LONDON: Hussein Abdulghani’s hopes of resurrecting his international career at the ripe old age of 41 have been dashed after his club side refused to release him for the historic friendly match between Iraq and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
Abdulghani was in line to make his first appearance for the Green Falcons since 2014 after Juan Antonio Pizzi recalled the defender to the squad and then picked him in the starting XI for the game at Basra International Stadium.
But the Green Falcons appear to have jumped the gun as they first needed the permission of his club side, Bulgarian club FC Vereya, because the game falls outside the FIFA International Match Calendar.
The Bulgarian club sent an email to the management of the Saudi Arabia team saying they would not be releasing the player. They have a league game against Slavia Sofia on Sunday. Abdulghani only moved to Bulgaria in September from Al-Nassr and would have been free to play had he stayed in the Kingdom because the clubs in the Saudi Pro League have released their players for the unscheduled friendly.
“The players of the national team who were called up to participate in the friendly match on Wednesday against Iraq, have joined up with team,” read a statement from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. “At the national team’s training camp in Jeddah all the players called up were present, except for the defender Hussein Abdulghani because of his commitments with the Bulgarian club FC Vereya.”
The decision comes as a blow to Abdulghani as he was set to win his 135th cap and cement his position in fifth place in the Kingdom’s all-time international appearance makers.
Abdulghani is the second starting XI player coach Pizzi squad will be without for Saudi Arabia’s first match on Iraqi soil since 1979. Al-Shabab’s Hattan Bahebri, who had been named in midfield, has pulled out after tearing ligaments playing in a training match against Al-Ittihad on Saturday. He is expected to be out for more than a month. Al-Hilal’s Abdulmalek Al-Khaibri, 31, has been called up as a replacement.
Saudi Arabia's Hussein Abdulghani denied chance to become one of oldest international players at 41
Saudi Arabia's Hussein Abdulghani denied chance to become one of oldest international players at 41
Liverpool’s Wirtz will score many more after Wolves winner, says Slot
- Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz in June for a reported fee of £100 million, with a further £16 million in potential bonuses
- The 22-year-old had failed to find the net in more than 20 appearances for Liverpool before scoring the winner in Saturday’s match
Florian Wirtz is beginning to find his feet at Liverpool and will keep getting better, manager Arne Slot said after the German midfielder scored his first goal for the Premier League champions in their 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Liverpool signed Wirtz in June for a reported fee of 100 million pounds ($135 million), with a further 16 million pounds in potential bonuses.
The 22-year-old had failed to find the net in more than 20 appearances for Liverpool before scoring the winner in Saturday’s match, and Slot said his performances had been undervalued due to football’s obsession with statistics.
“I’m quite sure it was a relief for him. This I could see after his reaction after he scored the goal – and the same I saw with his teammates. I think they were really happy for him,” Slot told reporters.
“In football – rightly so, maybe – we mainly get judged on results, and individuals mainly get judged on goals and assists. Sometimes we tend to forget what else there is to do during a game.”
The Dutch manager called on Wirtz to keep going after ending his drought.
“He’s had multiple good games for us but I also feel he gets better and better every single game he is playing for us. He gets fitter and fitter and was getting closer and closer to his first goal,” he added.
“Then it was not a surprise to me that he scored one today, but he would probably be the first one to understand that one goal is not enough.
“He will score many more goals for us than only this one, but I also liked his performance during large parts of the game today. I think he was special in a lot of moments.”
Liverpool, fourth in the standings, next host 16th-placed Leeds United in a league match on January 1.
