Hussein Abdulghani, Al-Ahli Jeddah legend, has retired from football on Thursday night.
The 43 years-old Saudi defender, was a familiar face in the Saudi football community and Middle Eastern football hemisphere in the past generation. He started his career in 1995, played for Al-Ahli for 13 years, later went to Qatar for a brief stint at Al-Rayyan, then played for Neuchâtel Xamax from the Swiss League and was one of a few Saudis to kick a ball abroad. He then returned to the Saudi Kingdom for an eight years spell at Riyadh’s giants Al-Nassr, bizarrely went to Bulgarian lower league side, returned to Ohod and finally in 2019 came for one last term with his boyhood club, Al-Ahli.
Abdulghani was a squad member in Saudi Arabia 1998 World Cup squad. Although he didn’t play in the tournament until yesterday, he was part of a very exclusive group of footballers, who took part in that World Cup 22 years ago and were still active.
After his farewell, there are only seven of them left—a truly endangered species.
Joseph N’Do
Claude LeRoy discovered the 44-year-old Cameroonian just before 1998 World Cup in France, where he joined the Indomitable Lions’ squad and played with Samuel Eto’o. Now N’Do is a player-coach at Achill Rovers, from the Mayo County Association, in Ireland. Some hardcore amateur action for big N’Do.
Kazuyushi Miura
At 53, King Kazu is still running and fighting on Japanese football pitches for Yokohama FC in J League 1. He recently has been named as Guinness World Record Holder for the oldest active footballer. Still has some length to achieve Yitzhak Hayk’s record as the oldest ever to play in an official match, but Kazu is on the right path.
Shinji Ono
Everyone remembers Shinji Ono as the Japan national team ninja that shined in 2002 World Cup. Very few remember him as a squad member of Japan in 1998, but he was. Ono kicked off a career in Europe later on, as he played for Feyenoord and Bochum. Nowadays, at 41, he still plays at FC Ryuku from Japanese J League 2.
Masashi Nakayama
Like Kazu Miura, it feels like Masashi Nakayama has been here forever. It’s not far from the truth. Nakayama, 53 now, had started his career back in 1990, that’s 30 years ago! He played only in Japan and is currently part of J League 3 side, Azul Claro Numazu. In France, Nakayama scored the only goal of the tournament and the first goal for Japan in the history of the World Cup against Jamaica.
Lee Dong-gook
When the German synth-pop band Alphaville wrote the song “Forever Young”, they probably thought of Lee Dong-gook, even if they did not know it. The 41 years old South Korean striker is still killing in it in the K League, South Korea’s top flight. He is the top scorer in the league’s history, and arguably still among the best strikers in Korean football. He won seven titles with Jeonbuk Motors, where he is still scoring from time to time.
Emerson
Who didn’t like Emerson? That mighty defensive midfielder who dominated pitches in Germany, Italy and Spain for Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma, Juventus, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. In the early 2000’ he was probably among the game’s top three defensive mids. In 1998, he was called up to the squad in the last minute, after Romario was injured played for Brazil. Today, at 44, he is still active for Miami Dade FC of the UPSL in the United States. The good life.
Gianluigi Buffon
At last, Gianluigi Buffon, one of the football greatest ever characters, an admired icon, who also a part of Italy’s 1998 World Cup squad, although he did not get a chance as Angelo Perruzzi and Francesco Toldo, was obviously way before him in the pecking order. At 42, Buffon is still playing for Juventus, and he is truly is, a living and kicking football legend.
Photo via Al-Ahli Jeddah official Twitter.
