Saudi legend Sami Al-Jaber joins international football stars in fight against coronavirus
Sami Al-Jaber, one of Saudi Arabia’s greatest footballers, has lent his voice to a new campaign from FIFA aimed at raising awareness of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and how to combat it.
The initiative, which sees FIFA and the World Health Organization (WHO) teaming up to fight the spread of the virus, includes 28 current and former international players including Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi, Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker, England striker Gary Lineker and Spanish defender Carles Puyol.
The “Pass The Message To Kick Out Coronavirus” campaign promotes five key steps for people to follow to protect their health in line with WHO guidance — hand washing, how to cough while minimizing risk to others, avoiding touching your face, keeping the recommended distance from others and staying at home if you are feeling unwell. The latter point is, of course, overridden by some countries’ lockdowns.
“We need teamwork to combat the coronavirus,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “FIFA has teamed up with WHO because health comes first. I call upon the football community worldwide to join us in supporting this campaign to pass the message even further. Some of the greatest players to have played the beautiful game have put their names to the campaign and are united in their desire to pass the message to kick out COVID-19.” Twenty-eight players are involved in the video campaign, which is being published in 13 languages.
In the Arabic language video, Al-Jaber, who represented Saudi Arabia at four consecutive World Cup tournaments from 1994 to 2006, is joined by former Egypt,
Ajax, Roma and Tottenham forward Mido, as they explain the five steps. “FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, have been actively involved in passing the message against this pandemic since the very beginning,” said WHO DirectorGeneral Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the virtual launch of the campaign at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. “Be it through campaigns or funding, FIFA has stood up to the coronavirus, and I am delighted that world football is supporting WHO to kick out the coronavirus. I have no doubt with this type of support that together we will win.”