A powerful header by Schalke striker Ebbe Sand gave Denmark a 1-0 win over one of Ireland's World Cup Group E opponents, Saudi Arabia, in a friendly in Riyadh last night.

Sand found the net from eight yards in the 16th minute as he connected with a delicate curling cross from Manchester City defender Niclas Jensen, who set up the goal after a charge up the left flank.

Saudi Arabia, the newly-crowned Gulf Cup champions, came close to equalising in the 34th minute when a thundering shot from almost 30 yards hit the crossbar.

Denmark had a good chance to go up 2-0 in second half, during which the hosts brought on eight substitutes against five changes for Denmark, but the Danes were denied by a brilliant save from the Saudi goalkeeper on a Jon Dahl Tomasson header in the 55th minute.

Many Saudi supporters booed their team's lacklustre performance.

"It was not an excellent match but apart from one or two situations we were able to keep them away from our goal," Denmark coach Morten Olsen said.

Some 50 Danes, among them a few women, were a bright red-and-white clique in the less than half-full stadium, which normally does not admit any female spectators. Denmark face France, Uruguay and Senegal in their World Cup group.