Al-Qurouni recounts the story of discovering Salem Al-Dawsari and the truth about his injury before the World Cup
The esteemed national coach, Khaled Al-Qarouni, revealed exciting and previously untold details about the beginnings of the Saudi national team captain and Al-Hilal star, Salem Al-Dawsari’s joining the Green Falcons, highlighting the obstacles the player faced at the beginning of his international career, specifically the story of the “injury” that almost deprived Saudi football of one of its most prominent talents.
An expert's perspective: How was the tornado discovered?
In a televised interview that brought back memories of building a golden generation, Al-Qurouni explained that discovering a talent like Salem Al-Dawsari was not a coincidence, but rather the result of diligent field work. The veteran coach noted that he made a point of visiting clubs and closely monitoring youth teams, and during an Olympic team match between Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli, a young player who only played in the final minutes caught his eye.
Despite the short time Al-Dossari played, his technical touches and movements were enough to convince Al-Qurouni of his exceptional talent, prompting him to immediately contact the national team management to request his call-up, in a move that reflected the coach’s foresight and confidence in the young player’s capabilities.
The mystery of the injury and the Brazil-Colombia camp
Al-Qurouni touched upon a pivotal moment prior to the Saudi youth national team's participation in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup (held in Colombia), when Salem Al-Dawsari suffered an injury during the training camp in Brazil. This injury made it difficult for him to continue with the team at that time, raising doubts about his ability to participate in the global tournament.
Al-Qurouni added, "I later received information that Salem had participated in a friendly match with Al-Hilal's first team, so I immediately contacted them to confirm his readiness." The coach praised the cooperation of Al-Hilal's management at the time, as they ensured the player's full recovery, allowing him to quickly join the national team's training camp in Colombia—a move that proved to be the true starting point of his international career.
From Colombia to the world stage: The impact of the decision on Saudi football
This testimony is of great importance in the historical context of Saudi football, as the 2011 Youth World Cup in Colombia was the stage that introduced Salem Al-Dawsari to the world, where he scored a wonderful goal against Guatemala and contributed to the Green Falcons' qualification for the round of 16. That tournament was the cornerstone on which "The Tornado" built a remarkable career, which was later crowned by his scoring in two different editions of the senior World Cup (2018 and 2022), including his historic goal against Argentina.
Al-Qurouni concluded his remarks by emphasizing that these stories highlight the importance of the national coach’s role in discovering talents and giving them confidence at the right time, noting that patience and close monitoring are the key to creating stars who will serve the nation’s sport for many years.
