Arab Cup 2025: The 4 stars who lit up the first round

As the quarter-finals of the Arab Cup 2025 kick off this Thursday, several players have already made their mark during the group stage. Here are 4 stars who captured the spotlight.

Achraf Abada (Algeria)

He’s been Algeria’s breakout star in this tournament. While the Boulbina-Berkane duo dazzled for the Fennecs, Achraf Abada played a different but equally crucial role in Madjid Bougherra’s starting eleven.

Algeria relied on their defensive rock to concede just one goal in three matches. Vladimir Petkovic is already rubbing his hands in anticipation for AFCON 2025.

Also read: CAN 2025: It's already a ticketing disaster

Salem Al-Dawsari (Saudi Arabia)

A living legend of Saudi football, Salem Al-Dawsari has once again proved that age is just a number. At 33, he continues to fly his country’s flag high.

The Al-Hilal man delivered 4 assists and scored a goal in just two matches played.

Omar Kharbin (Syria)

The symbol of Syria’s resurgence. With his experience, he delivered a historic qualification to the second round for his country.

Omar Kharbin netted two brilliant goals—a masterful free-kick against Tunisia and a stunning strike against Qatar.

Hamed Hamdan (Palestine)

Scorer against Tunisia, he sparked Palestine’s comeback as they fought back to snatch a draw (2-2).

Palestine is counting on him to secure a ticket to the tournament’s semi-finals.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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