The floodlights shimmered off Saad Al Sheeb’s gloves as he stood at the edge of the box, surveying the field like a general before battle. He took a slow breath, grounding himself in the hum of the crowd and the tension rising with every second.

“Focus, Saad!” shouted his center-back as the opponents lined up for a free kick.

“I’m always focused,” he replied calmly, adjusting his stance.

The whistle blew.

The shot curled toward the top corner, but Saad was already in motion — springing to his left, fingertips brushing the ball just enough to push it onto the post and out.

The stadium erupted.

His teammate rushed over. “You’re a wall, man! An absolute wall!”

Saad just smiled, steady and quiet. “That’s my job.”