Ahmed Al-Ghamdi (footballer, born 2001)

Ahmed Mazen Alghamdi (born 20 September 2001) is a Saudi Arabian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Al-Ettifaq and the Saudi Arabia national team.

Ahmed Alghamdi
Al-Ghamdi playing for Saudi Arabia U23 in 2022
Personal information
Full name Ahmed Mazen Alghamdi
Date of birth (2001-09-21) 21 September 2001
Place of birth Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Al-Ettifaq
Number 15
Youth career
Blaise Academy
Rino's Tigers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019 Pacific FC 8 (1)
2020– Al-Ettifaq 38 (1)
International career‡
2019–2021 Saudi Arabia U20 4 (1)
2022– Saudi Arabia U23 13 (5)
2023– Saudi Arabia 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 June 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 January 2023

Club career

Early career

Before turning pro, Alghamdi spent several years with Blaise Soccer Elite Academy in Vancouver.[1][2] Alghamdi joined Vancouver Metro Soccer League side Rino's Vancouver SC as a fourteen-year-old and played three seasons of senior amateur soccer with the club's Rino's Tigers team while playing with Blaise Academy in the summer.[1]

Pacific FC

On 1 May 2019, Alghamdi made his professional debut for Canadian Premier League side Pacific FC, and was officially announced as a signing two days later.[3][4] He scored his first professional goal on July 1 against Cavalry FC.[5] On 23 January 2020, the club announced it would allow Alghamdi to pursue playing opportunities in Saudi Arabia.[6]

Al-Ettifaq

In January 2020, Alghamdi signed a five-year contract with Saudi Professional League side Al-Ettifaq.[7] He made his debut for Al-Ettifaq against Al-Qadsiah on April 10, 2021.[8]

International career

Because of his dual nationality, he is available to represent his country birth Saudi Arabia or his adopted country Canada.[9]

In July 2018, Alghamdi was called up by the Saudi Arabia U-19 team for an evaluation camp ahead of the 2018 AFC U-19 Championship, but was not selected for the final squad.[1] In July 2019, Alghamdi was called up by the Saudi Arabia U-20 team for a pair of friendlies against Bahrain and Tajikistan.[10]

In November 2019, Alghamdi was called up for the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship qualification tournament. On 6 November, he started and scored a penalty for Saudi Arabia in a 1–0 win over Afghanistan.[11][12] On 8 November, he came on as a substitute in a 4–0 win over India.[13][14]

Alghamdi was called up to the Saudi Arabia U-23 team for the first time in 2022 for the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup. Alghamdi started in the final and scored the first goal in the 48' minute to give the falcons the lead, the match ended 2-0 and Saudi Arabia won their first AFC U-23 Asian Cup title.

Honours

Saudi Arabia U23

Individual

References
  1. "Rino's Vancouver SC Player Joins Saudi Arabia Youth National Team". Rino's Vancouver SC. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  2. "Rino's Vancouver SC on Twitter". twitter.com. Rino's Vancouver SC. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  3. "Ahmed Alghamdi". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  4. "Pacific FC signs 17-year-old midfielder Ahmed Alghamdi". Pacific FC. 3 May 2019. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  5. "HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific stuns Cavalry in wild back-and-forth Spring finale". July 1, 2019.
  6. Pacific FC [@Pacificfccpl] (23 January 2020). "Pacific FC announced the club has agreed to have Ahmed Alghamdi pursue playing opportunities in Saudi Arabia. Alghamdi played for the Saudi Arabia U-20 national team last summer" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 January 2020 – via Twitter.
  7. @Ettifaq (27 January 2020). "إدارة نادي #الاتفاق تتعاقد مع لاعب الوسط أحمد الغامدي لمدة 5 سنوات" [Al-Itifaq club management has contracted midfielder Ahmed Al-Ghamdi for a period of 5 years] (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. "Al Ittifaq vs. Al-Qadsiah - 10 April 2021 - Soccerway". April 10, 2021.
  9. "Ahmed Alghamdi is Juggling School, Soccer and the Ball as He Turns Pro at 17". 2 May 2019.
  10. "Ahmed Alghamdi Gets Saudi Arabia U-20 Callup". Northern Tribune. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  11. "Saudi Arabia 1-0 Afghanistan". AFC. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  12. "Uzbekistan flex muscles, Saudi Arabia edge Afghanistan". AFC. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  13. "India 0-4 Saudi Arabia". AFC. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  14. "Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan notch key wins". AFC. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
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