Assad Al Hamlawi, a 25-year-old forward with Universitatea Craiova, showcased his impressive form by scoring two goals in Palestine’s 5-0 friendly victory over China on Friday.
This win marks Al Hamlawi’s fifth goal during this international campaign.
Al Hamlawi’s Double Against China
The forward began the match as a starter, having played in the previous two friendlies. He wasted no time, scoring just 16 minutes into the game by capitalizing on a defensive error from the Chinese team, easily beating the goalkeeper.
Al Hamlawi did not stop there; in the 22nd minute, he found himself one-on-one with the keeper again, deftly dribbling past him to double Palestine’s lead.
Palestine scored two more goals courtesy of Oday Dabbagh, who netted in the 45+3 and 54 minutes. Al Hamlawi was substituted in the 82nd minute, after which his teammates added another goal, concluding the match with a dominating 5-0 scoreline.
Al Hamlawi’s record in this round of matches includes: one goal against New Zealand in a 2-2 draw, two goals against Tajikistan in a 4-2 win, and two goals against China.
The friendly against China marked the end of this competitive break for the Palestinian team.
Born in Sweden, Al Hamlawi began his career with Angelholm’s academy and has played for various clubs in Sweden, including Helsingborgs, J-Sodra, Varbergs, and Oddevold. He has also played in Thailand with Prime Bangkok and in Poland for Slask Wroclaw, before moving to Universitatea Craiova last summer for a transfer fee of one million euros.
He is also enjoying a successful club season, having scored four goals in his last three matches, including two doubles in wins against U Cluj and FCSB, with scores of 4-0 and 5-0 respectively.
