Historic Edge Sparks Al Ahli Jeddah's Bold Push Against Al Fateh
25 December 2025
Head-to-head results: Al Ahli vs Gomes
Al Ahli Jeddah travels to Al Fateh on Friday in Al-Ahsa for round 11 of the Saudi Pro League.
Saudi sports daily Al-Riyadiya reported that Al Ahli aims to cement its historic supremacy over coach Jose Gomes, who has never beaten Al Ahli in his coaching career.
Gomes has led several Saudi clubs, including Taawoun in three coaching spells, and is now in charge of Al Fateh, having previously coached Al Ahli.
In his career, Gomes has faced Al Ahli in 10 matches, recording no wins, six draws and four losses.
Why it matters
The rivalry began in 2014, when Taawoun lost 4-1 to Al Ahli, followed by a 2-2 draw in the return fixture.
In 2015-2016, Taawoun and Al Ahli drew both legs of the league matchup.
Al Ahli continued to dominate in subsequent seasons, winning 2-1 in 2016-2017, 5-1 in 2017-2018, and recording three draws in 2017, 2021 and 2022.
While leading Al Fateh, Gomes faced Al Ahli in 2024-2025 and lost 2-0, his fourth defeat to Al Ahli and the first against German Matias Jaissle, the Riyadi\'s coach.
Al Ahli currently sits fourth in the Saudi Pro League table with 19 points, while Al Fateh languishes in 17th with 5 points.
Final thoughts
If the whistle blows louder than the chants, expect a tight dramatic finish although history leans toward Al Ahli.
Punchline 1: Sniper mode engaged — my jokes always aim true, even when the ball misses the target.
Punchline 2: If Gomes keeps drawing, perhaps he should switch to paintball; at least the colors would finally clash with Al Ahli the right way.
