The day Saudi’s Al-Owairan scored one of the World Cup’s greatest ever goals

The moment a jubilant Saeed Al-Owairan of Saudi Arabia celebrated his astounding goal. (AFP / Omar Torres)
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Updated 05 April 2020
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The day Saudi’s Al-Owairan scored one of the World Cup’s greatest ever goals

  • This amazing goal saw Saudi Arabia go through to the knockout stages for the first time
  • It is arguably one of the tounrament's finest goals in its history

DUBAI: It’s one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.

The number 10 picks up the ball in his own half, proceeds to storm past one stunned opposition defender after another, before tucking the ball past a helpless, advancing goalkeeper.

No, it’s not the one that comes straight too mind. This solo effort was not the fabled one by Diego Maradona against England at Mexico ‘86, but by Saudi striker Saeed Al-Owairan against Belgium eight years later in the US.

The astonishing goal that delivered Saudi Arabia’s first ever World Cup win remains a curiosity, at once widely lauded and yet in some quarters, strangely derided. Just why does it remain so misunderstood?

Perhaps the comparison with Maradona does it few favors. After all, El Diego’s goal against England is widely acknowledged in football folklore as the greatest ever scored, and Argentina went on to lift the trophy for a second time by beating West Germany 3-2 in Mexico City.

While Al-Owairan’s goal, like most others, can hardly compete with such a legacy, it does have its own rich story and context.

For a start, it came at Saudi Arabia’s first ever World Cup participation, having watched neighbors Kuwait, in 1982, Iraq (1986) and the UAE (1990) beat them to such a feat. But World Cup qualification for Saudi Arabia was an idea whose time had finally come.

The Kingdom had won the AFC Asian Cup in 1984, 1988 and finished as runners up to hosts Japan in 1992. A trip to USA ‘94 was a natural progression, though few gave the team any hope of progressing to the knockout rounds when they were placed in a group with the Netherlands, Belgium and serial African qualifiers Morocco. Saudi, it was lazily assumed, were happy to just be there. 

In reality, Argentine coach Jorge Solari’s men had a few secret weapons. One of them, it would be proven, was Al-Owairan.

In America, things started out as expected for the Saudis.

On June 20, 1994, against a formidable Dutch team that included the likes of Ronald Koeman, Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars, Frank Rijkaard and the De Boer twins Frank and Ronald, Saudi took a shock 18th minute lead thanks to Fuad Anwar’s textbook header, and playing with a lot of confidence, held out to the second half.

However, goals by Wim Jonk five minutes after the real and substitute Gaston Taument on 70 minutes ensured the Dutch were not embarrassed at RFK Stadium in Washington DC.

Saudi Arabia’s performance in their first ever World Cup match had exceeded expectations, but few could have predicted how the rest of their Group F matches would go. 

Five days later, an early penalty by Sami Al-Jaber and a long-range winner by Anwar ensured a historic 2-1 win over Morocco at Giants Stadium; at long last, a team from the GCC had recorded a World Cup victory. And it meant, that this underdog Saudi team could, incredibly, still qualify for the second round of the competition.

The only problem was that a confident Belgium, who had already beaten both the Netherlands and Morocco, stood in their way. Enter Saeed Al-Owairan.

In front of 52,000 fans at a scorching RFK Stadium, the Belgians did not know what hit them.

Only five minutes into the match, he received the ball midway through the Saudi half. There looked little that he could do.

Then he embarked on the run of his life.

First, he slalomed between a complacent Franky And Der Elst and the diving Dirk Medved, buying himself a few yards of space in the middle of the Belgium half.

But there was still plenty to do for him to get anywhere near goal; at this point there looked no clear danger yet.

What followed turned a promising run into one of the greatest goals the World Cup has ever seen, and arguably the standout strike of USA ‘94.

As Al-Owairan arrowed forward, Michel De Wolf offered an apology of a tackle that the Saudi number 10 easily hurdled away from. Only a clearly disorientated Rudi Smidts stood between Al-Owairan and the Belgian goalkeeper now, and the ball somehow seemed to ghost through the stumbling defender.

Suddenly, World Cup immortality was there for the taking for the exciting Saudi striker. And it was an opportunity he would not let slip.

From almost the exact spot that Maradona approached England goalkeeper Peter Shilton nearly eight years prior in Mexico, Al-Owairan was now face to face with Belgium’s number 1 Michel Preud’Homme.

But instead of taking an extra touch to beat the keeper, Al-Owairan gloriously finished into the roof of the net. Saudi, with six points on the board as things stood, were suddenly heading to a remarkable qualification to the round of 16 at the World Cup, something no Gulf or Middle Eastern team had ever achieved.

There were still 85 minutes to negotiate, but the stunned Belgians had no answer to Al-Owairan’s moment of magic. At the final whistle, the heroic Saudi players in the US capital could barely suppress their joy, and neither could the celebrating masses back home.

