 Hussein Abdel-Ghani in the Al-Ahli club shirt | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hussein Omar Abdulghani Sulaimani | ||
| Date of birth | (1977-01-21)21 January 1977 (age 48) | ||
| Place of birth | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft8+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position | Left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1992–1995 | Al-Ahli | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–2008 | Al-Ahli | 287 | (30) |
| 2007 | →Al-Rayyan SC (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Neuchâtel Xamax | 21 | (0) |
| 2009–2017 | Al-Nassr | 205 | (9) |
| 2017–2018 | Vereya | 14 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Ohod | 11 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Al-Ahli | 29 | (0) |
| Total | 568 | (40) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 1996–2018 | Saudi Arabia | 138[1] | (5) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19:13, 17 September 2020 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20:56, 20 November 2018 (UTC) | |||
Hussein Omar Abdulghani Sulaimani (Arabic:حُسَيْن عُمَر عَبْد الْغَنِيّ سُلَيْمَانِيّ; born 21 January 1977) is aSaudi Arabian former professionalfootballer who played as aleft-back in theSaudi Professional League.
Abdulghani began his career atAl-Ahli, joining the youth team in 1992. He originally started his career as aforward but was moved tofull-back, a position he would mainly play at for the remainder of his career, byAmin Dabo, the youth team manager at the time.[2] Abdulghani made his Al-Ahli debut on 26 September 1995 in a Federation Cup tie withAl-Qadsiah. The match ended in a 2–1 loss.[3]
On 25 November 1995, Abdulghani made his league in thederby match againstAl-Ittihad that ended in a 2–1 win.[4] He made 24 appearances in all competitions in his first season with the club as Al-Ahli finished runners-up in the league. In his second season, Abdulghani missed matches for Al-Ahli due to the national team's participation in the1996 AFC Asian Cup. On 25 December 1997, Abdulghani scored his first league goal for the club againstAl-Wehda.[5] On 11 March 1998, Abdulghani started theCrown Prince Cup final againstAl-Riyadh and provided the assist forMasaad's golden goal in the 97th minute, as Al-Ahli won their thirdCrown Prince Cup title.[6] This was Al-Ahli's first silverware since 1985. On 15 November 1999, Abdulghani made his continental debut for Al-Ahli against Syrian sideAl-Jaish in the1999–2000 Asian Cup Winners' Cup.[7]
Abdulghani missed most of the 2001–02 season with Al-Ahli through injury after injuring hisanterior cruciate ligament while on international duty. He was substituted in the 84th minute in the2002 FIFA World Cup qualification match againstThailand on 21 October 2001.[8] He made his return on 15 March 2002 in the Gulf Club Champions Cup match against Emirati sideAl-Shabab.[9] On 22 March 2002, Abdulghani started in the 2–0 win against Omani sideDhofar as Al-Ahli won their secondGulf Club Champions Cup.[10] On 27 December 2002, Abdulghani was suspended for six matches for comments he made towards the referee, Mamdouh Al-Mirdas, following the loss against Al-Hilal.[11] On 3 February 2003, Abdulghani started theArab Unified Club Championship final against Tunisian sideClub Africain as Al-Ahli won their first Arab title.[12]
Following the retirement ofMohammed Al-Jahani, Abdulghani was named as the club captain starting from the 2004–05 season.[13] His first final as club captain ended in a loss in the 2005 Federation Cup final againstAl-Hilal.[14] Six months later, Abdulghani also captained the side in the2006 Crown Prince Cup final loss against Al-Hilal as well.[15] On 9 February 2007, Abdulghani captained Al-Ahli as they won their third Federation Cup, defeating derby rivals Al-Ittihad in the final by 3–0 at thePrince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.[16] Two months later, on 27 April 2007, Abdulghani captained Al-Ahli as they won their fifth Crown Prince Cup title, defeating derby rivals Al-Ittihad in thefinal once again.[17]
In May 2007, Abdulghani was loaned to Qatari sideAl-Rayyan on a short-term deal.[18] He made one appearance in theEmir of Qatar Cup quarter-finals. Abdulghani missed a penalty in the penalty shoot-outs as Al-Rayyan were eliminated byAl-Arabi. On 4 April 2008, Abdulghani was sent off in the league match againstNajran, and was suspended for two matches. On 26 April 2008, his suspension was lifted.[19] On 27 April 2008, Abdulghani made his final appearance for Al-Ahli in the 3–1 loss againstAl-Shabab in the 2nd leg of theKing Cup quarter-finals.[20]
On 10 July 2008, Abdulghani joinedSwiss basedNeuchâtel Xamax on a three-year contract for a reported fee of $1 million.[21] His transfer to Europe had made him the third Saudi footballer to play in Europe, afterSami Al-Jaber andFahad Al-Ghesheyan and the first to play in theSwiss Super League. He made his debut on 2 August 2008 as a 70th minute in the league match againstAarau.[22] On 17 August 2008, he made his first start for the club againstGrasshoppers.[23] He made 21 appearances in all competitions in his only season at the club.
