Name: Saleh Mohammed Ibrahim Al-NaimaNickname: "The Emperor"
Country:
Saudi ArabiaClub:
Al-HilalPosition: *
CBSide:
RF/BSAge:
24-28 years (24/6/1960)
Height:
182 cmWeight:
72 kg Attack:
62Defence:
84Balance:
78Stamina:
79Top Speed:
76Acceleration:
76Response:
82Agility:
77Dribble Accuracy:
72Dribble Speed:
71Short Pass Accuracy:
76Short Pass Speed:
75Long Pass Accuracy:
72Long Pass Speed:
71Shot Accuracy:
68Shot Power:
80Shot Technique:
66Free Kick Accuracy:
75Curling:
73Header:
81Jump:
83Technique:
74Aggression:
63Mentality:
86Goalkeeper Skills:
50Team Work:
79Injury Tolerance:
BCondition/Fitness:
6Weak Foot Accuracy:
4Weak Foot Frequency:
4Consistency:
7Growth type:
StandardCARDS:S04 - PK Taker
S09 - Covering
S10 - DF Leader
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Penalties - Covering - D-Line Control
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Defence MindedINFO:Saleh Al-Naima is widely considered the greatest Saudi defender, he was captain of both club and country for 10 years and led Saudi Arabia to Asian Cup wins in 1984 and 1988. He was a composed and charismatic leader, undisputed captain of the teams he played in and led his defence by example. He had very good positioning and could solve problems without the need to get physical, displaying an aura of calmness and even elegance not seen in Saudi football before or since. Even on the ball he was always looking for intelligent solutions, distributing it calmly with short passes into the midfield instead of just kicking it far away. He wasn't particularly fast or physically imposing but he didn't have to be to stamp his authority on the game. He was also pretty good in the air and a reliable penalty taker that scored 45 goals in his career. He was arguably the best defender in Asia throughout the 1980s and it's a shame that he never managed to lead his team to the World Cup, although without his leadership and influence it's certain that Saudi football would have never reached the level it did.
