Abdulkareem Hassan: We are prepared for a tough season
Abdulkareem Hassan: We are prepared for a tough season
28 Jul 2015
Abdulkareem Hassan may only be 21 years old but the last few years has seen a meteoric rise from the left-back, who is currently one of the first names in the Al-Sadd and Qatar national team lineups with a lot of experience under his belt. His reassuring performances and his great potential means that Al-Sadd can expect the left-back position to be in safe hands for years to come.
Currently participating in the Al-Sadd preseason camp in Kaprun, Abdulkareem spoke of his hopes and aspirations for the upcoming season in a wide-ranging interview with the official website of the club.
Abdulkareem first made it clear that the season up ahead is sure to be an unforgiving one, especially for players who have international commitments too. With the qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup also taking place, Abdulkareem feels that players must work really hard and prepare well to meet the expectations of the fans.
He believes this is possible, saying that the Kaprun camp is progressing well and will help them reach their best before the start of the season.
Asked to comment on the 2014/15 season, which saw the team garner the Emir Cup but finish second in the league and crash out of the Champions League, Abdulkareem expressed his disappointment with how things turned out. It was a tough season that was ruined by injury problems. He made clear his hopes that the team would turn the page and return to their best in 2015/16, competing strongly on all fronts.
The Champions League winning left back has also faced criticism from certain quarters regarding some of his plays that were deemed dangerous and putting the fortunes of the team at risk. When asked about this, Abdulkareem stated that he respects all opinions and that he knows that he has a “crazy” personality. He assured everyone that he will work harder to correct the errors in his game and improve more. However, he also said that sometimes risks have to be taken, without harming the team and that he was constantly learning and improving ever since joining the team aged just 16.
His debut as a 16-year old was thanks to Cosmin, who put him in during a league match as a substitute for Nadir Belhadj. Later that year, the new coach Jorge Fossati gave him his Asian debut in a campaign that would prove to be successful. Abdulkareem has had further Asian moments to savour since the 2011 triumph, especially after he scored a wondergoal last year against Lokomotiv Tashkent. He believes that the 40-yard chipped goal symbolizes his personality and considers its the most beautiful of his goals, one that surprised everyone on the pitch.
Abdulkareem also talked of his pride in representing Qatar and said that all the players were raring to serve the national cause and to raise the maroon flag at the highest levels. He reiterated that the national team was looking to realize the dream that has been unfulfilled for years – qualifying for the World Cup.
Before signing off, Abdulkareem had this to say: “We know that we are under a lot of pressure and that the competition is going to be tough. We assure everyone that we are all focussed and working hard to ensure our absolute readiness that is required of us to keep us at the forefront, competing for all titles. We hope our fans will be there to support us to realize their dreams.”