Salem Al-Dawsari misses Al-Hilal's penalty against Al-Qadisiyah and contradicts the coach
The Al-Hilal vs. Al-Qadisiyah match witnessed dramatic events that cast a shadow over the Al-Hilal camp, as the team's captain, Salem Al-Dawsari, caused widespread controversy after violating the instructions of the technical staff led by the coach, which resulted in wasting a golden opportunity that could have changed the course of the match.
Details of the incident and the turning point
The story began in the 52nd minute when the referee awarded Al-Hilal a penalty. At that crucial moment, Salem Al-Dawsari, nicknamed "The Tornado," stepped up to take the kick, bypassing the pre-arranged penalty-taking order. Unfortunately for Al-Qadisiyah, the goalkeeper made a brilliant save, denying Al-Hilal the lead and preventing them from dominating the match.
This waste had an immediate psychological and tactical impact on the course of the game; Al-Qadisiyah exploited Al-Hilal’s shaky morale and succeeded in capitalizing on opportunities to score the second goal, which put Al-Hilal under enormous pressure and forced them to exhaust their physical energy in an attempt to get back into the game and equalize the score.
Coach's statements and execution order
Commenting on the incident, the team's coach (referred to in the source as Inzaghi) explained that Salem Al-Dawsari was not the first choice to take the penalty in this match. He stated, "The first choice was the Portuguese player, Ruben Neves, but what happened was that Salem took it, perhaps due to his previous success in scoring against Al-Nassr. These things sometimes depend on luck, but following instructions is essential.".
Salem Al-Dawsari: A rich history and worrying statistics in penalties
Although Salem Al-Dawsari is considered a legend of Saudi football and Al-Hilal, a former Asian Player of the Year, and the scorer of the historic goal against Argentina in the World Cup, his penalty-taking record has become a source of concern for fans. Documented statistics indicate that "The Tornado" reached a shocking number after this match, with the total number of penalties he has missed throughout his professional career with club and country rising to 11.
The numbers indicate that during the last two seasons alone, Al-Dawsari took 6 penalty kicks (before this match), scoring 3 and missing 3 others, a success rate that does not correspond to his great technical value within the green rectangle, which raises serious questions about whether he should step down from executing these kicks in the future.
Public anger and its impact on the title race
The incident did not go unnoticed by Al-Hilal fans, who vented their anger on social media, particularly on the "X" platform. A large segment of the supporters considered the captain's behavior at such a crucial point in the season a potential turning point in the league title race, especially given the fierce competition that demands no points be dropped. They called for strict adherence to the coach's instructions to ensure the team's stability.
