Former Adelaide United winger Craig Goodwin has settled in nicely at his new club Al-Wahda Mekka
Socceroo Craig Goodwin has won the player of the week in the Saudi Arabian league five times this season.
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South Australia’s Socceroo Craig Goodwin says the soothing first daily Islamic call to prayer at the crack of dawn is one of many cultural differences that have enlightened him outside of football in Saudi Arabia.
Now based in Jeddah – about 70km from Mecca where Muhammad a prophet the founder of Islam was born in 570 – Goodwin has adapted to a thriving culture vastly different to his younger days of playing football for Munno Para City and growing up in the northern Adelaide suburbs.
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Goodwin, 28, signed a two-year deal for Al-Wahda Mekka in June – a club with a training base in Jeddah but plays its home matches at King Abdul Aziz Stadium in Mecca.
He left Adelaide United about two weeks into new Reds boss Gertjan Verbeek’s pre-season in a deal which was too lucrative to spurn he said.
“Jeddah has a population of more than four million people, it’s different to what I expected,’’ Goodwin said.
“There are cultural differences but it’s about learning, adapting to that side, we live in a compound it’s a big apartment block in the city, it’s got a cafe and a small convenience store, two pool facilities, a gym, a beauty salon.
“Inside are all expats living here.
“The experience I have had so far when (partner) Katelyn has been here is it’s different to what we expect.
“The rule for women is you have to wear an abaya, a robe that covers from arms, legs, elbows and knees are covered.
“It’s like a loose dress, it’s more lenient that it has been.
“In terms of your face and hair, it’s not a requirement to cover up and that’s optional.’
“They have regular prayer times and if you’re at the shops they will close the store for prayer time and you just have to wait until it opens back up.
“It’s a big part of their culture and the same, we’ll go to training and the boys will pray before training.
“And then after training as well.”
Goodwin has played 13 matches for his new club, scored twice and credited with two assists after a bumper Reds season under ex boss Marco Kurz saw him score 15 goals with nine assists.
His club is currently second, two points clear of 2019 AFC Champions League winner Al Hilal.
Goodwin has also won a spot in the league’s team of the week five times in a nation which is obsessed by football.
“The standard in Saudi Arabia is good I’d say probably with Japan, it’s the strongest league in Asia,’’ Goodwin said.
“Coverage on TV is massive.
“They’ve got apps for people back home that want to watch the Saudi Games on GSA Live app and you can watch it all for free.
“Football wise it’s been interesting, the style is very different and sometimes in a lot of games there’s lots of stoppages a lot of extra time to be added, six or seven minutes in the first half.
“So you know their can be a lot of stoppages for injuries and stuff like that.
“With a different culture it’s a different way of playing of football.”