In a dramatic Championship play-off semi-final second leg, Hull City winger Mohamed Belloumi turned what could have been a disastrous start into a match-winning performance—and in the process, transformed his manager's frustration into pure delight.
Sent on as a first-half substitute after Kyle Joseph went down injured, the 23-year-old Algerian initially drew the ire of boss Sergej Jakirovic by casually tying his boot laces while his teammates and irate gaffer waited. But 50 minutes, one stunning goal, and one clever assist later, all was forgiven.
"Mo's brilliant. He can be whatever he wants to be," striker Oli McBurnie told Sky Sports after the match. "He was probably unlucky not to start, but the gaffer obviously knew what he was doing because they both [along with Joe Gelhardt] came on and scored."
Belloumi's moment of magic came when he curled a superb strike into the net, ending a two-and-a-half-hour goal drought for Hull in the semi-final. Not content with that, he then won back possession in his own half, drove forward, and laid on the second goal for fellow substitute Gelhardt—who had only just entered the pitch.
The victory sets up a play-off final on Saturday, 23 May against either Southampton or Middlesbrough, with a Premier League place on the line.
It has been anything but a smooth ride for Belloumi since arriving in English football. He joined Hull from Portuguese side Farense in August 2024 and made a promising start, only for an anterior cruciate ligament injury at Oxford in November to cut his season short. By the time he returned last August, the club had sacked two managers—Tim Walter and Ruben Selles—and brought in Jakirovic.
Recovering from such a serious injury took time, and two subsequent hamstring problems have kept him out for four months of this campaign. He started the goalless first leg on Friday and even hit the post inside two minutes, but Jakirovic admitted Belloumi began Monday's game on the bench because he "was very tired and had fatigue" after limited training.
When it mattered most, though, the winger delivered—and turned his manager's displeasure into unbridled joy.