Sweden awaited Saudi in the lockout stages, and the Kingdom would end up qualifying for the next three World Cups. But this remains arguably the country’s greatest football moment.

So why does Al-Owairan’s goal still divide opinion?

Perhaps that aesthetically, with the ball bobbling on several occasions, it compares unfavorably with the seamless perfection of Maradona’s masterpiece. Maybe because Belgium’s defenders could not have been more accommodating, though the same can be said of England’s in Mexico. Or, ultimately, it was not scored by the greatest footballer of all time.

Still, it remains one of the greatest goals ever scored at football’s ultimate stage. That, you cannot take away from Al-Owairan, or Saudi Arabia.


Slot not surprised by flying start at Liverpool

Updated 13 sec ago
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Slot not surprised by flying start at Liverpool

Liverpool: Arne Slot said he is not shocked by a stunning start to life in charge of Liverpool as the Reds have stormed to the top of the Premier League and Champions League.
The Dutch coach has won 14 and drawn one of his 16 matches in charge in all competitions as the holders have also progressed to the League Cup quarter-finals.
Slot appeared to have a tough ask to follow Jurgen Klopp.
But he has built on the solid foundations left by the German after Liverpool finished third in the Premier League behind Manchester City and Arsenal last season.
“Surprise isn’t the right word I’d use because I knew the quality of our team. But quality is one thing, to be consistent is a second thing,” said Slot at his pre-match press conference ahead of hosting Aston Villa on Saturday.
“From the moment I started working with them I saw how much energy they put in on a daily basis and that is I think the reason you can be consistent.”
Liverpool were inspired by the power of the Anfield crowd to come from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 last weekend to move two points ahead of City at the top of the Premier League.
A similar atmosphere helped blow Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen away 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Slot is keen to keep his players’ feet on the ground but is happy for the fans to get excited about the possibility of just a second league title in 35 years.
“If the end result of them being excited is to bring the atmosphere of the second half against Brighton and the whole game against Leverkusen, I am hoping they will keep being excited because that atmosphere helped us a lot,” added the former Feyenoord boss.
Diogo Jota remains sidelined but should return after November’s international break.

Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif wins IBSF World Snooker Championship in Qatar

Updated 08 November 2024
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Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif wins IBSF World Snooker Championship in Qatar

  • Asif defeated Iran’s Ali Ghareghozlou 5-3 to clinch the title for 3rd time
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif promises to set up world-class facilities for sportsmen

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated Pakistani cueist Muhammad Asif for winning the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Snooker Championship in Qatar for the third time, Pakistani state-run media reported on Thursday.
Asif defeated Iran’s Ali Ghareghozlou 5-3 to clinch the title in a thrilling final on Nov. 6. He outclassed Ali 5-3: 70-25, 7-87(84), 82(56)-8, 106(106)-08, 82-12, 43-91(58), 0-118 and 93(80)-4.
“Asif made the entire nation proud by winning the international championship for the third time,” PM Sharif was quoted as saying by the Radio Pakistan broadcaster. “The talented youth of Pakistan are highlighting the country’s name in the fields of sports.”
The IBSF, founded in 1971, is the governing body for billiards and snooker worldwide. It represents 85 member countries and is recognized by the World Confederation of Billiard Sports and the International Olympic Committee.
Asif, 42, first won the IBSF World Snooker Championship in 2012 and went on to win it again in 2019. His victory ties him with India’s Pankaj Advani who has also won the World Snooker Championship thrice.
The Pakistan prime minister said Asif’s family and coach also deserved recognition, adding that providing quality facilities to Pakistani players was top priority of his government.
“The government is making all possible efforts to provide international standard facilities to the players,” he added.
 


Raphinha’s evolution into a more versatile scorer is a big part of Flick’s great start at Barcelona

Updated 08 November 2024
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Raphinha’s evolution into a more versatile scorer is a big part of Flick’s great start at Barcelona

BARCELONA: Raphinha knew he would have a hard time getting off Barcelona’s bench with the soccer world enthralled by teen phenom Lamine Yamal and the club eyeing to sign another hot prospect in the attack.

Instead of pouting, he evolved.

While the entire Barcelona team improved under new coach Hansi Flick, no player has made such a leap forward this season as Raphinha.

His 12 goals and team-leading 10 assists across all competitions are a big part of why Barcelona is playing its best soccer since the exit of Lionel Messi more than three years ago.

But if one player looked to be on the out when the season started, it was the Brazil forward.

Raphinha seemed destined to become a second-choice right-side winger after 17-year-old Yamal helped Spain win the European Championship in dazzling style. To make matters worse, the club was heavily linked to a possible transfer bid to pry Spain left-side winger Nico Williams away from Athletic Bilbao.

