Just three days after Liverpool went to Marseille, Saudi Arabian international Saud Abdulhamid was in action at the famous Velodrome, making his fourth league start of the season for Lens on Saturday.
The title-chasing northerners lost by the Mediterranean, but it is the kind of international experience for the right-back that has long been desired by various Saudi Arabian coaches.
Even if Abdulhamid’s time in Europe has been mixed, his experience will not just improve him as a player, but will help smooth the way for others to follow.
At the 2022 World Cup, Saudi Arabia had one of the few squads made up entirely of domestic-based players. With Asian rivals Japan and South Korea and their European-based stars going into the knockout stages, it is no surprise that there were more calls for Green Falcons to fly overseas.
There had been attempts before. In January 2018, no less than nine Saudi Arabian players suddenly turned up on loan at Spanish clubs. Among others, Salem Al Dawsari went to Villarreal, Yahya Al Shehri was at Leganes and Abdullah Al Hamdan headed to Sporting Gijon. It wasn’t a success and the nine were soon back in their homeland.
What occured in August 2024 was different, though, as Abdulhamid, one of the standouts of Qatar 2022 and the improving Saudi Pro League, made the move from Al Hilal to join Roma. At the same time, Faisal Al Ghamdi and Marwan Al Sahafi went to the Belgian league.
“There is no doubt that we feel proud of the presence of Saud Abdulhamid, Faisal Al Ghamdi, and Marwan Al Sahafi in Europe, and it is difficult in terms of being in a different environment and competition, but I follow them greatly,” Saudi Arabia manager Herve Renard said. “It is important for the Saudi player to know the difference between professionalism in Europe and elsewhere.”
Al Ghamdi is back at Al Ittihad but Abdulhamid is still in Europe. He played eight times for Roma - four in Serie A and four in the Europa League - before being loaned to Lens, with the French club paying €500,000 and having an option to buy for a further €3 million.
In France, there have been more minutes, 459 in total in Ligue 1 and four starts in total, but it has not been completely smooth sailing. In short, the 26-year-old has been unable to displace Ruben Aguilar on the right side of defence.
“Aguilar is a good defender, but Lens needed to recruit someone of good quality behind him as well, who could compete with him,” Timothe Crepin, of French football website SoFoot, told The National. “Aguilar has really raised his level and he has the confidence of head coach Pierre Sage.”
It is unclear whether the Saudi Arabian has the same. “The first match in which Abdulhamid started was in Metz, Lens lost 2-0 in a match to forget,” Crepin said. In that game,the former Al Hilal star gave away a penalty.
Coach Sage publicly supported the player. "It's still his first match, his first start,” he said. “So, even if there are things to criticise about this performance, as with other players in the same situation, I'm willing to avoid labelling him based on a single appearance. Obviously, the confidence we have in him remains.”
He got another chance in Marseille but struggled a little in a 3-1 defeat. “Abdulhamid started because Lens had a lot of injuries in defence but did not perform better and was disappointing,” said Crepin. “So he hasn't really made a difference but his playing time certainly prevents him from being really confident.”
His long-term future is uncertain but if he does stay in northern France, it is likely to be as an understudy. “There are no real criticisms of him but then he doesn't play much,” said Crepin.
“Aguilar, thanks to his boundless activity, is really loved by Lens supporters and he is under contract until 2028. We will have to see if Pierre Sage calls on him again when all the injured have returned but if I have to bet, I would say that his playing time will not increase.”
If coach Renard heads around 150 kilometres northeast from the former coal mining centre, he will find Marwan Al Sahafi playing in Antwerp, the historic hub of the diamond trade. On loan from Al Ittihad, the winger has started 14 times in the Belgian Pro League for a total of 1078 minutes and has contrinuted one goal.
“He has been a bit up and down,” Frank Dekeyser, sports journalist with Antwerp newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, told The National. “There are very few good games, some bad games. He hasn't been that great but from time to time he has a positive impact on the way Antwerp plays.”
Last season, the 21-year-old impressed in the second-tier for Beerschot but that did not endear him to the faithful at the Bosuil Stadium. “Beerschot are city rivals so he is not that loved by the Antwerp fans,” added Dekeyser.
It is expected in Belgium that the player, still young, will be returning to Al Ittihad at the end of the season. If so, he will be a better player for the experience, and that can only be of benefit to the national team.
