For the best part of three decades Saudi Arabia were the powerhouses of Asian Football.
The Green Falcons, as they are known, qualified for the World Cup four times in succession between 1994 and 2006.
Their best performance came on the first occasion when they made the round of 16, 12 years before Australia's achievement in Germany.
The Saudis lost at that stage 3-1 to Sweden, who went on to finish third in that tournament in the USA.
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They also triumphed in the continental showcase, the Asian Cup, on three occasions (1984,1988 and 1996) as well as finishing runners up in 2000 and 2007.
But since those heights Saudi fortunes have plummeted. They have failed to qualify for the past two World Cups and have not got past the group phase of the last two Asian Cups, winning only one of their six games - and that against a feeble North Korea in a pool match in Melbourne in January 2015.
However things have looked up in the past 18 months under the tutelage of Dutch coach Bert Van Marwijk, the man who guided the Netherlands to the World Cup final in South Africa in 2010.
The Green Falcons have got their mojo back with a vengeance since their Asian Cup failure in Australia and now have a very real prospect of qualifying directly for the World Cup in Russia, possibly at Australia's expense.
The Saudis sit second in the qualifying group with 16 points, the same number as Japan and three more than Australia. Their goal difference is inferior to the Blue Samurai, but better than the Socceroos at the moment.
That is what makes Thursday night's World Cup qualifier in Adelaide so crucial. An away win would put the Saudis in the box seat for a spot in Russia, while a win for Australia would erode the Saudis goal difference and put the Socceroos in front of them.
Interestingly, both nations face pacesetter Japan in their final two fixtures, Australia in Tokyo, the Saudis at home.
Certainly the mood in the Saudi camp, despite the fact that they will be missing some key players through suspension, is buoyant.
"We'll go there to win and to hold on to top spot. We want to keep winning and qualify for the World Cup," Yahya Al Shehri, the team's key striker, told FIFA.com.
"Morale's pretty high at the moment due to our winning run. Now we need to focus on qualifying for the World Cup."
"Our style of play means that we generate a lot of chances. We're a big team in Asian terms and missing out on the last two World Cups has made us doubly determined to qualify.
"When we were young, we were so happy each time our country qualified. Our first appearance was at USA 1994 and it was probably the most memorable, because we beat both Morocco and Belgium, and gave the Netherlands a run for their money."