KUWAIT CITY, May 29: At the end of each season, certain moments and scenes become etched in memory—scenes that capture joy, sadness, or disappointment, and reactions to specific decisions or timely goals.

Many football followers in the Gulf, particularly, witnessed the reaction of Algerian coach Noureddine Ben Zakri of the Saudi Al-Akhdood team after his team’s 2-0 victory over Al-Taei at the beginning of this week. This victory secured their survival in the Saudi Roshan League.

Television footage showed Ben Zakri hysterically running on the field after the referee’s final whistle, with players chasing him. Millions viewed the widely spread clip on social media, leading some social media users to share it in a comic context.

Al-Akhdood is the third team Ben Zakri has saved from relegation to the second division, following Al-Fayhaa and Damac in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, respectively. Reports indicate that Abha, recently relegated to the “Yellow” League, is interested in contracting the Algerian coach for the next season.

On a local level, the reaction of Al-Jahra team manager Abdulaziz Madloul remains memorable for Al-Jahra fans.

The event occurred on March 6, during the match between Khaitan and Al-Jahra in the eighteenth and final round of the Al-Tajama League (before the classification of the Championship League and the Relegation League). Al-Jahra needed a win to keep their hopes of remaining among the Premier League clubs alive, but Khaitan led by a goal until the 88th minute. The "Sons of the Red Palace" equalized through Igor, before Badr Al-Enezi added the winning goal in the 90th minute. This goal prompted Aziz to leave his seat on the reserve bench and run to the corner kick area in joy.

Although Al-Jahra could not remain in the Premier League, Aziz’s passionate reaction demonstrated his love and dedication to the club, despite the many challenges Al-Jahra faced this past season.

While the reactions of Ben Zakri and Aziz were similar, the outcomes of their reactions were not the same.

Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/ArabTimes Staff