Hamdallah Recreates Last Season's Controversy Over Al-Shabab Penalty Kick

Al-Shabab's Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah has once again stirred controversy during his team's match against Al-Riyadh. The fixture, a postponed game from Matchday 10 of the Roshn Saudi League, saw Al-Shabab secure a 3-1 victory.

In the 24th minute, the referee awarded a penalty to Al-Shabab. Hamdallah appeared eager to take the spot-kick, but the coach intervened, reaffirming that Belgian Yannick Carrasco remains the team's primary penalty taker. This decision visibly displeased the Moroccan forward, who left his position to speak with a member of the technical staff. He later expressed his frustration by kicking a water bottle and notably did not celebrate the goal scored by his teammate from the penalty spot.

Saudi media outlets reacted to Hamdallah's actions, suggesting the player displayed clear frustration due to his desire to enhance his goal tally. This comes as he aims to close in on the record for the most goals scored by a foreign player in the Saudi League, currently held by Syrian Omar Al-Somah with 160 goals, compared to Hamdallah's 152.

For his part, Carrasco downplayed the incident, stating in media comments that he is the team's designated first-choice penalty taker and sees no issue with it. However, the incident has reignited discussions about Hamdallah's on-field personality, as he has been involved in similar situations during previous matches, despite his significant goal contributions for the clubs he has represented in the Saudi League.