Saudi Al Ahli Eyes High-Profile Friendly Against Egypt’s Al Ahly During International Break

Potential Friendly in Jeddah

Al Ahli Saudi FC is weighing a plan to stage a friendly against Egypt's Al Ahly during the ongoing international break.

Al Ahly, crowned recently in the Egyptian Super Cup after beating Ceramica Cleopatra 2-1 in the semi-final and Zamalek 2-0 in the final, adds the 16th title to its trophy cabinet.

Negotiations indicate the match could be held in Jeddah, with the two clubs hopeful to finalize dates once both sides' schedules are clear.

Recent Triumphs and Head-to-Head

Historically, Al Ahli Jeddah and Al Ahly have met only twice, with the Egyptian powerhouse winning both and scoring 6 goals while keeping a clean sheet against the Saudi side.

The first meeting came in the Arab Club Championship, a 3-0 win for Al Ahly in the semifinal; the second occurred in the Friendship Cup, another 3-0 victory for the Cairo club.

The latest clash was in the 2024 Dubai Challenge Cup final, where Al Ahly beat the Saudis 3-0.

November Agenda and Current Form

In the Saudi camp, Al Ahli has lodged a formal protest with the Saudi Football Federation after a recent league match against Al Riyadh, citing refereeing decisions; the matter is under review by the refereeing committee.

Meanwhile, November looks busy for Al Ahli, which resumes league action on November 21 by hosting Al Qadisiyah in the ninth round, a fixture expected to be challenging given Qadisiyah's strong form this season.

Historically, Al Ahli has had the upper hand in the series against Qadisiyah, winning 10 of 14 meetings, with 4 losses and no draws.

Al Ahli currently sits fifth in the Saudi Pro League with 16 points from 4 wins and 4 draws, no defeats so far.

The run began with a win over Neom, followed by a 0-0 draw with Al Ettifaa and a 3-3 stalemate with Al Hilal, then victories over Al Hazm and Al Shabab, another win over Al Najmah, a draw with Al Riyadh, and a Jeddah Derby win thanks to a goal by Riyad Mahrez.

Just three days later, on November 24, Al Ahli will host Al Sharjah (UAE) in the fifth round of the Elite AFC Champions League, aiming to sharpen their push toward the knockout stage.

Sharjah sits sixth with 4 points (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss) after opening with a 4-3 win over Al Gharafa, followed by a 1-1 draw with Al Sadd and a heavy loss to Tractor; Al Ahli will look to capitalize on home support to climb the standings.

The month will close with a King Cup quarterfinal against Al Qadisiyah on November 28.

Qadisiyah advanced by beating Al Batin 3-0, while Al Ahli’s path remains open as the calendar runs its course.

Punchline 1: If talks go through, expect the ball to travel faster than the rumor mill—finally, a negotiation with a real kickoff.

Punchline 2: And if this plan misses, at least the jokes will still be onside — because I’m not known for offside humor!