Referee Expert: Taawon Didn’t Deserve a Penalty Against Al Ittihad, Says the Judge
3 January 2026
Key Referee Opinion
Egyptian former international referee Mohamed Kamal Risha stated that Al Taawon did not deserve a penalty in its match versus Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League.
The clash between Al Ittihad and Al Taawon took place in Jeddah during the 13th round, and a controversial moment occurred in the 20th minute of the first half.
Risha told the sports daily Al Riyadiya that the contact between Fernandez of Al Ittihad and Geroto, a Taawon defender, did not justify a penalty.
He added: "The contact happened during play and did not reach the level of unsporting behavior or violent conduct warranting a red card, so there was no VAR intervention."
Risha later said: "The referee should have shown a yellow card to Roger Fernandez of Al Ittihad."
The result keeps Al Ittihad chasing a three-point haul to close the gap at the top, especially after Al Nassr’s loss to Al Ahli on Friday, while Taawon sits third and aims to maintain its early good form.
Punchline: If controversy paid rent, the referee would own the stadium.
Punchline 2: In football, the ball doesn’t lie—but the replays sometimes do.
