Saudi Al-Shabab star Abderrazak Hamdallah announced his retirement from international football after leading the Moroccan national team to victory in the Arab Cup.
Hamdallah came on as a substitute for Oussama Tannane in the 72nd minute. He managed to score the equalizer in the 87th minute, followed by the winning and championship goal in the 100th minute.
When asked about the possibility of playing in the World Cup finals with the “Atlas Lions,” Hamdallah said, “This was my last match with the national team, and I am the Arab Cup champion. After all the suffering I went through, it’s time to stop internationally; we are not a secondary team.”
He added, “I am happy with this title, which compensates me for lean years during which I wished to be present with the national team to achieve something worthy of my value and make a contribution. Unfortunately, it came late, but the most important thing is that it came.”
Hamdallah began his international career during a friendly match against Burkina Faso on February 29, 2012. He played in 29 international matches, scoring 10 goals and providing 3 decisive assists.
Hamdallah had previously announced his international retirement in 2019 after being excluded from the national team squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, but he reversed his decision and participated with the team that achieved fourth place in the 2022 World Cup.
Saudi Al-Shabab
Saudi Al-Shabab is a professional football club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, founded in 1947. It is one of the most successful clubs in the country, historically associated with the Al-Shabab district and known for its green and white colors. The club has won multiple Saudi Professional League titles and domestic cups throughout its history.
Abderrazak Hamdallah
Abderrazak Hamdallah is a prominent Moroccan scholar and former Secretary-General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). He played a key role in promoting Islamic cultural and educational cooperation internationally during his tenure from 1991 to 2019. His career is deeply rooted in academia, having previously served as a professor and dean at Mohammed V University in Rabat.
Jordan
Jordan is a country in the Middle East with a rich history that includes significant archaeological sites like Petra, an ancient Nabatean city carved into rose-red cliffs and dating back to around 300 BC. The region has been part of numerous empires, from the Romans and Byzantines to the Umayyad Caliphate, and today it is known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, established in the 20th century.
Arab Cup
The Arab Cup is a football tournament contested by men’s national teams from the Arab world, organized by FIFA and the Arab Football Association. First held in 1963, it has been organized intermittently, with the most recent edition in 2021 serving as a test event for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Moroccan national team
The Moroccan national football team, known as “The Atlas Lions,” represents Morocco in international men’s football and is governed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. Historically significant, the team became the first African and Arab nation to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals during the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Oussama Tannane
Oussama Tannane is a professional footballer from the Netherlands who has played as an attacking midfielder or winger for clubs in several European countries, including the Netherlands, France, and Spain. Born in 1994, he began his senior career with PSV Eindhoven and has also represented the Morocco national team.
Atlas Lions
The “Atlas Lions” is the nickname for the Moroccan national football team, derived from the Barbary lion that historically inhabited the Atlas Mountains. The team has a celebrated history, most notably becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in 2022.
World Cup
The FIFA World Cup is an international football tournament first held in 1930 in Uruguay. Organized by FIFA, it is contested every four years by the senior men’s national teams of its member associations and is the world’s most widely viewed sporting event.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked West African nation whose modern borders were established during French colonial rule, gaining independence in 1960. Historically, the region was home to several powerful kingdoms, including the Mossi states, which date back to the 11th century. The country’s name, meaning “Land of Honest People,” was adopted in 1984.
Africa Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the premier international men’s football competition in Africa, first held in 1957. It was founded to unite African nations through sport during a period of decolonization and has since grown into a major global sporting event held every two years.
