Not at Our Best, Yet Still Victorious: Mane's Admission and Benzema's Celebrate-Story in the King’s Cup
28 October 2025
Mane: Not at Our Best
Senegalese forward Sadio Mane acknowledged that Al Nassr did not do enough in the King’s Cup loss to Al Ittihad, despite persistent attempts to come back, and stressed that exiting the competition was painful.
He noted that his side weren’t at their best for long spells and that they fought hard to overturn the result, but the effort could not change the outcome.
The defender of the feeling that the exit hurts, Mane added that the season is long and that the team trusts its ability to rebound and win again.
Benzema: We Deserved the Win
The French star Karim Benzema said he was very happy with the victory, praising the team’s spirit and efficiency, especially under pressure on a difficult pitch against a strong opponent.
We are very happy with this win; the players delivered a big performance in all aspects and deserved to win on this tough pitch in front of a strong team, Benzema said.
He added: We are under a new coach, and we hope to gradually show what matches the value of Al Ittihad and its players.
Aouar: We Showed a Big Character
The Algerian Houssam Aouar said the win came after hard work against a strong opponent, noting that the team showed clear character to reach a crucial stage in the competition.
The midfielder stated: The match wasn’t easy against Al Nassr, but I am happy with the team’s performance. We showed a big character on the pitch and managed to cope with difficult circumstances.
He added that more time is needed to reach full harmony and that the squad aims to continue developing to please the fans.
Match recap: The clash began with bright action and early pressure, Benzema driving the first real threat. In the 6th minute a powerful shot was saved by the keeper, and Benzema was denied again after a cross from Diaby. The visitors opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Benzema finished a precise cross from Diaby. In the 20th minute the hosts nearly equalized, but the chance was not finished. In the 30th minute Angelo unleashed a rocket to bring parity. At 45+2 Aouar delivered a through ball and scored to put the visitors ahead 2-1 at halftime. The second half saw Ahmed Al-Jaleedan sent off in the 49th minute as Al Nassr pressed. Mane and Ronaldo missed key chances, with a late chance for Mane ruled over the bar in the 90th minute. The final score remained 2-1 to Al Ittihad.
Qualifiers to the quarterfinals: At the end of the clash, the eight teams reaching the quarterfinals were Al Khaleej, Al Fateh, Al Khaleed, Al Ahli, Al Qadsiah, Al Shabab, Al Hilal, and Al Ittihad. The draw for the quarterfinals is set for tomorrow at 15:00 Mecca time, with Al Ittihad entering as last season’s champions after beating Al Qadsiah 3-1.
Punchline 1: If tonight’s performance were a sniper shot, it still hit the drama—man, those post-match headlines have a way of staying on target.
Punchline 2: Coaching changes? No problem—fans bring the snacks, and the coffee remains undefeated.
