RIYADH: Saudi national team footballers continue their preparations for the Asian Cup as they play Mali in a friendly on Tuesday. The Green Falcons take on the African side in Portugal in their third game under Italian manager Roberto Mancini, who was unveiled as head coach in August. Mancini led the players in training on Monday. Salman Al-Faraj trained after returning from injury, but Hassan Al-Tambakti and Zakaria Al-Hawsawi are still out. The last encounter between the two sides was a 1-1 draw in 2019. After Mali, the Kingdom’s players will face Jordan in a qualifier for the World Cup in November. The Green Falcons will then travel to Qatar for the 2023 Asian Cup and will look to win the competition under their veteran Italian coach. They are in Group F with Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, and Oman, who they play first on Jan. 16, 2024.