Pocket dynamo Al Jaber the man for the big occasion

Striker Sami Al Jaber is Saudi Arabias man with the golden boots. A provider as well as a finisher, Al Jaber plays a role in most goals scored by Saudi Arabia and his club side Al Hilal. Al Jaber is small physically but devilishly difficult to knock off the ball. He loves to run at defenders and many of his goals come after evading tackle after tackle in the box. But he is just as effective when poaching inside the penalty area, his quick reactions leaving defenders lunging at shadows. Al Jaber had a quiet qualifying campaign by his striking standards but has hit a rich vein of form this year. He scored four of Al Hilals six goals in the quarter-final stages of the Asian Club Championship in Lebanon and hit the target twice as his club side beat Al Shabab 3-2 to win the Saudi championship. He also has a happy habit of scoring on the big occasionhe nabbed both goals which won Al Hilal the Asian Super Cup with a 2-1 aggregate win over South Koreas Pohang Steelers last yearand will relish the opportunity to shine on the World Cup stage. Given any room in the box he will prove troublesome for the defences of France, Denmark and South Africa in the first round.

© - AFP - 1998