Dierest dramatic surge sends Al Ahli to the King's Cup semis after a thriller with Al Qadsiah

Match snapshot

Al Ahli secured a place in the King’s Cup semi-finals after a dramatic 3-3 draw with Al Qadsiah, then prevailed 5-4 on penalties at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal City Stadium on Friday.

Both teams produced a frantic 90 minutes and extra time, with Al Qadsiah racing into a lead, Al Ahli fighting back, and the fate of the tie decided by a nerve‑jangling shootout.

Turning points and penalties

The action started at a high tempo, with Al Qadsiah testing the hosts early. Matteo Ritigi broke the deadlock in the 11th minute after a defensive error and Julian Kinonís added a second before the half-hour mark. Al Ahli pulled one back from the spot through Ivan Tony in the 36th minute, and Riyad Mahrez came close to leveling before halftime as the first period ended with Al Qadsiah leading 3-1 after a late handball was converted by Ritigi for a third.

After the break, Al Ahli pressed with urgency. In the 58th minute, Feras Al-Briqan was introduced to sharpen the attack, and Valentin Atanganana headed in from a corner in the 61st minute to reduce the deficit. Franck Kessé leveled the game with a superb header in the 73rd minute, and the drama continued as chances flowed and a late goal by Kessé was ruled offside in stoppage time of extra time, keeping the score at 3-3 and prompting the shootout.

In the shootout, Al Ahli converted through Ivan Tony, Riyad Mahrez, Franck Kessé, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, and Firas Al-Bariqan. For Al Qadsiah, Matteo Ritigi, Julian Veigel, Musab Al-Juwair, Nacho Fernández found the net, while Abdullah Al-Salem’s penalty proved decisive in confirming the win for Al Ahli.

With the victory, Al Ahli advance to the King’s Cup semi-finals, with the identity of their opponent to be determined by the upcoming draw on Sunday.

Additional notes – The match featured a dramatic arc, with a late turnaround and a penalty shootout that decided the tie after extra time failed to deliver a winner. The crowd stayed on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Punchline time: If football is a sniper’s game, tonight the goalposts were the targets—and somehow every shot found a way to miss until the final round.
Punchline time 2: The only thing sharper than the referee’s whistle was the fan’s commentary—two hours of suspense, delivered with a smile and a final exhale of relief.