On 3 July 2009, Abdulghani returned toSaudi Arabia and joinedAl-Nassr on a three-year contract.[24] This move did not go down well with Al-Ahli supporters, who held up a banner saying "Traitor 24" during the league match between Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr on 22 November 2009.[25] On 25 August 2009, Abdulghani made his debut for Al-Nassr as well as score his first goal in the 1–1 draw againstAl-Ettifaq.[26] On 9 February 2010, Abdulghani injured his right knee in theCrown Prince Cup quarter-final match against derby rivals Al-Hilal and was ruled out for the rest of the season.[27] He made 22 appearances and scored 3 goals in all competitions helping Al-Nassr to a 3rd place finish, their highest since2002. On 10 October 2010, Abdulghani made his return in a friendly match againstAl-Diriyah.[28] On 16 October 2010, Abdulghani made his return as a substitute in the 2–1 win against former club Al-Ahli.[29] On 28 September 2011, Abdulghani was suspended for three matches for elbowing former Al-Ahli teammate andAl-Faisaly goalkeeperTisir Al-Antaif.[30] On 18 May 2012, Abdulghani captained Al-Nassr in the 2012 King Cup final loss to Al-Ahli.[31] On 25 May 2012, Abdulghani renewed his contract with Al-Nassr for another two years.[32] During the 2013-14 season, Abdulghani made 23 appearances and assisted 7 goals in the league helping Al-Nassr win their first league title since1995.[33] He also captained Al-Nassr to a 2–1 win over derby rivals Al-Hilal in the2014 Saudi Crown Prince Cup final.[34] Their first Crown Prince Cup title since 1974. On 8 April 2014, Abdulghani renewed his contract with Al-Nassr.[35] On 11 August 2014, Abdulghani was suspended for two matches following an altercation withAbdulmalek Al-Khaibri after a penalty shootout loss in the2014 Saudi Super Cup.[36] During the 2014–15 season, Abdulghani made 22 appearances, scored twice and assisted three times helping Al-Nassr win a second consecutive league title.[37] On 11 June 2015, Abdulghani was suspended for six matches after an altercation with a fan following the penalty shootout defeat to Al-Hilal in the2015 King Cup final.[38] On 9 July 2016, Abdulghani renewed his contract with Al-Nassr for two years.[39] On 28 June 2017, Al-Nassr and Abdulghani mutually agreed to release him from his contract.[40]
On 13 September 2017, Abdulghani signed a one-year contract withBulgarian First League clubVereya.[41] Becoming the first Saudi to play in theBulgarian First League. He hoped to take a chance to play for theSaudi Arabia national team at the2018 FIFA World Cup inRussia.[42] On 11 June 2018, Abdulghani went back to Saudi Arabia to sign for the newly promoted Pro League sideOhod.[43] In January 2019, he returned to his former club Al-Ahli.[44] On 15 October 2020, Abdulghani announced his retirement.[45]
Abdulghani was a regular member of theSaudi Arabia national team. He was on the national team that won1996 AFC Asian Cup at age 19. He was selected for the1998,2002 and2006 FIFA World Cups. Abdulghani announced his retirement from international football after failing to lead his national team to the2010 FIFA World Cup. On 6 October 2018, he received a call-up for a friendly match againstBrazil.[46]
Updated 26 January 2024.[47][48]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup[a] | League Cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Al-Ahli | 1995–96 | SPL | 14 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 9[c] | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| 1996–97 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||||
| 1997–98 | 10 | 1 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||||
| 1998–99 | 21 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 2 | |||||
| 1999–2000 | 21 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4[e] | 0 | 30 | 2 | |||
| 2000–01 | 14 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||||
| 2001–02 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 4[f] | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2002–03 | 18 | 2 | — | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9[d] | 0 | 33 | 3 | |||
| 2003–04 | 18 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 14[d] | 2 | 36 | 4 | ||||
| 2004–05 | 12 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7[d] | 1 | 25 | 3 | |||
| 2005–06 | 11 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 8[c] | 2 | 21 | 3 | ||||
| 2006–07 | 11 | 1 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 9[g] | 0 | 23 | 1 | ||||
| 2007–08 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3[c] | 1 | 23 | 3 | ||
| Total | 169 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 16 | 3 | 73 | 6 | 288 | 24 | ||
| Neuchâtel Xamax | 2008–09 | SSL | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||
| Al-Nassr | 2009–10 | SPL | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[h] | 0 | 22 | 3 | |
| 2010–11 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 21 | 2 | |||
| 2011–12 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 0 | ||||
| 2012–13 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 4[d] | 0 | 34 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 0 | ||||
| 2014–15 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1[i] | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 142 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 205 | 9 | ||
| Vereya | 2017–18 | BFL | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Ohod | 2018–19 | SPL | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| Al-Ahli | 2018–19 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| Al-Ahli Total | 182 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 30 | 3 | 73 | 6 | 317 | 24 | ||
| Career total | 367 | 20 | 25 | 0 | 48 | 2 | 46 | 6 | 82 | 6 | 568 | 34 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 1996 | 18 | 0 |
| 1997 | 21 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 22 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 17 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 138 | 5 | |
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 June 1999 | Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium,Abha |  Jordan | 2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 9 July 1999 | Titan Stadium,Fullerton |  Canada | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 8 February 2001 | Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium,Dammam |  Mongolia | 4–0 | 6–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) |
| 4 | 8 February 2001 | Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam | Mongolia | 5–0 | 6–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) |
| 5 | 14 October 2004 | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium,Jakarta |  Indonesia | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) |
Al-Ahli
Neuchâtel Xamax FCS
Al-Nassr
OHOD
Saudi Arabia
individual
