Alkass Digital
Experienced national team defender and Asian Player of the Year 2018 Abdelkarim Hassan will no longer be part of Al Sadd, the Doha football giants announced yesterday. In a message posted on its website, the club said: “The management of Al Sadd Club announces that the player Abdelkarim Hassan has been completely excluded from the ranks of the first football team.”
The message added: “This exclusion comes due to the player’s thinking that does not correspond to the goals and aspirations of the team in the next stage.”
No further details were announced by the club or the player. Hassan has been a key figure for Al Sadd for many years. He was also a member of Qatar’s Asian Cup winning side in 2019 and he made his World Cup debut last month with Al Annabi who lost all three matches.
Tall and athletic, the 29-year-old enjoyed a 12-year career with Al Sadd after he joined them in 2010, the year he made his national team debut. He has won 133 caps with the Qatar national team. Abdelkarim joined Sadd as a kid and has only ever played for one other club – KAS Eupen – on loan. Hassan had signed an extension with Sadd in 2020, with a new contract lasting until 2024.
Meanwhile, Al Sadd continued their training at the club’s training facility in preparation for the resumption of the Qatar Stars League (QSL) which kicks off on January 4, 2023. The coaching staff has intensified preparations in order to get the players to the required readiness. Al Sadd are scheduled to face Qatar SC in the eighth round of the league.
Eleven club players will not be taking part in the match as they are set to feature in the Gulf Cup in Iraq with the Qatar national team. The Gulf Cup will be played from Jan 4 to 19.