No wonder Saudi Arabia were so effective against Ireland for much of yesterday's match.
If an Irish team poster on the wall of the Uluru pub in Waterford is anything to go by, the Saudis had infiltrated the Irish ranks before the game began.
In the place occupied by former skipper Roy Keane, someone has superimposed a picture of Osama bin Laden. There he was, eyes fixed on the camera with an intimidating stare that is uncannily Roy-like.
For most of the first half, punters in the pub wondered if the Irish midfield had, like bin Laden, gone into hiding as the Saudis threatened to turn a promising party into a wake.
Isn't the World Cup supposed to be fun?
Not in a soccer-mad city like Waterford, where the enduring failure of "the Blues", as the local National League side is known, to recapture former glories is a source of endless depression.
For the serious football fan, and Waterford has more of its share than most, yesterday was agony tempered by occasional bouts of worry, concluding in an outpouring of relief.
The opening 10 minutes, of course, had promised an easier 80 minutes. When Robbie Keane put Ireland ahead, the cheers went around the pub like a Mexican wave.
That was because a television in one part of the bar was relaying the match several seconds ahead of the big screens in other parts.
So as Gary Kelly's lofted ball into the penalty area was still heading skywards, a roar from the other side of the house told us big-screen watchers that either a very large syndicate's numbers had just come up in the Lotto or Ireland had scored a goal.
Management acted quickly to synchronise all screens, which was just as well. Otherwise watching the match would have been like viewing a film where someone who has seen it before keeps piping up: "Now watch this bit."
There wasn't a lot more to cheer about until Gary Breen put Ireland two up late in the second half, but the final score of 3-0 left punters more than satisfied.
"Duff was magic and it was a great performance all round," said Lory Holland, from Tullaroan, Co Kilkenny.
The missing midfield, however, was preying on his mind.
"We should bring Keane back for next Sunday. It's probably not going to happen, but we should try to get him back."
Lory was one of the few people in Ireland not to see the opening goal as his car was booked in for an NCT test at kick-off time.
"At least the car passed, so it was a good day all round," he said.
Ger Hodson, from Palmerston, Dublin, thought Ireland played conservatively and were lucky to get through. "My nerves are gone. I've got no nerves left, but thank God we're through."
