The match between Al-Hilal and Neom, held as part of the 16th round of the Saudi Professional League, witnessed the usual refereeing controversy that plagues major matches, specifically regarding the decision to award a penalty kick to Al-Hilal. The match took place at Neom Stadium amidst a large and enthusiastic crowd, given the importance of the three points for both teams in the league standings.
In an effort to settle the controversy, refereeing expert Ahmed Abu Khadija, in exclusive statements to Al-Midan Al-Riyadi, confirmed the correctness of the referee's decision. Abu Khadija explained the technical details of the ruling, pointing out a clear foul: Al-Neom defender Fares Abdi held Al-Hilal defender Hassan Tambakti inside the penalty area. The refereeing expert added that the law is clear in such cases, and that the obstruction was sufficient to warrant a penalty kick, thus making the referee's decision sound and without flaw.
Returning to the thrilling encounter, the match was full of dramatic twists and turns. Neom surprised their formidable visitors by taking the lead through star player Mohammed Al-Breik, the former Al-Hilal full-back, who scored against his old club, adding a special dimension and heightened the excitement to the match. However, Al-Hilal's renowned resilience and ability to stage comebacks (the "remontada") shone through when Hassan Tambakti equalized, before Portuguese star Ruben Neves converted a controversial penalty to give his team the lead.
This match is of paramount importance in the context of the Roshan League title race, as Al-Hilal seeks to consolidate its lead and maintain its points advantage over its rivals, while Neom aims to prove its mettle and challenge the established giants in its remarkable season. This encounter showcases the significant development of Saudi football, where matches are no longer predetermined, and emerging clubs possess the technical quality to trouble the traditional powerhouses.
It is worth noting that refereeing in the Saudi League is subject to close monitoring and continuous development, with a great reliance on Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology to ensure fairness in influential decisions such as penalty kicks and expulsion cases, which reflects the Saudi Football Federation’s keenness to raise the level of the game to keep pace with the global status that the league has recently reached by attracting elite world stars.
