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A judicious and intelligent playmaker, Sami Al-Jaber
has helped to convert Saudi Arabia from international
also-rans into giants on the Asian soccer landscape.
The 29-year-old forward netted eight goals for his
country during qualifying, helping Saudi Arabia book
its ticket to its third consecutive World Cup.
Al-Jaber was the heart of the Saudi team that played
in the 1994 and 1998 World Cup, playing a major role
in leading the Arab nation to the second round in 1994.
With over 140 caps during 12 years of service for his
country, Al-Jaber now stands near the culmination of
his career, as he has vowed to retire from international
soccer after the tournament. With Saudi Arabia's World
Cup hopes resting squarely on his shoulders, Al-Jaber
will be looking to showcase his goal-scoring acumen
on the international stage one last time.
Al-Jaber was a child prodigy, joining Al Hilal, Saudi
Arabia's top club, in 1988 at the age of 15. He earned
his first international cap two years later. Al-Jaber
made a name for himself in 1994 when he scored a hat
trick against Iran in an Asian qualifier to give Saudi
Arabia a 4-3 win and a berth in its first World Cup.
Four years later in France, Saudi Arabia crashed out
of the World Cup, but Al-Jaber's career took an interesting
turn, as he went on loan to English club Wolverhampton
Wanders in 2000.
Al-Jaber was riddled by injuries and after five months,
he left England and rejoined Al Hilal. Now he hopes
to rediscover his old form and lead Saudi Arabia to
victory in Japan and South Korea.
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