In a round that carried a special national character coinciding with the Kingdom’s celebrations of the founding day, Abha Club strengthened its position at the top of the Yellow League standings for first division professional clubs, after it won its match in the twenty-third round and soared high in the lead, exceeding the sixty-point mark, in a step that brings it closer than ever to returning to the Saudi Professional League.
Background of the competition and the importance of the Yellow League
The Yelo League is the second tier of Saudi Arabian football and serves as the primary gateway to the top flight, the Saudi Professional League. Competition in this league is of paramount importance to participating clubs, whose ambitions extend beyond simply winning the title; they also aim to secure one of the qualifying spots, which guarantees significant financial, media, and fan benefits. With the substantial support the sports sector receives under the Kingdom's Vision 2030, competition in the Yelo League has become even fiercer and more intense, as clubs strive to strengthen their squads with distinguished local and international players.
Abha continues its dominance and reaches 60 points
Abha, the "Leader of the South," continued their impressive form this season, returning from their away match against Al-Arabi with a valuable 3-1 victory. This win not only earned Abha three ordinary points, but also raised their tally to 60, making them the first team to reach this milestone this season. This victory widened the gap with their closest rivals and reinforced their determination to secure direct promotion early. Meanwhile, this win left Al-Arabi stuck on 16 points in 16th place, putting them in a precarious position in their fight to avoid relegation.
Competition intensifies for promotion spots
The excitement of the round wasn't limited to Abha's lead; it also saw some shifts in the standings. Al-Diriyah secured a crucial victory, defeating Al-Orouba 3-1. This valuable win propelled Al-Diriyah to second place with 49 points, while Al-Orouba dropped to fifth with 44 points. Al-Adalah also achieved a resounding 3-0 victory over Al-Tai, climbing to third place with 46 points, while Al-Tai remained in eleventh place with 28 points. Al-Jabalain continued their winning streak with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Al-Anwar, bringing their total to 45 points and securing fourth place.
Results of the remaining matches of round 23
- Al-Faisaly (39 points) defeats Al-Zulfi (28 points) with a score of 3-2.
- Al-Raed (35 points) defeats Al-Jandal (21 points) with a score of 2-0.
- Al Wahda (29 points) achieves a big win over Al Bukairiyah (33 points) with a score of 3-0.
- Al-Adalah (17 points) and Oujda (28 points) draw 2-2.
- Al-Jubail (11 points) defeats Al-Batin (11 points) with a clean goal in the bottom-of-the-table clash.
Numbers and statistics from the Founding Day tour
The round witnessed 31 goals, reflecting the attacking nature of the matches. Individually, Abha's striker, Silla Sow, maintained his lead in the top scorers' standings with 21 goals. Abha FC confirms its dominance in the league statistics, boasting the most wins (19) and the fewest losses (only one). They also possess the joint-best attack with Al-Diriyah (51 goals) and the strongest defense, having conceded only 18 goals.
