Fan ditches Saudi Arabia jersey for 'Lewandowski 9' as striker bags elusive World Cup goal

Poland defeated Saudi Arabia in their second FIFA World Cup 2022 match on Saturday with Robert Lewandowski scoring his first goal of the tournament. Lewandowski registered his first goal of the World Cup in the 82nd minute after a mistake by Saudi midfielder Abdulelah Al-Malki, who mishandled the ball to provide the Polish star with a chance to score in the match. Lewandowski was visibly emotional after netting the goal as he had missed a penalty in Poland's first match against Mexico. 

Meanwhile, a Saudi Arabia fan in the stands at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan was seen switching his jersey to 'Lewandowski 9' after the Polish star took the strike. A video of the fan swapping the jersey is now going viral on social media. The video shows the fan dancing and cheering for Lewandowski after switching his jersey. 

Poland vs Saudi Arabia: As it happened

Lewandowski broke down in tears after scoring the goal in the 82nd minute. His arms were extended as he ran toward the corner, but he remained slouched there as his teammates rushed to congratulate him. He stood up, rubbed his face, and gave the crowd a kiss. Lewandowski also played a crucial role in the first goal for Poland in the 40th minute as he kept the ball in play after Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais blocked the initial shot, and then passed it back for Piotr Zielinski to score.

It was Lewandowski's first World Cup goal of his career, which came in Poland's 2-0 victory over the Saudis, who had most recently defeated South American giants Argentina in their opening match of the tournament. Lewandowski's goal helped Poland make significant progress in the group stage as they are on top of the Group C points table, ahead of Argentina and Saudi Arabia. 

Earlier, Piotr Zielinski scored the first goal for Poland to provide them with a crucial lead in the first half of the match. Poland now only need a point from their final game of the group stage to qualify for the Round of 16. Poland are slated to play Argentina in the last group-stage game on  December 1. 

Image: Twitter/@Copa90