(MENAFN - Muscat Daily) On paper, the Group B match between Saudi Arabia and Yemen on Wednesday seems set to be a lopsided affair. But Saudi Arabia's coach Frank Rijkaard is unlikely to take the risk of underestimating his unfancied rival, which came up with a fighting display against holder Kuwait in their opening match.The former Barcelona and AC Milan manager, who is under intense pressure from the Saudi media following the opening defeat against Iraq, said on Tuesday, ''We cannot take the match against Yemen lightly. It is a very important match and a must-win situation.''Rijkaard defended his players despite the defeat to Iraq, saying, ''We fielded nearly the same team that played against Argentina in a friendly last November. We drew goalless with them and everyone was full of praise. We didn't play well against Iraq and conceded goals on set-pieces. We committed two mistakes and we were penalised.''Rijkaard also hit out at those who have criticised his selection policies. ''I have selected the best from the pool of players I have. We have a problem in the attack, but then even in the Saudi league, the top-scorers are all foreign players. The issue is bigger and needs to be addressed differently.''The coach was upset about the players being hounded by the Saudi media after the defeat, remarking, ''The pressure is even more that what Barcelona players face.''Meanwhile, Yemen coach Tom Saintfiet was quite modest about his team's chances. ''To play against a strong football nation like Saudi Arabia is a dream for our team. It is very special and we are like the little brothers of the Saudis,'' said the Belgian coach.''The stats are heavily stacked against us. In the 15 games between the two countries, Yemen has lost 14 and conceded 45 goals, while it managed one draw and scored three goals. Against this backdrop, it would be great to get a draw. And a win will be a miracle and for sure, there will be a national holiday.''I was satisfied with the team's performance against Kuwait in the previous game. As for the Saudis, they didn't play well against Iraq. They will be looking for three points and we are ready for that,'' he said.
