Saudi Arabian national team to play twice at St. James' Park in September

St. James' Park is set to welcome the Saudi Arabia men's national team for two international friendlies this September, in a move that will do nothing to quell allegations of "sportswashing" at NUFC.

On Friday the 8th of September at 8 p.m., the Green Falcons will go head-to-head with Costa Rica. They'll then face South Korea on Tuesday the 12th of September at 5.30 p.m. (both times BST).

The Saudi Arabian players are gearing up for the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, set for January 2024, and these friendlies at the Magpies' home stadium will play a crucial role in their preparations.

While the team didn't progress beyond the group stages in the 2022 World Cup, they did leave a mark with a memorable 2-1 win against Lionel Messi's Argentina, who later lifted the trophy.

The Saudi national team is currently on the lookout for a new manager. Herve Renard, their previous head coach, moved on to lead the France Women's national team this past March.

Tickets for both games are now available on the "Home Tickets" section of the Newcastle United booking site, priced at £5 for adults and £3 for concessions with a 50p booking fee.

We'll probably give them a miss...