Housebound Jordanian football fan a social media star

Having spent most of his life housebound due to a medical condition, Jordanian Amer Abu Nawas's love of football has propelled him to social media stardom. Offering analysis of matches from the leading European football leagues to almost a quarter of a million followers, his Facebook page -- "HouseAnalyzer" in Arabic -- has grown into what he describes as a "big family". The 27-year-old was born with osteogenesis, or brittle bone disease, a genetic condition hindering normal bone growth that has meant he rarely leaves his home in Zarqa, 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Jordan's capital Amman. "It is true that I have never played football in my life, and have never attended any match, but for me football is everything," Abu Nawas told AFP. With no schools in the country catering to his needs, Abu Nawas grew up spending much of his time watching football matches, analysing the teams and playing football video games. "This always made me feel like it is taking me from this world to a different one," he said. His relatives noticed his passion and encouraged him to publish his match analyses online. In 2017, he launched his Facebook account, which now counts more than 243,000 followers. - 'Reach people' - Filmed on a phone in his bedroom, Abu Nawas's videos usually feature him wearing a football jersey, excitedly commenting on matches and news from the world of football. Discussing leagues from England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, he sometimes uses a football pitch-shaped board to explain tactical nuances. One of Abu Nawas's latest videos reached more than 1.4 million viewers and he has started posting on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Twitter. He said he was grateful for modern technology allowing him to connect with so many people. "From this room, from this small place isolated from the world, I was able to cross these walls, reach people, communicate with them, create content, and become what I am today," he said. He expressed sadness at sometimes seeing people attack each other in comments to his posts, and said his relationship with his followers was "like a family". "This family is growing day by day, and I hope it will reach as many followers as possible," he added. Abu Nawas's own family do their best to provide him with a comfortable life. He is the youngest of three brothers and his father is a doctor and his mother a pharmacist. Inside his room are shelves with a PlayStation, a computer and plastic baskets keeping items he might need. On his bed are phones, remote controls, headphones and a long stick used to reach distant items. "He has his own world, in a room with a temperature of 27 degrees to avoid cold and pneumonia. He can operate anything using the remote control," his father Yussef told AFP. He said his son has friends who occasionally visit. "When he feels bad, they take him out for a tour in a minibus," he said. Abu Nawas lamented that in Jordan "nobody cares" about people with diseases like his, and said he wished he had had the opportunity to attend school. "The conditions for people with special needs are catastrophic," he said. "I could not learn because there are no special schools for people like me." Last year, the organisers of the football World Cup invited him to attend the tournament in Qatar. But due to travel difficulties linked to his condition, he arrived late and missed the matches he was scheduled to attend. Even so, Abu Nawas said it was "the best 10 days of my life". "I know my condition, I learned to be content, and I will remain so," he said. "Disability need not be an obstacle to success."

Housebound Jordanian football fan a social media star

DISCOVER MORE

UAE launches national dialogue for food security

UAE's Rashid Rover now safely orbiting the Moon

Saudi Space Mission will be for the benefit of science

Oman’s aviation sector set to fly high in 2023

Dubai: Gold prices open higher; focus on Fed meeting

UAE aims to get 50% basic food from local farms by end of this year

Bank ABC set to distribute $46mln cash dividend: Bahrain

Real estate data firm raises $5mln capital: Bahrain

UAE’s Masdar, Egypt’s Infinity JV buy full stake in Africa’s Lekela Power

Kuwait Agility wins $1.65bln in Korek Telecom arbitration

ACWA Power CEO Paddy Padmanathan retires after 18 years of service

AD Ports Group to invest up to $200mln to develop, operate Egypt's Safaga Port

Banking turmoil: Fitch Solutions revise 2023 gold price forecast to $1,950 an ounce

Ratcliffe will not pay 'stupid price' for Man Utd

Mbappe to become new France captain

Palace reappoint Hodgson as coach to replace Vieira

Barcelona defender Araujo suffers thigh injury

What time's kickoff? Four hour delay baffles Libya's Al-Akhdar

LATEST VIDEO

VIDEO: Dubai’s Emaar to build shopping mall in Jammu and Kashmir

ZAWYA COVERAGE

Amazon expands UAE storage capacity by 70%, opens new fulfillment centre

Kuwait Agility wins $1.65bln in Korek Telecom arbitration

Banking crisis: Too soon to tell whether shotgun deals will restore confidence - Lombard Odier

Rakiza’s $1bln infrastructure fund buys stakes in three Omani projects

UAE launches national dialogue for food security

UAE's Rashid Rover now safely orbiting the Moon

Dubai welcomes Ramadan with series of memorable experiences and activities

World Bank president expresses deep concern on Zambia debt restructuring

TotalEnergies says to cut oil emissions by 40% in 2030

THE BRI REPORT

China is reshaping the Belt and Road Initiative ahead of a post-pandemic era

DISCOVER MORE

LATEST VIDEO

ZAWYA NEWSLETTERS

ZAWYA COVERAGE