Saad Al-Shehri

Saudi football manager who led the U23 national team to AFC U-23 Asian Cup glory.

Saad Ali Al-Shehri (born 9 January 1980) is a Saudi Arabian professional football manager and former player.

Quick Facts

Full name: Saad Ali Al-Shehri
Born: 9 January 1980
Birthplace: Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Position: Midfielder

Lore & Background

Saad Al-Shehri played for Al-Ettifaq, Al-Nassr, Al-Qadsiah, Al-Jubail, and Al-Thoqbah. He was a member of the Saudi Arabia U20 national team in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. He began his managerial career in 2008 with the Eastern Region Education Team, winning the Schools Football League. He managed Al-Qadsiah's U17 and U19 teams, winning the U19 Premier League in 2011–12.

He later managed Al-Nassr's U19 team, winning the U19 Premier League in 2014–15. He managed Saudi Arabia U20 from 2015, leading them to the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship final and the Round of 16 of the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He managed Al-Ettifaq's first team in 2017–18, finishing fourth. He managed Saudi Arabia U23 from 2018, leading them to the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship final and qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

He won the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in 2022 and the WAFF U-23 Championship in 2022. He temporarily managed the senior Saudi national team in the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup and again after Hervé Renard's resignation. In January 2025, he was reappointed head coach of Al-Ettifaq.

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 Olympics. He has also managed club sides including Al-Ettifaq and Al-Nassr's youth teams.

Did You Know?

Al-Shehri led Saudi Arabia U23 to their first Olympic appearance since 1996.
Al-Shehri managed Al-Ettifaq to a fourth-place finish in the Saudi Pro League in 2017–18.