That move never materialized for Williams, but Raphinha was still left with either playing in a new position or being a backup to Yamal.

And when Flick gave him the chance to have a new role, he made the most of it.


England gives call-up to more new faces in final squad before Thomas Tuchel takes over

Updated 08 November 2024
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England gives call-up to more new faces in final squad before Thomas Tuchel takes over

LONDON: Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall were called up to the England squad for the first time on Thursday as interim coach Lee Carsley made his final selection before Thomas Tuchel takes charge.

Tuchel does not start until January after being hired to lead the national team’s bid to win the 2026 World Cup.

Carsley will oversee England’s final Nations League games against Greece and Ireland and has continued to look toward a new generation of players, having already handed debuts to Angel Gomes, Morgan Gibbs-White and Noni Madueke since taking over on a temporary basis from Gareth Southgate in August.

Carsley said had not discussed his selection with Tuchel.

“He hasn’t had any influence on the squad selection. I’ve spoken to him by text, but it’s literally congratulations,” he said. “I think he’s highly respectful of the job that not only myself, but the staff are doing.

“We’ve been left to it, like we always have.”

England plays Greece in Athens on Nov. 14 and Ireland at Wembley on Nov. 17.

Carsley will resume his role as England Under-21 coach after those games.


Man City seek to end mini-slump as Liverpool soar

Updated 08 November 2024
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Man City seek to end mini-slump as Liverpool soar

  • Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have become so accustomed to success that three straight defeats feels like a major crisis
  • Ruud van Nistelrooy takes charge of his final game as interim manager of Manchester United and winless Wolves play fellow strugglers Southampton

LONDON: Injury-hit Manchester City are desperate to snap their losing streak in their final Premier League game before the international break as Chelsea aim to deepen Arsenal’s misery.

Elsewhere in the English top flight, Ruud van Nistelrooy takes charge of his final game as interim manager of Manchester United and winless Wolves play fellow strugglers Southampton.

Here are some of the key talking points ahead of the action this weekend.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have become so accustomed to success that three straight defeats feels like a major crisis.

Last week City, who face Brighton on Saturday, were ousted from the League Cup by Tottenham.

Their 32-match unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end at Bournemouth before Sporting Lisbon beat them 4-1 in the Champions League — ending another long unbeaten stretch.

Guardiola’s men, gunning for a fifth consecutive Premier League title, are just two points behind league leaders Liverpool but will be wary of losing further ground.

Midfielder Bernardo Silva says the club’s multiple injury worries are not an excuse for their poor form but he admits the international break, which starts after the weekend, comes at a good time.

“At the moment with the injuries that we have and the psychological part as well, it will be good to have that rest, but before that we have a big game again,” he said.

One positive for City in their defeat to Sporting was the return of Kevin De Bruyne, who came on as a late substitute after seven weeks out of action.

If results go against them, Arsenal could find themselves eighth in the Premier League by the time they kick off against London rivals Chelsea on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta’s men have picked up just one point from their past three league games and lost their midweek Champions League clash against Inter Milan 1-0.

Arteta was upbeat despite the defeat at the San Siro, where captain Martin Odegaard made a welcome return to action after being absent since late August.

But defeat against in-form Chelsea plus a win for Liverpool would leave Arsenal, runners-up in each of the past two seasons, 10 points off top spot.

Thierry Henry said on CBS Sports that if Liverpool and City win at the weekend and Arsenal lose, his former side could be out of the title race.

“It would be extremely difficult because you (would) have too many teams to catch... I don’t see two teams collapsing,” he said.

Arne Slot has won 14 of his first 16 games in charge of Liverpool in all competitions.

The club had a relatively kind fixture list at the start of the season but they show no signs of letting up — taking seven points from games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton in recent weeks and boasting a perfect record in the Champions League.

Liverpool have also beaten two Premier League teams, West Ham and Brighton, on their way to the League Cup quarter-finals.

Former Feyenoord boss Slot brushed off a question about whether he was finding his new job “easy” after Liverpool’s thumping 4-0 win against German champions Bayer Leverkusen this week.

“Every team that plays against us is in the top of their game,” he said. “And if you want to win that, you always have to be consistent in your intensity, and that’s not always easy but that is what’s needed.”

Liverpool have a tough run of fixtures coming up, starting with Aston Villa at home on Saturday, but so far they have proved they have what it takes.

Fixtures

Saturday (1500 GMT unless stated)

Brentford vs. Bournemouth, Crystal Palace v Fulham, West Ham vs. Everton, Wolves vs. Southampton, Brighton v Manchester City (1730), Liverpool vs. Aston Villa (2000)

Sunday (1400 unless stated)

Manchester Utd vs. Leicester, Nottingham Forest vs. Newcastle, Tottenham vs. Ipswich, Chelsea vss. Arsenal (1630)