Before the start of the Arabian Gulf Cup “Gulf 27”, Hammam Al-Hammami was asked whether the tournament could be his real starting point in the Saudi national team’s shirt. He replied: “I hope so,” before adding that representing the national team is an honor and a responsibility, and that the goal is to make the fans happy at the end of the tournament.
After about two weeks, the wish turned into reality, and in a way that perhaps exceeded what the player himself was waiting for. Al-Hammami left the tournament as a champion for the Gulf with the Saudi national team, and was crowned the best player in the tournament, after he was one of the most prominent faces presented by “Al-Akhdar” during the journey to regain the title that had been absent since 2004.
Al-Hammami’s story began in the tournament from the first night against Kuwait. The 22-year-old entered the starting lineup, quickly introduced himself to the Saudi fans, and his shot was behind the only goal of victory, before leaving the field carrying the award for best player in the match.
This appearance was not just a passing night for a young player; The technical staff kept Al-Hammami among its main options, and he continued his presence during the national team’s journey, until it reached the final match against the Emirates, so that his name was once again present in the starting lineup during the largest matches of the tournament.
In the final, the story was completed. Al-Hammami needed only 11 minutes to make his mark on the most important night of his international career, when he opened the scoring against the Emirates, before Firas Al-Braikan added the second goal four minutes later, so the young player put his name at the heart of the scene that returned Saudi Arabia to the Gulf podium after a wait that extended for more than two decades.
Between the Kuwait match at the beginning and the UAE match at the end, Al-Hamami’s position in the scene changed. He entered the tournament as one of the young faces who got his chance with the national team, and left it as a name known to the Gulf public, and a player who imposed himself in the “Green” accounts.
The paradox seems striking in the timing of his birth. Al-Hamami was born on January 30, 2004, that is, in the same year in which Saudi Arabia achieved its previous Gulf title, before he returned after more than 22 years to contribute to returning the cup to the Saudi national team.
This breakthrough did not come out of nowhere; Al-Hammami’s career went through different stations before he reached this moment, starting with an early experience outside Saudi Arabia with Slavia Prague, through Al-Ittihad and then a loan to eternity, all the way to his move to Al-Shabab, where he began to get more space to show his potential.
But “Gulf 27” was the biggest stage. The player who started the tournament talking about his desire to make the fans happy ended his participation and actually contributed to giving them a long-awaited joy. Between the first statement and the podium, Al-Hamami presented one of the most prominent stories of heroism. A young man gets his chance, clings to it, and then makes the difference when the matches get bigger and the pressure rises.
The award for best player in the tournament may be the most important individual reward in his career so far, but at the same time it raises the bar for the challenge facing him. Saudi football knew many talents that emerged quickly, but the difference was always the ability to continue.
For Al-Hamami, the issue after “Gulf 27” is no longer about proving that he is a talent; The tournament has already done that. The challenge now is for this edition of the Gulf Cup to turn from the best tournament in the beginning of his career into a starting point for a greater career.
Hammam Al-Hamami entered the tournament looking for an opportunity, and came out the champion and the best player. Between the two... a new Saudi star was born.
Muhammad Al Owais, the oldest player in the Saudi national team, combined the Gulf Cup with the Best Goalkeeper Award in “Gulf 27”, four days before he turned 35, concluding a journey that he began on the bench, and ended with his contribution to “Al-Akhdar” regaining the title after an absence of more than 22 years.
Al-Owais was not among the starting lineup in the opening match against Kuwait, before Nawaf Al-Aqidi’s injury forced him onto the field, after which he took over as goalkeeper for “Al-Akhdar” against Oman, Iraq, Qatar, and then the UAE in the final.
The veteran goalkeeper kept a clean sheet during his participation before the final, contributing with his teammates to the defensive solidity that distinguished the team during the group stage and semi-finals.
His most prominent impact came against Qatar, when the confrontation ended in a goalless draw after 120 minutes, and the decision went to penalty kicks. Al Owais blocked the kicks of Jassim Jaber and Khoukhi Boualem, contributing to Saudi Arabia’s 3-2 victory and reaching the final match.
Boualem's kick carried a double test. Al Owais blocked it on the first attempt, then made the save again after the referee ordered the kick to be repeated, in one of his most prominent moments of brilliance during the tournament.
The Saudi goalkeeper won the best player award in the semi-final match, before adding to it the best goalkeeper award in the tournament, and celebrating with his teammates the fourth Gulf Cup in the history of the Saudi national team.
Al Owais, born on October 10, 1991, turns 35 after a tournament that highlighted the value of his experience and readiness. From an opportunity to participate due to the injury of his colleague, to a decisive role in passing the semi-finals, all the way to a coronation in which he combined collective achievement and individual honor.
