Aspire Academy Under-17 captain Nasser Abdulsalam has been a vital part of his team’s excellent run during this year’s Al Kass International Cup. The ambitious attacking midfielder is looking to extend his form beyond the tournament and is harbouring dreams of an ‘Al Annabi’ cap and representing his country in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.
Abdulsalam, whose side earned the distinction of becoming the first to qualify for the semi-finals when they defeated Tunisian side Esperance de Tunis in the last eight stage on Thursday, said he is motivated by Aspire graduates Abdulkarim Hassan and Akram Afif, both now integral members of Jorge Fossati’s Qatar national team.
The side has since made it to today’s final against Real Madrid, having beaten Red Bull Salzburg in the semi-finals on Sunday.
“Abdulkarim and Akram inspire me, as well as my teammates,” said Abdulsalam.
“Their growth as international footballers has been phenomenal. Both of them are hard workers and this is the secret behind their success. I relate more to Akram as I am an attacking player. One day I hope to play alongside both of them in the senior national team.”
The dream, of course, does not end there. “I want to play for my country in the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” said Abdulsalam.
“My country is hosting a World Cup and it is the ultimate dream of every footballer to play in this tournament on home soil. I have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity coming my way in 2022, and I want to make full use of this.”
That the youngster has a great football mind is evident both on and off the pitch: “The football legacy of the World Cup will be the development of young homegrown players through an efficient system and state-of-the-art stadiums, training and medical facilities,” said Abdulsalam.
“I want to make use of the opportunities that have opened up because of the historic event and help my country become a leading footballing nation in the Middle East and Asia.”
In addition to the facilities at Aspire Academy, Abdulsalam says watching top quality professional footballers plying their trade in the Qatar Stars League has also helped his evolution as a footballer. “The two best midfielders in the QSL in my opinion are Al Sadd’s Xavi and Lekhwiya’s Nam Tae-hee,” he continued. “I have been lucky to interact with Xavi. He is a legend of the game and his vision of the game and ball distribution skills are unsurpassed. Nam, on the other hand, is very fast and has fantastic movement.”
However, Abdulsalam’s favourite player is Xavi’s former Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta, and he said he would like to model his game along the lines of the man who scored the winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final.
“Iniesta is the best player in the world and I run out of words when I talk about him. I hope I can be half as good as him one day,” he concluded.(SC.qa)
Aspire Academy Under-17 captain Nasser Abdulsalam (foreground) in action during the Al Kass U-17 International Cup at Aspire Zone.
