November 24, (THEWILL) – Yasser Al Shahrani of Saudi Arabia underwent successful surgery, following a horrific collision with his own goalie during his team’s shocking World Cup victory over Argentina.
In the closing minutes of Tuesday’s Group C match at the Lusail Stadium, Al Shahrani was struck in the face and stomach by Mohammed Al Owais’ knees as the Saudi goalkeeper attempted to retrieve a high ball.
The Al Hilal player, who has 73 international appearances for his nation, was carried off the field and then flown back to Riyadh for surgery. The success of the surgery was announced by Saudi Arabia on their official Twitter page on Thursday, however, it is unknown if Al Shahrani will continue to compete in the World Cup.
The statement read: “Yasser Al Shahrani successfully underwent surgery to his pancreas gland yesterday in Riyadh’s King Abdulaziz Medical City at the National Guard Hospital. He remains under the full supervision of the national team’s medical staff. The Saudi football family wishes Yasser a speedy recovery.”
With their shocking 2-1 victory over Argentina, Saudi Arabia became the first non-European team to defeat Argentina at a World Cup since Cameroon in 1990. The last three World Cup nations to defeat Argentina either went on to win the tournament (Germany in 2014 and France in 2018) or advanced to the championship game (Croatia in 2018).
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
