The Al Shabab Post
Match9 Jan 2027
Al Shabab leave it late against Baniyas
Ninety minutes of very little, and then everything at once. The winner arrived in the 88th, and Baniyas spent what remained of the match appealing to the referee rather than chasing the ball.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Youssef Al Hashmi in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Al Shabab this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The terraces11 Jan 2027
Al Shabab supporters have found a favourite in Tomas Valdecantos
There is a particular warmth a ground reserves for a 21-year-old it feels ownership of. Tomas Valdecantos has it now, and everything he does for the rest of his time here will be measured against the goodwill he was handed for free.
Match9 Jan 2027
Mahmoud Al Menhali sends Al Shabab past Baniyas
It finished 1‑0, and it was Mahmoud Al Menhali’s afternoon: on the scoresheet when it mattered, and the reason the points belong to Al Shabab.
Player ratings11 Jan 2027
Mahmoud Al Menhali in the eights
A performance of 8.06 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad11 Jan 2027
The manager makes an example of Mohamed Al Hashmi
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Player ratings11 Jan 2027
Nobody could get near Mahmoud Al Suwaidi
Successful dribbles: 14. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Fahad Mabkhout falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Guilherme Araujo is the weekend's best young player
At 18 he is being measured against the rest of the division's kids and coming out in front. The senior version of this award is where the club would like this to lead.
In brief
- Player ratings Tomas Valdecantos changes it off the bench
- Market Yousif Ali arrives on loan
- Market Abdalla Ghanim arrives on loan