Saad Al-Shehri

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Saad Al-Shehri began his managerial career with the Eastern Region Education Team in 2008. He managed Al-Qadsiah's U17 team, achieving promotion to the U17 Premier League, and later won the U19 Premier League with Al-Qadsiah in the 2011–12 season. He served as assistant manager for Saudi Arabia U20 and won the U17 GCC Championship. On May 28, 2013, he was appointed manager of Al-Nassr's U19 team, leading them to the U19 Premier League championship in the 2014–2015 season. He signed with Al-Nahda on June 16, 2017, but the contract was canceled for administrative reasons on July 13, 2017. On July 15, 2017, he signed to manage Al-Ettifaq's U23 team. He was appointed Saudi Arabia U20 national team manager on June 28, 2015, leading them to the final of the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship and the Round of 16 of the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. On 10 December 2017, he became manager of Al-Ettifaq's first team until the end of the season, finishing fourth. On 15 March 2018, he took charge of the Saudi Arabia U23 national team, leading them to the 2020 Summer Olympics and winning the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup and the 2022 WAFF U-23 Championship. He temporarily took charge of the senior national team during the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup in December 2022, and again as interim coach after Hervé Renard's resignation. In January 2025, he was reappointed head coach of Al-Ettifaq.

In Their Own Story

On March 15, 2018, Saad Al-Shehri took full-time charge of the Saudi Arabia U23 national team. His first major test was the 2018 Asian Games, where he led the squad to the quarter-finals after a goalless draw with Iran and a 3–0 win over Myanmar. The team's defining moment came at the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship. After defeating Japan 2–1 in the opener thanks to a late penalty by Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Saudi Arabia topped their group. They eliminated hosts Thailand 1–0 and reigning champions Uzbekistan to reach the final. Despite losing to South Korea after extra time, this run secured qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics, the first since 1996. Redemption arrived in 2022 at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup. Saudi Arabia topped Group D with a 5–0 win over Tajikistan and a draw against Japan. They defeated Vietnam 2–0 and Australia 2–0 to reach the final against hosts Uzbekistan. Ahmed Al-Ghamdi broke the deadlock in the 48th minute, and Firas Al-Buraikan sealed the victory in the 74th minute, giving Al-Shehri his first major trophy with the national team.

Reader's Guide

Saad Al-Shehri is a Saudi football manager known for his work with youth national teams. He led Saudi Arabia U23 to their first AFC U-23 Asian Cup title in 2022 and qualified the team for the 2020 Summer Olympics. He has also managed Al-Ettifaq and Al-Nassr's youth teams.

Did You Know?

• Saad Al-Shehri was a member of the Saudi Arabia U20 national team in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria.
• He led Al-Qadsiah's U19 team to the U19 Premier League title in the 2011–12 season.
• Under Al-Shehri, Saudi Arabia U23 won their first AFC U-23 Asian Cup in 2022.
• He temporarily managed the senior Saudi Arabia national team during the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup in 2022.