Mohammed Al Owais emulates Yassine Bounou as Saudi Arabia reach Gulf 27 final

Mohammed Al Owais produced a decisive goalkeeping display to send Saudi Arabia into the Gulf 27 final, keeping Qatar at bay for 120 minutes before becoming the shootout hero.

The Saudi Arabia goalkeeper preserved a goalless scoreline throughout normal time and extra time, ensuring the semi-final went to penalties. It was there that Al Owais moved from a dependable presence behind the defence to the central figure in his side’s victory.

He saved Qatar’s third penalty, taken by Jassim Jaber, to give Saudi Arabia a crucial advantage. Al Owais then made the moment of the match when he denied Boualem Khoukhi.

However, the referee ordered the penalty to be retaken after ruling that Al Owais had moved off his goal-line before the kick was taken. That decision gave the goalkeeper an even more difficult challenge: face the same taker again, with the pressure increased.

Al Owais remained composed and saved Khoukhi’s retaken penalty as well. The second stop completed an outstanding evening and confirmed that his first save had not been a brief stroke of fortune.

Comparisons with Bounou

Al Owais’ performance prompted Saudi Arabia supporters to compare him with his Al Hilal team-mate Yassine Bounou, who is widely recognised for his ability to excel in penalty shootouts and high-pressure matches requiring composure and quick reactions.

The comparison also reflected the fact that the two goalkeepers play alongside one another at Al Hilal. That has led to light-hearted suggestions among fans that Al Owais may have picked up some of Bounou’s secrets in the club’s dressing room.

But his display against Qatar was more than an imitation of Bounou. Al Owais demonstrated that he possesses his own ability to rise to the occasion when the pressure is at its greatest, making him one of the defining figures of Saudi Arabia’s progress to the final.

390 minutes without conceding

The numbers further underline the importance of Al Owais’ performance. He has kept a clean sheet throughout the minutes he has played in the tournament, completing 390 minutes without conceding a goal.

After protecting Saudi Arabia’s goal for the full 120 minutes against Qatar and then playing a decisive role in the shootout, Al Owais has become one of the main reasons the team will contest the final.

Saudi Arabia will face the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf 27 final, with Al Owais carrying significant momentum into the match. He arrived at the semi-final as a goalkeeper who had maintained his clean sheet; he left it as the tournament’s latest penalty-shootout hero.