Saudi pundit sparks backlash with ‘trial from God’ criticism of Abdullah Al-Hamdan

A Saudi media personality has provoked widespread anger after launching a fierce criticism of Abdullah Al-Hamdan following the striker’s subdued performance against Kuwait at the Gulf Cup 27.

Saudi Arabia opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Kuwait on Wednesday, with the match played at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah during the first round of the group stage.

Al-Hamdan struggled to make an impact and failed to convert several opportunities, prompting sections of the Saudi support to jeer him as he left the pitch.

The forward’s performance became the focus of a debate involving Ziad Al-Khalifa, the former Bahrain national team director, and Saudi media personality Faisal Al-Jafn.

Speaking to Al-Arabiya FM, Al-Khalifa criticised Al-Hamdan for repeatedly making the wrong decisions. He suggested that the conditions, including the humidity, may have contributed to the striker’s display.

Al-Jafn rejected that explanation and argued that Al-Hamdan’s problems were not limited to the weather.

“Abdullah Al-Hamdan makes the wrong decisions all the time. It is not only about the humidity,” Al-Jafn said. “We are dealing with him as an affliction from God Almighty that we must be patient with.”

The comments prompted a strong reaction from Saudi Arabia supporters, with particular criticism coming from fans of Al-Nassr. Many felt that such language should not have been used by a media figure expected to remain neutral and objective.

Saudi journalist Ahmed Al-Omari also condemned the way some broadcasters had discussed the striker’s performance.

“The way some media figures on programmes dealt with Abdullah Al-Hamdan’s performance yesterday is, at the very least, shameful and disgusting,” Al-Omari wrote.

“Criticise the performance and the shortcomings, but retain enough feeling to remember that he is your national team’s striker in an official tournament.”

Al-Hamdan had entered Gulf Cup 27 with a strong record from the previous edition of the competition. He finished as the leading scorer at Gulf Cup 26, scoring three goals.

He shared that accolade with Bahrain’s Mohamed Marhoon and Oman’s Issam Al-Sabhi, who also scored three times.

Saudi Arabia’s victory over Kuwait gave them three points from their opening group-stage fixture, although Al-Hamdan’s display and the reaction to his substitution dominated discussion afterwards.