AFC U23 Asian Cup
The 42-year-old has, after all, made it his career to mould age-group players into winners.
While he played his professional career as a midfielder with several clubs and was a member of the Saudi Arabia U20 squad that played in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Cup, transitioning into a coach has seen Al Shehri fulfil his true potential.
While he played his professional career as a midfielder with several clubs and was a member of the Saudi Arabia U20 squad that played in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Cup, transitioning into a coach has seen Al Shehri fulfil his true potential.
After honing his skills at Eastern Region Education, Al Shehri has coaching stints with the age group teams of Al Qadsia, Al Nassr, Al Nahda and Al Ettifaq.
His first stint with the Saudi Arabia national set-up was as assistant coach to the U20 side in 2012.
His first stint with the Saudi Arabia national set-up was as assistant coach to the U20 side in 2012.
His full managerial debut with a Saudi Arabia national team was in 2015, and Al Shehri would go on to lead the U19 squad to the final of the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship, where they lost to Japan on penalties.
Al Shehri then led the squad to a Round of 16 finish in the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup before trying his hand as the head coach of Saudi Pro League side Ettifaq, guiding them to a fourth-place finish in the 2017-18 season.
Al Shehri then led the squad to a Round of 16 finish in the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup before trying his hand as the head coach of Saudi Pro League side Ettifaq, guiding them to a fourth-place finish in the 2017-18 season.
The lure of handling Saudi Arabia's age-group national teams, however, proved hard to resist and Al Shehri was appointed the head coach of the U23 side in March, 2018.
Saudi Arabia's 2018 Asian Games campaign ended in the quarter-finals but they bounced back to surge into the final of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Thailand 2020, which also sealed a return to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1996.
Saudi Arabia's 2018 Asian Games campaign ended in the quarter-finals but they bounced back to surge into the final of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Thailand 2020, which also sealed a return to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1996.
Saudi Arabia were denied the title in extra-time by Korea Republic in Bangkok 2020 and Al Shehri will be aiming to make that right against Uzbekistan at the Bunyodkor Stadium on Sunday.
