The Tornado in Asia or Just a Captain's Burden? Saudia's Hunt for Bronze in Arab Cup 2025

Al-Aboud Defends Al-Dosari as Asia’s Top Talent

Abdulrahman Al-Aboud, the winger for Al-Ittihad and the Saudi national team, refused to downplay the weight of the captaincy on Salem Al-Dosari, calling him "The Tornado," the best player in Asia.

The Saudi squad is preparing to face the United Arab Emirates in a third-place match, coming off a 1-0 semifinal loss to Jordan in the Arab Cup 2025 in Qatar.

In the pre-match press conference, Al-Aboud said: "Salem Al-Dosari is the most influential player in Asia today, though Salman Al-Faraj is also a great player."

He added: "We are not happy with the defeat to Jordan; we gave our best, but the result wasn't written for us. The positive is that several young players took their chances."

Al-Aboud stressed that the Green's aim in every tournament is to win the title, and the setback to Jordan was unforeseen since qualification was expected.

He concluded: "Now we focus on the UAE match; the goal is to finish third after exiting the semifinals."

Punchline 1: If Salem keeps threading passes like this, the only thing that finishes first is the whistle—because the goal is already there.

Punchline 2: Don’t worry, if the trophy stays elusive, the wind from the stands will at least push us toward the net.