A dramatic last-minute victory
In a nail-biting match that went down to the wire, Al-Qadisiyah secured a precious and thrilling victory over their guests, Neom FC, with a single goal scored by Uruguayan star Nahitan Nández in the fourth minute of stoppage time (90+4). The match was held at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, as part of the 22nd round of the Saudi First Division League. This win strengthens Al-Qadisiyah's lead in the standings and brings them one step closer to realizing their dream of returning to the Saudi Professional League.
Match details and events
The match began cautiously from both sides, with Al-Qadisiyah holding a slight advantage as they attempted to impose their control from the outset. The first half saw several chances for both teams, the most notable being a powerful shot from Al-Qadisiyah's Jihad Zikri that struck the crossbar in the 13th minute. Meanwhile, Neom relied on quick counter-attacks, which posed a threat to the goal of the outstanding Belgian goalkeeper, Koen Casteels. Casteels made a crucial save in the 39th minute, preserving his clean sheet. He continued his impressive performance in the 44th minute with another save, ensuring the first half ended in a goalless draw.
In the second half, Al-Qadisiyah intensified their attacking pressure in search of a winning goal, but Neom's defense held firm, with their Portuguese goalkeeper, Luis Maximiano, making two brilliant saves from powerful shots by Ghanaian Bonsu Ba and Mexican Julian Quiñones in the 68th and 85th minutes respectively. Just when the match seemed destined for a draw, from a perfectly executed cross, Nahitan Nandez rose to head the ball expertly into the net, scoring the decisive winning goal that ignited jubilation in the stadium.
The importance of winning and its impact on the league standings
With this hard-fought victory, Al-Qadisiyah increased their points tally to 47, maintaining their lead at the top of the Yellow League and widening the gap with their closest rivals, while Neom FC remained stuck on 28 points in the middle of the standings. This win represents a huge morale boost for Al-Qadisiyah in the fierce promotion race, as the top two teams qualify directly for the Saudi Professional League. The significant investment made by Aramco, the club's owner, in attracting international stars like Nandez and Castilles reflects the club's ambition to quickly return to the top tier and compete strongly.
Background on the two clubs and their future ambitions
Al-Qadisiyah Club is one of the oldest clubs in the Eastern Province, founded in 1967, and is striving to recapture its former glory. In contrast, Neom Sports Club, formerly known as Al-Suqoor Club, represents an ambitious sports project aligned with the vision of the futuristic city of Neom. Despite its recent rebranding, it aims to build a strong team capable of competing and achieving promotion to the professional league in the coming years, thus becoming the sporting face of the global Neom project.
