Explosive statements and difficult circumstances
Abdullah Al-Hamdan refused to buckle. Rather than hide from the public criticism and the brutal attacks that have followed him lately, the Saudi Arabia star stepped up to take the first penalty against Qatar on Saturday in the semi-final of the Arabian Gulf Cup.
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He buried it. That first spot-kick handed his team-mates the belief to pour everything into the game and book a place in the Gulf Cup final against the UAE next Tuesday evening.
Mohammed Noor could hardly believe what he was hearing. The Saudi Arabia legend sat down with Al-Hamdan after the match, and the Al-Nassr man left him stunned with a bold admission: “I was the one who asked to take the first penalty.”
“Despite the pressure I was subjected to, I felt I had the ability to score and I did just that,” he added. “And I gave my team-mates confidence afterwards.”
Noor’s reply was glowing: “I am proud of you, you must continue and give everything you have, you are a great player, and you have a lot.”
