Koulibaly’s Red-Card Odyssey: Al Hilal’s Derby Dynamo Turns Legend for the Wrong Reasons
31 October 2025
Koulibaly’s card tally climbs in a tense derby
Senegalese centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, who joined Al Hilal in 2023 after spells with Napoli and Chelsea, has established himself as the club’s most-carded player. He picked up a red card in the Riyadh derby against Al Shabab as Al Hilal edged a 1-0 victory in a high-stakes clash.
Al Hilal had to finish the match with ten men after the red shown to Koulibaly, which came following a VAR review for a late, heavy challenge on Brazilian goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe.
Notably, this marks the 12th red card in Koulibaly’s club career. Transfermarkt notes he has never been sent off while representing Senegal or France’s under-20s teams.
Historically, Napoli is the club that has shown him the most red cards—six in 317 games (four direct, two for two-bookings). Al Hilal sits second in this grim tally, with four reds in 105 matches, including one against Metz and another against Chelsea. In total, Koulibaly has seven direct red cards and five more punishments resulting from a second booking across his career.
First red with Al Hilal
The defender’s first red for Al Hilal came in the King’s Cup final of 2023-2024, against Al Nassr on 31 May 2024. While attempting to reach a cross, Koulibaly caught the goalkeeper Walid Abdullah with his head, earning a second yellow and a sending off in the dying minutes. Despite the dismissal, Hilal went on to win on penalties, sealing the domestic double.
“The Shabab Curse”
Koulibaly’s run of bad luck with Al Shabab continued, as he was sent off directly in a Saudi Pro League fixture on 30 November 2024 (round 12) after a previous moment of intense pressure. The match finished 1-1, with Hilal benefiting later from another winner in the second half.
Today (date in article), in the 78th minute while Hilal led, he again saw red, prompting defensive changes by coach Simone Inzaghi as he tried to protect a fragile lead with Ali Lagami and a Turkish substitute entering the fray to shore up the lines.
Asia and beyond
Not all headlines around Koulibaly’s season are about domestic league cards. In the AFC Champions League semi-final against Al Ahli on 29 April 2025, he collected a second yellow and was sent off, contributing to a 3-1 loss that ended Hilal’s continental hopes as Al Ahli later clinched the title against Kawasaki Frontale.
A growing disciplinary ledger
With this season’s red cards pushing his Saudi tally to 13 (nine direct, four after second bookings), Koulibaly has become the first Hilal player to be sent off this campaign. He now sits among several noted players who have also faced dismissals this term. The road ahead looks tricky for Inzaghi as he plans for upcoming fixtures, including a clash with Al Najmah later this week.
And yes, the long arc of this saga is not just about discipline—it’s about keeping a side competitive while managing a show-stopping temperament that could turn into a legend, one way or another.
Punchline 1: If referees ran a dating app, Koulibaly would be “super-like” on red cards—he’s swiped right on every single one of them.
Punchline 2: They say possession is nine-tenths of the law; in Koulibaly’s case, it’s the red card that’s nine-tenths of the headlines. Elusive, but dramatically effective—at least in the highlight reel.
