This was Dabbagh’s 10th game for Aberdeen since he joined on loan from Charleroi at the turn of the year.
A 90th-minute winner against Kilmarnock, a double against Queen’s Park in the cup, and now this, a different stratosphere to the others.
It’s a goal that will mean more to him and football people in his homeland than we’ll possibly ever know.
His story is quite something. As a kid on the cobbles of Jerusalem, he idolised Robin van Persie. At the age of 16 he was playing for, and excelling with, Hilal al-Quds in the West Bank Premier League.
He won league titles there. In 2018-19 he was the competition’s top scorer.
At 19, he played for his national team. A teenager, yes, but one who had already seen a lot – too much.
Matches delayed while teams were held at checkpoints. Tear-gassing of stadiums. Players who lost homes in bombings.
Dabbagh’s reputation grew and he moved to Kuwait, broke a collarbone, got Covid and still won trophies and a golden boot. When winning a league title, he dedicated it to home.
In August 2021, at the age of 22, Dabbagh was signed by Arouca in the Portuguese top flight. He made his debut off the bench against Porto and Pepe was his marker.
Arouca lost 3-0, but the significance didn’t come with the result, it came with Dabbagh’s appearance – the first homegrown product to reach one of Europe’s big leagues.
