Saudi footballer Majid Abdullah stood out as regional star potential in 1982

The kingdom finished a modest fourth in Abu Dhabi. But the player who would earn the nickname “Arabian Jewel” was just getting started.

Four players scored three goals each in the tournament, but none stood out. Courtesy Al Ittihad

Four players ended the sixth Gulf Cup on three goals: the UAE’s Salem Khalifa, Ibrahim Zuwaid of Bahrain and the Kuwaiti Yousef Suwaid.

The last was Majid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, arguably the greatest striker to emerge from the Gulf region in the 1980s.

Already an established international, Abdullah’s achievements in the following years went on to outstrip those of the other joint-top scorers in Abu Dhabi.

His three goals in the 1982 event, including the solitary goal against Qatar and both scores in a 2-2 draw with Bahrain, merely hinted at what was to come from Abdullah.

He scored 71 official international goals and was named Asian Footballer of the Year three successive times, beginning in 1984.

He also helped his country to the AFC Asian Cup in 1984 and 1988 as Saudi Arabia became the first Gulf country to break the regional dominance of Iraq and Kuwait.

Remarkably, despite their golden era on the continent, Abdullah never once won a Gulf Cup title.

In 1982, Saudi Arabia finished a modest fourth at the Gulf Cup in Abu Dhabi. But the player who would earn the nickname “Arabian Jewel” was just getting started.

Greatness awaited him – and his team.

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