Al-Ahli's first football team succeeded in achieving a valuable and well-deserved victory over their host, Al-Kholoud, with a score of 1-0, in the strong match that brought them together on Saturday evening at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah, as part of the sixteenth round of the Saudi Professional League competition for the current season.
Al-Raed owes this victory to its English international striker, Ivan Toni, who managed to break through Al-Kholoud's strong defenses and score the only goal of the match in the 74th minute, giving his team three very valuable points in the fierce competition for the top positions in the standings.
Match details and goalkeepers' brilliance
The match was fiercely contested from the opening whistle, with a tactical battle raging in midfield. The home side nearly caught the visitors off guard with an early goal, but for the alertness of the outstanding goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi, who made a brilliant save from Meziani Maoulida's shot, turning it behind for a corner in the sixth minute. Despite Al-Ahli's quick attempts to respond through a shot from Brazilian Galinho Wenderson, Al-Kholoud proved a strong and well-organized opponent. Al-Sanbi was called into action again in the 20th minute, tipping Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa's powerful shot away with his fingertips.
In contrast, Al-Kholoud’s goalkeeper did not stand idly by in the face of Al-Ahly’s onslaught, as he saved his goal from a certain goal by Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie in the 22nd minute, ending the first half with a goalless draw that reflected the solidity of the defenses and the brilliance of the goalkeepers on both sides.
The decisive half and Tony's killer goal
In the second half, the pace of the match increased significantly, with both teams exchanging dangerous attacks in search of the winning goal. Al-Kholoud squandered clear-cut chances to take the lead through Englishman John Buckley and Hattan Bahebri, who both fired over the bar. The decisive moment came in the 74th minute when Ivan Toni capitalized on a perfectly placed cross inside the penalty area, calmly slotting the ball home with a clinical finish to give Al-Ahli the lead. Al-Kholoud tried to equalize in the final minutes, but a header from Argentinian Ramiro Enrique went wide, and the referee blew the final whistle, confirming the visitors' victory.
The importance of winning and the context of competition in the Saudi League
This victory is of paramount importance to Al-Ahli in the context of the fierce competition in the Saudi Professional League this season. With their points tally rising to 34, Al-Ahli temporarily jumped to second place, overtaking their rivals and putting pressure on the league leaders. This places significant pressure on the other top teams who have yet to play their matches and strengthens Al-Ahli's chances of securing a spot in next season's major Asian tournaments.
This victory reflects Al-Ahli’s ability to win difficult and complex away matches, especially in light of the high competitiveness witnessed in the Saudi League after the major sports boom and the attraction of an elite group of world stars, which made winning in difficult stadiums like the Buraidah stadium a difficult task that requires high mental and physical focus throughout the ninety minutes.
On the other hand, Al-Kholoud's situation is becoming more complicated as it remains frozen at 12 points, putting it in a real danger zone at the bottom of the standings, and forcing the coaching staff and players to review their calculations to avoid the specter of relegation and the struggle for survival that intensifies round after round.
