Saturday 27 / April / 2024
Muscat: No matter where Ali Al Habsi goes, he is guaranteed the support of the people of the Sultanate of Oman, who’ve always backed him to the hilt during his lengthy career overseas.
And it was the same after his difficult match for Reading against Manchester United in the 3rd round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford last night.
Ardent supporters of the goalkeeper have come forward to show their support for him on Twitter, with the hashtag #WeSupportAliAlHabsi trending in Arabic.
The 35-year-old was at fault for a lapse in judgement in the 79th minute, when he attempted to kick the ball out to his defenders, but missed it completely, allowing youngster Marcus Rashford to score his second of the night by putting the ball into an empty net.
“Mistakes happen with the world's best goalies,” tweeted Khalid Shukaili. “Our trust in you has no limits. May God protect and bless your career”
Another user said, “Don't give up. You have been their saviour in all matches. We stand by you and cheer for you.”
“Support is for the weak and for the one who can't achieve. Ali Al Habsi deserves coronation, not support,” tweeted Elyas Mohammed.
In response to the trending hashtag, Al Habsi himself replied to the tweets from his fans and thanked them for their support. “Thanks to the fans who supported and gave positive feedback,” he said on Twitter. “Let’s forget the past & focus on the league, we must maintain our good position.”
Al Habsi’s side lost 4-0 to the hosts, with goals coming from Wayne Rooney, who equalled Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of 249 goals for the club, Marcus Rashford (2) and Anthony Martial.
Reading are currently third in the Championship, the second tier of English football, and are on schedule to compete for a place in next season’s Premier League.
Al Habsi, the first ever player from the GCC to play in the Premier League, when he joined Bolton Wanderers in 2005 where he played for six seasons before moving to Wigan Athletic, with whom he won the FA Cup in 2013, becoming the first Omani to do so.
He joined Reading in in 2015, and has so far racked up 64 appearances for the Royals.
