He tore up his dismissal notice: how did Donis and the Saudi national team benefit from the friendly against South Korea?

Greek coach Georgios Donis, the manager of the Saudi Arabian national team, came away with a number of gains following the historic victory he achieved over his South Korean counterpart in a friendly match in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Saudi Arabia beat South Korea 3-2 today, Friday, at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in the Qatari capital Doha, their first friendly of the current international break as they prepare for upcoming fixtures.

This was Saudi Arabia's first win over South Korea in 21 years, since 2005, when they beat them home and away 2-0 and 1-0 in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.

The two sides had met six times since then. Saudi Arabia failed to win any of them, with South Korea taking two and four ending in draws, before today's victory.

Today's match was the 19th between the two nations across friendlies and official fixtures, dating back to their first meeting in 1980.

Today's win levels the overall record. Saudi Arabia now have six victories to South Korea's six, with seven draws between them.

At friendly level, the two teams have now played seven matches since the series began in 1980. South Korea had held the edge with two wins, but today's result squares it up, with three draws completing the picture.

For Georgios Donis, the timing could hardly have been sweeter. The win landed just days after controversy flared over his future, with some reports claiming he would leave his post in the coming period.

That speculation surfaced despite the Greek coach having led Saudi Arabia to the title at the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup, "Gulf 27", ending a full 23-year absence from the podium.

Some sports critics still questioned Donis's work in the Gulf tournament. They argued the title owed more to the sheer strength of Saudi Arabia's players compared to their rivals, pointing to the failure to get out of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The truth about the Greek coach, the critics said, would emerge in the bigger matches ahead, the South Korea clash among them.

Beating a side of South Korea's calibre, after a 21-year wait, adds another line to Donis's spotless record with Saudi Arabia. It silences the doubters and strengthens his grip on the job.

He needed the win to end a 21-year jinx and answer those questioning his future at the helm. None of it, though, shifted his tactical thinking.

Donis refused to lean solely on his key men against South Korea. He named a strong line-up, then threw on a raft of substitutes in the second half.

South Korea were a goal away from snatching a draw, yet that never stopped Donis fielding 21 players across the match, effectively deploying two different teams over the two halves.

This can only bode well for Saudi Arabia in the coming period. They now boast more than one capable option in every position, each able to carry the banner and represent the team at their best.

Without captain Salem Al-Dawsari and his deputy Hammam Al-Hammami, the best player at the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup "Gulf 27", Donis still found the answer.

He handed Marwan Al-Sahafi the left wing and built a new idea around him: swapping positions with striker Abdullah Al-Hamdan and bursting into space off the ball.

It paid off for the opener. Al-Hamdan dropped into a playmaker's role and threaded a magical ball to Al-Sahafi, who popped up as a striker to put Saudi Arabia ahead.

Donis didn't stop there. The idea cropped up more than once, and it also showed in the set-pieces that have become a real Saudi strength of late.

Defender Abdulelah Al-Amri made it three in the 59th minute, heading home a corner delivered by midfielder Nasser Al-Dawsari.

Donis's fingerprints keep showing on this Saudi Arabia side. The quality of his work, and his case for staying on at the head of the technical leadership in the coming period, speak for themselves.