{"id":1521,"date":"2020-07-28T08:29:36","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T22:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/?p=1521"},"modified":"2026-09-23T14:41:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T05:11:08","slug":"nabeel-anwars-unlikely-road-to-the-big-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/ro\/nabeel-anwars-unlikely-road-to-the-big-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"Nabeel Anwar\u2019s unlikely road to the big stage"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story begins in the Chinese city of Wuhan nine months ago.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No, it\u2019s not what you think; this is not about the coronavirus. Or is it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the 27th of October last year, Nabeel Anwar stood on the sidelines of the pitch at Wuhan\u2019s Hankou Cultural Sports Centre stadium, listening to the Qatari national anthem play out on a pleasant autumn afternoon. For the 43-year-old assistant coach of Qatar\u2019s national military football team, this was a unique opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite a two-decade long playing career that witnessed several triumphs at the club level, Nabeel had never managed to make an impression for the national team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jo Bonfrere had called him up once, but the midfielder was eclipsed by more prominent peers, and missed out on a number of Qatar\u2019s major moments in the late 90s and the early 2000s, including the World Cup qualifier run in 1997 and the nation\u2019s second Gulf Cup triumph at home in 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As many top footballers have found out, the international dream is not always fulfilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beginnings<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At club level, Nabeel came through the Al Rayyan youth system before being included in the first team by J\u00f8rgen Larsen, the Danish coach who was at the helm of the Lions in three different stints. Nabeel has named Larsen as an influence, describing him as having \u201cleft a huge impression\u201d on his career by giving him a chance as a youngster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nabeel won three trophies at Al-Rayyan before moving on to Al-Khor in 2001. Had he been able to stay at his childhood club for a few more years, he could have played with the likes of Fernando Hierro and Mario Basler (2003\u201304), or the de Boer twins and Sonny Anderson (2004\u201305) in the Galactico era of Qatari football. Yet, as we see from Nabeel\u2019s career, missing out on big moments seemed liked a recurring theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LEFT: Nabeel Anwar (bottom left) pictured with an Al Rayyan youth team outside the club\u2019s old headquarters in 1987. RIGHT: J\u00f8rgen Larsen, the Danish coach who helped kickstart Nabeel\u2019s career at Al Rayyan<\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Writing history in the North<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

However, one may argue, Nabeel found something special in the northern city of Al Khor too. In 2002\u201303, the team won two pre-season trophies \u2014 the Qatar Joint Tournament and the Sheikh Jassim Cup, and then came tantalisingly short of the league title, finishing third, four points behind the champions Qatar SC after a late collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was in 2004\u201305, however, that Al Khor dazzled the country with their exciting team – and what a team that was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, they finished third in the league, but the Knights of Al Khor compensated by lifting the Heir Apparent Cup, the first major trophy in the club\u2019s history. Nabeel was a silent warrior, one of the first names on the starting sheet in a team that featured the trio of Qatari legend Mubarak Mustafa, Moroccan wizard Rachid Rokki, and a fiery young Younis Mahmoud \u2014 all former or future league top scorers \u2014 in addition to a 22-year-old keeper known as Qasem Burhan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That season, Nabeel also had the opportunity of playing against a certain Pep Guardiola, who he would later cite as his role model as a coach. For the record, Nabeel came out on top, with Al Khor defeating Guardiola\u2019s Al Ahli 2\u20130.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nabeel was a silent warrior in Al Khor\u2019s historic 2004\u201305 season, in a team that featured the golden triangle of Moroccan wizard Rachid Rokki (bottom left), Qatari legend Mubarak Mustafa (bottom centre) and rising Iraqi star Younis Mahmoud (right)<\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Missing out on\/in Asia<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The golden triangle of Al Khor left soon after, but Nabeel stayed and was part of another famous cup run in 2007, as team went all the way to the final of the Amir Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, an AFC Champions League spot was at stake. Al Khor dragged league champions Al Sadd to extra time and then penalties, where the latter prevailed<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was at the stadium that night when it happened, as a 13-year-old Al Sadd fan celebrating a historic quadruple for my side. I didn\u2019t notice Nabeel, but thinking back to that game, I can imagine the soul-crushing nature of the defeat for him and his Al Khor mates, who missed out on the lucrative trophy and continental qualification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nabeel would get another go at finally playing in Asia, when he signed for Umm Salal in 2009. That year, Umm Salal had surprised an entire continent with their debut appearance in the tournament, as they first qualified for the Round of 16 stage and then knocked out Saudi giants Al Hilal (a defeat that\u2019s talked about to this day).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going into the quarter final against FC Seoul, Umm Salal decided to strengthen their domestic contingent, and in came Nabeel, by then an experienced local veteran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Umm Salal continued their dream run by going further and reaching the semifinals, but as luck would have it, Nabeel would only see around nine minutes of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>