Hussein Abdulghani

Hussein Abdulghani (born 1977) is a Saudi football player who played as a left-back, defensive midfielder, and left-winger. He played for al-Ahli, al-Nassr, and Ohod clubs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and had professional stints with Neuchâtel Xamax FCS in Switzerland and FC Vereya in Bulgaria. He participated in three FIFA World Cup tournaments and continued his career until retiring at the age of forty-three. He is recognized as the oldest player to participate in the AFC Champions League.

He was born in Jeddah Governorate and progressed through his career from the junior ranks at al-Ahli Saudi Club, then to the youth team, and finally to the first team from 1995 until the end of the 2008 season. After that, he moved to al-Nassr Club at the beginning of the 2009 season, coming from Neuchâtel Xamax FCS in Switzerland after a one-year professional stint abroad. He then left al-Nassr and joined FC Vereya in Bulgaria for one season in the summer of 2017. In the summer of 2018, he returned to the Saudi club Ohod before concluding his sports career at al-Ahli in 2019.

On October 15, 2020, he announced the end of his sports career, which spanned more than twenty-five years.

Hussein Abdulghani won numerous championships throughout his sports career. His first title was the Saudi Premier Youth League in 1993 with al-Ahli Youth Team. With the first team, he secured eleven championships, including the Crown Prince Cup three times in 1998, 2002, and 2007, the Saudi Federation Cup three times in 2001, 2002, and 2007, and the Gulf Club Champions Cup twice in 2002 and 2008. He also won the International Friendship Cup twice, in 2002 and 2003, and his last title with al-Ahli was the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2003.

With al-Nassr, Abdulghani won the Saudi Professional League twice, in 2014 and 2015, as well as the Baniyas International Tournament twice, in 2011 and 2013. He also secured the Crown Prince Cup in 2014 and won al-Wahda International Championship in 2012. He also won the Jordan International Friendly Tournament in 2018.

Hussein Abdulghani played 138 international matches for the Saudi national team, scoring five goals. He participated in three FIFA World Cup tournaments and won the Arab Cup twice with the team, in 1998 in Qatar and in 2002 in Kuwait. He also won the Gulf Cup in 2002 in Riyadh and helped the team qualify for and participate in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Additionally, he participated in the FIFA Confederations Cup twice, in 1997 in Riyadh and 1999 in Mexico. Abdulghani also played in three FIFA World Cup tournaments: 1998 in France, 2002 in South Korea and Japan, and 2006 in Germany.

Hussein Abdulghani achieved several personal achievements throughout his career, including being named the Best Promising Gulf Player in 1996, 1997, and 2006, and the Best Arab Player in 1997. He was selected to play with the Asia All-Stars team in Moscow in 1998 and with the World All-Stars team in Marseille in 1997.