsari is out. So is Roma defender Saud Abdulhamid. Both played at the recent World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Both now watch this regional campaign from the sidelines.

They are not alone.

Ahmed Al-Kassar, Ali Majrashi, Ali Lajami, Ayman Yahya, Saleh Al-Shehri and Khalid Al-Ghannam have also been dropped, taking to eight the number of World Cup players cut from the Gulf 27 squad. Donis has chosen a hard reset rather than a gentle transition.

In their place comes a wave of fresh blood. Eight new faces receive call-ups: Hamed Al-Shanqiti, Mohammed Mahzari, Zakaria Hawsawi, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Abdullah Al-Salem, Rayan Hamed and Hammam Al-Hammami. For them, this is a door suddenly flung open.

According to the Saudi national team’s account on X, Donis will go into the tournament with a 26-man squad:

Mohammed Al-Owais, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Hamed Al-Shanqiti, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Jihad Zikri, Rayan Hamed, Hassan Kadesh, Hassan Tambakti, Nawaf Boushal, Mohammed Mahzari, Mutaib Al-Harbi, Zakaria Hawsawi, 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, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Firas Al-Buraikan and Abdullah Al-Salem.

It is a group that blends established internationals with players stepping into this level for the first time. The message from the coach is unmistakable: reputation counts less than form and fit.

Gulf 27: home stage, real pressure

The setting adds another layer. Jeddah hosts Gulf 27 from 23 September to 6 October, and Saudi Arabia carry the weight of expectation as hosts and traditional contenders.

They open against Kuwait on 23 September at Al-Inma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City. Oman await on 26 September. Iraq complete a demanding Group One schedule on the 29th.

The draw has handed Saudi Arabia a tricky but familiar path. Group One contains Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. Group Two lines up Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Yemen. There are no easy nights here, only regional rivalries with long memories.

For Donis, this tournament becomes more than a shot at silverware. It is his first real audition in front of a home crowd with a squad that clearly bears his fingerprints. With big names left at home and new ones thrust into the spotlight, the question is simple: will this gamble ignite a new era for the Green Falcons or invite immediate scrutiny?