Taiseer Al-Jassim

Lore & Background

Taiseer started his career at Hajer before joining Al-Ahli on 19 June 2001. His older brother Misfer also joined Al-Ahli from Hajer before his signing. He made his debut for Al-Ahli on 18 October 2002 in the Federation Cup final against Al-Ettifaq. He made his league debut on 31 October 2002 in the 4–0 win against Al-Ettifaq. On 26 February 2005, Taiseer scored his first goal for Al-Ahli in the 3–2 derby loss against Al-Ittihad. On 8 March 2005, Taiseer made his continental debut and scored once for Al-Ahli in the 2005 AFC Champions League against Iraqi side Al-Zawraa. On 6 October 2005, Taiseer appeared in his second Federation Cup final for Al-Ahli in the 2–0 loss against Al-Hilal. On 27 December 2005, Taiseer scored his first hat-trick for Al-Ahli against Abha in the Round of 16 of the 2005–06 Saudi Crown Prince Cup. On 7 April 2006, he started the 2006 Saudi Crown Prince Cup Final which ended in a 1–0 defeat against Al-Hilal. On 9 February 2007, Taiseer appeared in his third Federation Cup in the 3–0 win Al-Ittihad. Two months later on 27 April 2007, Taiseer started and scored in the 2007 Saudi Crown Prince Cup Final against Al-Ittihad to help Al-Ahli win their fifth title. On 8 May 2007, Taiseer was loaned out to Qatari side Al-Gharafa and appeared twice and scored once in the Emir Cup, as Al-Gharafa were eliminated in the semi-finals. On 3 December 2008, Taiseer appeared in his sixth cup final for Al-Ahli but this time in the Gulf Club Champions Cup against Saudi side Al-Nassr. Al-Ahli defeated Al-Nassr 3–0 on aggregate to win their third title. On 8 May 2009, Taiseer joined Qatar SC on loan to participate in the Emir Cup, he made two appearances and scored once as his team were eliminated in the semi-finals once again. On 9 October 2009, Taiseer signed a new four-year contract with Al-Ahli. On 24 June 2011, Taiseer helped Al-Ahli win their eleventh King Cup title after defeating Al-Ittihad 4–2 on penalties. During the 2011–12 and 2012–13 season, Taiseer played an instrumental role in leading Al-Ahli to the 2012 AFC Champions League Final and also finishing as runners-up in the 2011–12 Saudi Professional League. He also started the 2012 King Cup Final win against Al-Nassr. Following the departure of Mohammad Massad in January 2013, Taiseer was named as club captain. On 6 December 2013, Taiseer renewed his contract with Al-Ahli for another four years. O

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed over the Riyadh grass as the clock ticked into injury time. The score was level, and the King's Cup trophy hung in the balance. Taiseer stood tall at the center of the penalty area, his blue jersey stained with dirt from a long ninety minutes. He shouted instructions to his fullbacks, eyes locked on the opposing striker. With one final clearance, he sent the ball flying into the stands, sealing another chapter in Al Hilal history.

Reader's Guide

Taiseer represented Saudi Arabia at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and scored two goals against Bahrain, as his team reached the final before losing to Iraq. He also participated in the 19th Arabian Gulf Cup in 2009 and reached the final against Oman. However, he was the only player to miss in the decisive penalty shoot-out after the match ended 0-0, ultimately giving Oman the trophy after a 6-5 win. Taiseer scored a goal for Saudi Arabia against Syria at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, but it wasn't enough as his team lost 2-1 and exited the tournament from the group stage. Taiseer scored in Saudi Arabia's 2-1 win against Iraq to help them qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. On 19 December 2017, after Saudi Arabia qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he announced his intentions to retire after the end of the tournament. He made 2 appearances in the World Cup before his tournament ended prematurely due to injury.

Did You Know?

• Taiseer's older brother Misfer was also a footballer who played for Hajer and Al-Ahli.
• He is married to a Lebanese woman and belongs to the Shia minority of Saudi Arabia.
• He helped build a Shia mosque in his hometown.
• He was among the first players to reach 200 appearances in the Saudi Professional League, though not the very first.
• He participated with the Saudi Arabia national team in multiple tournaments, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup.