A Soccer Player Shows The World The Meaning of Sportsmanship

For all the criticism that we give soccer for outdated policies, unfair calls, and unruly fans or players (here and here and here), this video redeems the entire sport. In this video of a game between Al Nahdha and Al Ittihad, Al Nahdha’s goalkeeper Taisir Al Antaif is afraid to take a goalkick because his shoe is untied and the game is on the line. An opposing team member (Brazilian by the name of Jobson) sees his dilemma and runs forward and ties his shoe. The ref then whistles that the kicker delayed the game and gives the opposing team a free indirect kick. What happened next is golden.


Al Ittihad did the honorable thing and basically flipped off the ref by kicking the ball away from the goal.

Welcome done Mr. Jobson and Al Ittihad.

11 thoughts on “A Soccer Player Shows The World The Meaning of Sportsmanship”

  1. Are you sure the infraction was delay? It looked to me like the keeper walked out of the penalty area with the ball.

  2. Sports is becoming the teacher of right behavior, as it was when I was kid – in the neighborhood with no adults butting in.
    If there is much hope in the world it must come from the young.
    P.S. the ref is the adult in my story – dumb ass exerciser of control with the absence of judgment.

  3. Great video and an even greater gesture on the part of the shoe tying soccer player. Maybe there is still some sportsmanship alive in this world.

  4. Ref needs to exercise some common sense. Game was tied 2-2, so there’s no apparent reason that the GK would be trying to waste time.

  5. This is what sportsmanship is supposed to look like, from players and it appears the fans too.

  6. When I was a kid in the 70s I was always told by my father that playing sports was an exercise in character building. Now I’m told by almost everyone that it’s entertainment with all the spectacle, phoniness, and ruthlessness that entails. Thanks guys for taking me back in time.

Comments are closed.