Qatar’s goalkeeper Abunada enjoys ‘most beautiful moment’ at World Cup

SANTA CLARA, California: Qatar’s resilience against Switzerland owed much to goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, whose key saves kept them in the game, a remarkable comeback for a player once close to retirement due to a serious back injury.

The 26-year-old, who made his international debut last year, made six saves as Qatar grabbed a dramatic 1-1 late equalizer against Switzerland to earn their first-ever World Cup point.

The achievement was described by Abunada, who was named Man of the Match, as “the most beautiful moment of my career.”

Fighting back tears as he received his award, he said “I dedicate this moment to my mother and to my family.”

Coach Julen Lopetegui’s decision to start Abunada raised eyebrows, given his limited experience ⁠and the presence ⁠of Meshaal Barsham, a key player in Qatar’s 2023 Asian Cup win.

Abunada, who is of Palestinian descent, exceeded expectations in his seventh international appearance, despite the pressure of playing on the world stage against a team that had reached the round of 16 in four of their last five appearances at the tournament.

“He has a strong presence on the pitch and ⁠an impressive ability to challenge himself,” Younes Ali, who coached him at his former club Al Arabi, told Reuters.

That resilience was clear against Switzerland, as the goalkeeper bounced back from an early error in the 14th minute, when he conceded a penalty against Remo Freuler that Breel Embolo converted, to produce a string of key saves, most notably a brilliant close-range stop to deny Ruben Vargas.

Retirement shadow

After being promoted to Al-Arabi’s first team, Abunada was called up to the Qatar

national team in 2020, but struggled to secure a regular starting spot.

Just as he was ⁠beginning