In an exceptional football night at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah, Al-Ahli reinforced their status as one of the major forces in the Saudi Professional League, achieving a resounding 4-0 victory over their guests, Al-Ettifaq, in the nineteenth round of the tournament. The match witnessed a remarkable performance from English striker Ivan Tony, who stole the show by scoring a hat-trick, leading his team to a valuable and well-deserved win.
This match comes amidst a historic season for the Saudi League, which has attracted a host of international football stars, raising the level of competition to unprecedented heights. Al-Ahli, recently promoted back to the top flight, is one of the clubs that has strengthened its squad with high-profile signings such as Algerian Riyad Mahrez and Senegalese Edouard Mendy, aiming to seriously contend for the title and return to the podium. This resounding victory over a team of Al-Ettifaq's stature underscores the seriousness of Al-Ahli's ambitions this season and its ability to compete with the top teams.
The match began with a flurry of attacks from the home side, and Al-Ahli translated their early dominance into a goal in the 17th minute. A brilliant individual effort from Riyad Mahrez on the right wing saw him deliver a perfect cross that found Ivan Toni, who made no mistake in putting it into the net. Al-Ettifaq tried to respond quickly and almost scored the equalizer, but goalkeeper Edouard Mendy made a superb save from a dangerous shot in the 23rd minute. Four minutes later, Al-Ahli were awarded a penalty, which Toni, the penalty specialist, converted successfully (27), ending the first half with Al-Ahli in a comfortable lead.
In the second half, Al Ahly continued their dominance, adding a third goal in the 64th minute through Frenchman Valentin Atangana, following a decisive pass from man-of-the-match Ivan Toni. Six minutes before the final whistle, Toni returned to complete the rout from the penalty spot (84), scoring his third goal of the match and his nineteenth in the league, thus taking the lead in the top scorers' list.
With this victory, Al-Ahli raised their points tally to 43, strengthening their position in the top four and continuing to pressure the leading teams, while Al-Ettifaq's points remained at 29, dealing a blow to their ambitions of competing for a higher ranking. This win serves as a strong message from Al-Ahli to the other contenders, confirming that they possess the necessary attacking and collective tools to go far in the league race this season.
