Referee expert Mohamed Kamal Resha has ended the debate over Al Ahli Jeddah's canceled penalty against Al Najmah in yesterday's match at King Abdullah Sports City in Buraydah, part of the sixth round of the Saudi Pro League.
Resha told the Saudi sports daily Al-Riyadiya that the referee's decision to withdraw the penalty call was correct.
He added that the call to cancel the penalty in minute 11 was correct, since Najmah defender Khalid Al-Mohwas touched the ball and moved it in front of Al Ahli attacker Ali Majrashi, without committing any foul.
Al Ahli regained their winning form in the league with a 1-0 victory away at Najmah, thanks to striker Firas Al-Buraikan's goal in the 34th minute.
Al Ahli's points rose to 12, placing them fourth in the standings, three points behind leaders Al Nassr, who have played one fewer game.
Najmah, meanwhile, suffered their sixth consecutive defeat and remains at the bottom of the Saudi Pro League with zero points.
Notable stat for Briikan
The Saudi press lauded Briikan's performance, noting that his goals away from home are outpacing those scored when the team is hosting, at least in the Saudi Pro League.
Firas Al-Buraikan clocked his 18th goal for Al Ahli in the competition against Najmah, with 12 of those goals coming away from home and six at home.
According to the source, the forward has scored 12 goals against teams such as Al Nassr, Abha, Al-Fayha, Al-Hazm, Al Taawoun, Al Ettifaq, Al Khaleej and finally Najmah, while he has conceded six in matches against teams hosting him, including Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, Al Riyadh, Dhamk, Abha and Al Kholoud.
Al-Buraikan joined Al Ahli in summer 2023 from Al Fateh, and has played 88 matches in all competitions for the club, scoring 24 goals and adding 17 assists, and contributing to their AFC Champions League Elite win last season and the Saudi Super Cup earlier this season.
This season, the 25-year-old has featured 12 times and scored two goals.
Jaissle's disappointment despite the win
German coach Matías Jaissle expressed his dissatisfaction with the result, saying that Al Ahli missed many chances against Najmah.
Jaissle commented, "A deserved win, even if the scoreline is not ideal; we could have scored four or more. I believe the penalty decision was correct, but it was canceled."
The coach also spoke about the squad traveling from Jeddah to Buraydah the same day as the match, a third time this season that the team has arrived on match day, noting, "Al Ahli arrived in Buraydah on Thursday; this is the third time this season we’ve reached on match day, and traveling on the same day makes sense given our three-day cycle."
He added that the distance from Jeddah is about an hour, making the schedule manageable, though still a challenge.
Injury update on Galeno
Jaissle discussed the injury afflicting winger Galeno, which has kept him out of recent matches.
"Galeno is still receiving treatment, and the medical staff are working hard to bring him back as soon as possible," the coach said. The Brazilian winger has appeared in six matches this season with no goals or assists.
Upcoming matches
Al Ahli closed the Najmah game and now turn their attention to a knockout clash with Al-Batin in the King’s Cup Round of 16, set for October 27 at Batin's stadium in Hafar al-Batin.
Al Ahli reached this stage after thrashing Al Arabi 5-0 in Round of 32, while Al-Batin had shocked by beating Al Ettifaq to advance, proving they are a tough opponent in knockouts.
To end October, Al Ahli will host Al-Riyadh on October 30 in the Saudi League. Al-Riyadh sit 13th with 3 points, and the Red Eagles hope to close a busy month with a win to set a strong tone for November.
