Saeed Ghorab

Ghorab played for the Saudi Arabia national football team from 1967 till 1974.^[3] In March 1967, he played in a test series against Pakistan where he scored several times.^[4] In December 1967, he scored the opening goal in Saudi Arabia’s 4–0 win over Tunisia in Riyadh.^[5] Ghorab played in three editions of the Gulf Cup including the 1970, 1972, and 1974.^[6] In the 1972 edition held in Saudi Arabia he became the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, including a hat-trick against the UAE, the first hat-trick ever recorded in the Gulf Cup.^{[7][8][9][10]} He scored three goals in the 1974 edition, scoring against Bahrain, UAE, and Qatar.^[11]

After retiring from football, Ghorab pursued a coaching career by enrolling in a Brazilian Football Academy in Rio de Janeiro,^[2] where he earned an advanced diploma in coaching. Upon returning to Saudi Arabia, he became actively involved in developing local talent. He began working as a coach and supervisor, including overseeing at the Al-Ittihad. He also served as assistant coach for Al-Ittihad’s youth team and took charge of the junior team in 1984.

In 1985, Ghorab was appointed assistant coach of Al-Ittihad, while also managing the youth squad that same year. His coaching career extended beyond club football, He led the King Abdulaziz University team in Jeddah in 1987, and in 1989, he became head coach of Al-Rabee Club’s first team. Three years later, he took on the responsibility of coaching both the youth and junior teams Al-Hazem, continuing his dedication to nurturing young footballers.^[2]