Nawaf Al-Temyat

Nawaf Bander Nawaf Al-Temyat (; born 28 June 1976) is a Saudi Arabian former footballer who played as a midfielder.

Club career

Al-Temyat played his entire club career with Al-Hilal, starting in 1994 and retiring in 2008. In 2000, he was nominated Asian Player of the Year. A series of injuries prevented him from playing between 2001 and 2004. His last game with Al-Hilal was in 2008. He had a retirement match, which was played between Al Hilal club against Italian side Inter Milan in Riyadh, King Fahd International Stadium on 2 January 2010.

International career On 17 May 1998, he debuted for the national team in a friendly match against Namibia. Several days later Al-Temyat was called for the FIFA World Cup in France. He featured just in a single match at the tournament, in a draw against South Africa and showed promising level. One year later, he played also at the FIFA Confederations Cup. His team achieved a fourth place. Al-Temyat scored a goal against Mexico and gained two assists versus Egypt and Brazil respectively.

The best moment of his international career came during the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. Saudi Arabia achieved a second place, losing to Japan in the final. He was awarded to the best XI of the tournament. Two years later, Al Temyat went to the FIFA World Cup as a central figure and the biggest star of his team. Saudi Arabia failed to gain any point nevertheless.

Style of play A creative and naturally gifted central midfielder, Al-Temyat has been considered as one of the biggest talent in Saudi Arabia. Very decent stamina, good vision and technical qualities, as dribbling enabled him to dominate in centre of the midfield. During his career he was often compared to his predecessor Fahad Al-Bishi due to similar playing style, however possessed significantly better strength and pace. Despite high potential, he was plagued by injuries.

Personal life Al-Temyat studied sports management with CIES and graduated in 2018; he was president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation between 2018 and 2019.

Career statistics International Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 27 September 1998 Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar 4–1 Won 1998 Arab Nations Cup 2 25 July 1999 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico 1–5 Lost 1999 Confederations Cup 3 24 May 2000 Štadión pod Zoborom, Nitra Slovakia 1–1 Draw Friendly 4 25 September 2000 Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 3–0 Won Friendly 5 29 September 2000 Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 6–1 Won Friendly 6 20 October 2000 Saida Municipal Stadium, Sidon, Lebanon 5–0 Won 2000 AFC Asian Cup 7 24 October 2000 Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon 3–2 Won 2000 AFC Asian Cup 8 24 October 2000 Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon 3–2 Won 2000 AFC Asian Cup 9 20 March 2002 Stadio Comunale di Pistoia, Pistoia, Italy 1–0 Won Friendly 10 14 November 2005 Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 1–3 Lost Friendly 11 15 March 2006 Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 2–2 Draw FriendlyCorrect as of 7 October 2015

Honours Al-Hilal Saudi Premier League : 1996, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2008 Crown Prince Cup : 2000, 2003, 2006 Saudi Federation Cup : 1996, 2000, 2006 Saudi Founder's Cup : 2000 AFC Champions League : 2000 Asian Cup Winners Cup : 1997, 2002 Asian Super Cup : 1997, 2000 Arab Cup Winners' Cup : 2000 Arab Super Cup : 2001 Gulf Club Champions Cup : 1998

Saudi Arabia AFC Asian Cup Runners-up (1) : 2000 Arab Nations Cup Winners (1) : 1998

Individual Asian Footballer of the Year: 2000 Arab Footballer of the Year: 2000