Saudi Arabia stunned two-time World Cup champions Argentina 2-1 in their opening match of the campaign in Qatar. Argentina made several forays towards the Saudi Arabian goalpost but their inspired goalkeeper, Mohammed Al-Owais, kept almost everything out. This would rank up there with some of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.

Also read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Will Saudi Arabia goal scorers against Argentina get Rolls Royce?

The Lionel Messi-led Argentina scrambled in the dying minutes of the game but could not get past Saudi Arabia for an equaliser. Mohammed Al Owais made five saves against Argentina, the most a goalkeeper has made in a single game so far at the 2022 World Cup. 

Also read: FIFA World Cup 2022: What went wrong for Argentina against Saudi Arabia?

Who is Mohammed Al-Owais?

Mohammed Al-Owais is a 31-year-old goalkeeper who plays for Al-Hilal and the Saudi Arabian national team. He was born on October 10, 1991, in Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia. In 2015, he was called to play for a qualifying match against Timor-Leste for the World Cup in 2018. He made his World Cup debut against Japan in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Also read: FIFA World Cup 2022: How does loss vs Saudi Arabia hurt Lionel Messi’s Argentina?

Mohammed Al Owais played in a
strong number of Al Ahli’s Pro League games in 2020/2021, making 20 appearances
overall and collecting 1,800 minutes of playing time.

Also read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Saudi Arabia defeat Argentina, break 36-game unbeaten streak

He started in all 20 of
these appearances across their 31 fixtures. The last league game that Al Owais
played came on May 19 for Al Ahli versus Al Hilal; a 5-1 loss. Last season for
Al Ahli, Al Owais made 13 Pro League appearances and kept four clean sheets. Al
Owais joined Al Ahli in July 2017 from Al Shabab, for whom he made 31 league
appearances.