Ten-Man Drama Ends in a 1-1 Thriller as Al-Shabab Snatches an Own-Goal Tie Against Al-Ahli

First Half

Al-Shabab visited Al-Ahli at the Al-Enmaa Stadium in Friday’s Roshn Saudi Pro League encounter, looking to bounce back after a mixed start to the campaign. In the eighth minute, Riyad Mahrez delivered a cross that was headed clear by Ziad Al-Johani, but the Brazilian keeper Marcelo Grohe recovered well to keep the effort out.

In the 12th minute, Al-Ahli were awarded a penalty after Ivan Tony was brought down inside the box, and Tony calmly converted from the spot in the 15th minute to give the home side the lead.

Al-Ahli continued to control the game as Al-Shabab pressed for a way back. The visitors created chances but were unable to break through a well-organized defense. A late first-half surge saw Merih Demiral’s header from a Riyad Mahrez cross miss narrowly wide, and Al-Shabab temporarily quelled the danger with a string of cleared balls. The half ended with Al-Ahli still ahead but the balance edging toward a dramatic second period.

Second Half

Early in the second half, Al-Shabab tried to apply pressure but found it difficult to unlock the hosts’ defense. The turning point came in the 77th minute when Mohammed Al-Shuairikh of Al-Shabab was shown a straight red card, reducing them to ten men but not extinguishing their fight.

As the minutes ticked by, Al-Shabab found a lifeline and finally levelled in the 87th minute. A cross by Yannik Carasco caused chaos in the box and, after a sequence of touches, the ball deflected off Belgian full-back Mateo Dams into his own net, gifting the visitors a dramatic equalizer.

In the closing stages, both sides pressed for a winner. Al-Shabab pushed forward with urgency, while Al-Ahli looked to exploit the gaps left by the red-card departure, but neither side could convert, and the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

Final whistle brought relief and frustration in equal measure for both camps as they collected a share of the spoils and moved onto the next round with work to do in pursuit of their league goals.

Sniper Punchline 1: If football had a patience meter, this game would still be loading—one shot, two saves, and a self-inflicted goal to cap it. Sniper mode: engaged, but the target kept dodging the net.

Sniper Punchline 2: They say control is everything; evidently, the ball disagreed and decided to own itself—talk about a player who loves self-ownership more than the post-match interviews!