SAMI AL-JABER - SAUDI ARABIA

Date of birth: Dec. 11, 1972
Birthplace: Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Position: Striker
International debut: September 1992 vs. Syria

To say Saudi Arabia's Sami Al-Jaber has a wealth of international experience would be a slight understatement.

The 33-year-old striker has played over 150 games for his country and has been a regular for the Saudi national team since 1992.

The heart and soul of Saudi Arabia, Al-Jaber played in the last three World Cups, but retired from the national team in 2002. He came out of retirement to help Saudi Arabia qualify this time around and is now anxious to show the world he still has plenty of talent.

As the team's captain, his experience is vital if Saudi Arabia is to make amends for its disappointing form four years ago by qualifying for the second round.

A 15-year-old Al-Jaber joined Al-Hilal, one of the top clubs in Saudi Arabia, in 1987 and finished as the top goal scorer of the club's youth championship-winning team the following year.

He made his debut for the national team in 1992 and scored his first international goal in a World Cup qualifier in 1993. Jaber helped Saudi Arabia qualify for its first World Cup in 1994, and though he started the tournament on the bench, he became an instant hero when he scored the winning goal against Morocco in the first round, securing Saudi Arabia's first-ever World Cup victory.

Two years later, Jaber guided Saudi Arabia to victory in the Asian Cup final and played a big role in helping his country qualify for the 1998 World Cup. It was in France that Al-Jaber made history as his goal in a 2-2 draw with South Africa made him the first Asian player to score in two consecutive World Cups.

Al-Jaber began drawing attention from European clubs and in 2000 he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers to become the first Saudi to play in England. His five-month tenure with the club was marred by injuries, however, and he quickly returned to his beloved Al-Hilal.

Al-Jaber played in his third consecutive World Cup in 2002, but it proved to be a humiliating experience — Saudi Arabia was trounced 8-0 by Germany and went home with their tails between their legs after the first round.

He retired from the national team after the debacle but returned to action in 2005 and will now play in his fourth consecutive World Cup in Germany.