Al-Ahli’s Last-Minute Reboot: Jaissle Rejigs Defense for Najran Showdown
6 January 2026
Team News
The German coach Matthias Jaissle of Al-Ahli Jeddah is shaping the lineup for the upcoming clash with Al-Khodod in the Roshen Saudi Pro League.
The team travels to Najran for the match, scheduled for Saturday, at the Prince Hamzah bin Abdulaziz Stadium, as Round 14 unfolds.
According to the sports daily, Jaissle moved Mohammed Suleiman Bakr into the right-back position during training, aiming to plug the gap in that role for the fixture against Al-Khodod.
Ali Majrashi remains sidelined after a two match ban for his red card in the 3-2 win over Al-Nassr last Friday in Round 13, when he was sanctioned for striking Joao Felix.
Mohammed Abdulrahman also misses out due to his involvement with the Saudi national team at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup hosted in Saudi Arabia this week.
Absences and AFCON Duty
Additionally, two more players will miss due to card suspensions: French midfielder Valentin Atangana and Saudi winger Saleh Abu Al-Shamat.
Al-Ahli will also be without Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy and Frank Kessie as they are with their national teams at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Punchline 1: If strategy had a punchline Jaissle would headline a comedy club tonight.
Punchline 2: In football even the substitutes bring puns stay tuned for the encore of giggles and goals.
