Saudi Gazette report

HANGZHOU —The Saudi Olympic team secured their first victory in the 19th Asian Games held in China on Thursday, defeating Mongolia with a clean 3-0 score in the second round of group-stage matches.

Despite resting several key players to manage the proximity of matches and prevent player fatigue, Saudi coach Saad Al-Shehri managed to achieve a positive result.

The Saudi team added their first three points to their tally, edging closer to qualification for the round of sixteen. The top two teams from each group advance to the next round. Saudi Arabia will face Vietnam in their next match on Sunday.

Striker Haitham Asiri opened the scoring in the 18th minute of the game, giving Saudi Arabia a lead without much trouble in the first half.

Just four minutes into the second half, Mohammed Maran found the back of Mongolia's net, extending Saudi Arabia's lead. Naif Masoud then secured the third Saudi goal with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area in the 74th minute.

The Saudi Olympic team began their tournament journey with a goalless draw against Iran on Tuesday before achieving this positive result in their second match of the competition.