Al-Nassr's New Iraqi Signing Makes a Quiet AFC ACL 2 Debut
11 February 2026
Debut in AFC ACL 2: Hidar Abdulkarim's Al-Nassr Appearance
Iraqi midfielder Hidar Abdulkarim, the newly signed player for Al-Nassr, made his first appearance for the Saudi club against Arkadag Turkmen in the AFC Champions League 2.
Al-Nassr were the visitors to Arkadag on Wednesday in the first leg of the Asian competition's Round of 16.
Abdulkarim started in midfield beside Ali Al-Hassan and Brazilian Angelo.
However, he did not deliver his best, playing 55 minutes before being substituted for Abdullah Alkhubri, and he did not have a shot on target.
He completed 20 of 22 passes (91%), with 12 in the opponent's half, 11 of them completed (92%).
He also sent two long crosses, one of which found its target, and produced a single key pass.
The former Al-Zawraa player attempted dribbling twice, succeeded once, was fouled once, and lost the ball ten times.
Defensively, Abdulkarim contested seven duels, winning two; he also won one aerial duel and was dribbled past twice.
Based on these numbers, SofaScore rated him 6.6 out of 10.
Punchline 1: If patience is a virtue, his midfield cameo earns him an upgrade to “seasoned pro of two coffee breaks.”
Punchline 2: He’s the kind of player who makes you optimistic about the future—just not about the current match. A work in progress, with great coffee on the bench.
