Seeing double: The identical twins causing RSL confusion

It’s a trick the Lajamis have no doubt pulled on unsuspecting victims numerous times growing up.

Identical twin brothers, Ali and Qassem Lajami, from Qatif in the Eastern Province, will have, like any uniform siblings, taken great joy out of pretending to be the other and embarrassing those who are unaware.

This time, the victim was former Liverpool and Bayern Munich superstar Sadio Mane, although the gag really was on the Senegalese international because there was no trickery involved.

The moment, which quickly went viral, came before Al Nassr met Al Fateh early last season, on Matchweek 3, with Ali playing for Al Nassr and Qassem for Al Fateh. In their respective careers, it’s a moment that has happened dozens of times and was therefore no huge deal for the brothers.

Having joined Al Nassr only three weeks earlier, Mane was no doubt still in the learning phase when it came to his teammates’ names and identities.

So, as the two sides lined up for the customary pre-game handshake, Mane walked up and shook hands with Qassem, the cameras capturing him doing a bemused double take.

“Is that… is that my teammate?” read the look on Mane’s face.

You can imagine the teasing Mane would’ve received inside the dressing room after video of the incident went viral; a clip of Ali and Anderson Talisca shared by Al Nassr giving a clue as to the level of mockery that took place.

For Mane, it was a simple mistake to make, but one that, given how widely it was shared, thrust the Lajami brothers into the international spotlight.

The first meeting between the two brothers in the upcoming 2024-25 season will come in Matchweek 11, after Qassem’s recent move to newly promoted Al Qadsiah. It provides him the opportunity to play alongside former Real Madrid captain, and UEFA Champions League- and UEFA European Championship winner, Nacho.

There will be no bemused look from Sane this time, but almost 12 months on it’s a moment that will still generate a chuckle between siblings.

International football is littered with examples of twin brothers, and sisters, playing at the professional level, with Frank and Ronald de Boer perhaps the most famous; a duo no stranger to football in the Gulf, with Ronald previously playing and coaching in Qatar, and Frank last year taking charge of Al Jazira in the UAE.

For the tight-knit Lajami brothers at rival clubs, it’s no surprise that their career path has followed similar trajectory.

From the east of the Kingdom, both Ali and Qassem came through the youth-development pathways at Al Khaleej, before earning their first professional opportunities with the same club in 2015.

It would take until August of the following year, in 2016, for the twins to share the pitch for the first time, with both starting for Al Khaleej in their narrow 3-2 loss to Al Ittihad in the second week of the 2016-17 campaign.

When Ali left for Al Fateh ahead of the 2018-19 season, it wasn’t long before Qassem followed, again sharing a dressing room throughout 2019-20.

It was Ali again who flew the coop, seizing a huge opportunity with Al Nassr in 2020, while Qassem continued his career with Al Fateh, meaning the two once again became on-field foes.

Ali’s form for Al Nassr over the following seasons has seen him become one of the league’s most reliable defenders, and last season only Aymeric Laporte registered more clearances for Al Nassr than his 28-year-old defensive partner.

Selected for Saudi Arabia for January’s AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, Ali’s star continued to rise with impressive performances throughout the group stage and into the knockout rounds.

His assist for the equaliser against Oman set the Green Falcons on their way to a memorable comeback victory, while he impressed against South Korea in the Round of 16 with an impressive rearguard performance. In the same match, he almost scored his first international goal at the other end, denied only by the crossbar.

A first FIFA World Cup qualifier came only months later against Jordan, continuing what has been a purple patch in his career.

Having shared the pitch often during their club career, there is one final goal to achieve for the Lajami twins, and that is playing together with the national team.

While the brothers are international players in their own right, they are yet to be called up at the same time. It’s a moment that would mean the world to both of them, such is their unique bond, not only as brothers, but identical twins.