Doubt Looms as Al-Ittihad Gears Up for a King’s Cup Showdown Against Al-Shabab

Delaying the lineup decision

The Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição is weighing his choices ahead of the highly anticipated clash with Al-Shabab, scheduled for Saturday.

The venue is the Prince Abdullah bin Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, where Al-Ittihad will chase a King’s Cup quarterfinal berth.

Delaying the lineup decision

Conceição postponed finalizing the team's lineup for the match until after tonight's training, according to the Saudi daily Al-Yom.

The coach has yet to confirm the second foreign player to drop from the squad, apart from Moussa Diaby who will miss the game due to suspension, since the cup rules limit non-Saudi players to a maximum of 10 on the match sheet.

Meanwhile, Conceição included Frenchman Karim Benzema in the squad after confirming his readiness from yesterday's training session.

The squad trained with all 12 foreign players and Conceição emphasized tactical shape and a sharp boost for the attack for this clash.

Al-Ittihad advanced to the King’s Cup quarterfinal by beating Al-Nassr 2-1 in the Round of 16, while Al-Shabab reached the same stage with a 1-0 win over Al-Zulfi.

Union's historic edge

Historically, Al-Ittihad has the edge over Al-Shabab ahead of their quarterfinal duel in the King’s Cup.

In ten King’s Cup meetings, Al-Ittihad has won seven to Al-Shabab’s three, with 19 goals by Al-Ittihad and 17 by the visitors.

The series began in April 1980 with a semi-final win for Al-Ittihad, 3-0. An 1981 cup clash ended 1-0 to Al-Ittihad.

The 1986 quarter-final went to Al-Ittihad on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Finals in 2008 and 2009 saw Al-Shabab triumph, followed by meetings in 2010, 2013, 2018 and 2022 that shaped the rivalry.

The 2010 semi-final saw Al-Ittihad win 2-0 in the first leg and 2-1 in the return; 2013’s final went to Al-Shabab 4-2, while 2009’s final was a dominant Al-Shabab win. The 2018 quarterfinal ended 3-1 for Al-Ittihad, and a 2022 shootout of 4-3 in the last-16 kept the caffeine high in this feud.

Season-defining Cup run

Winning the King’s Cup would be a major lifeline for Conceição's side, whose league and Asian campaigns have cooled, and who also lost the Saudi Super Cup to Al-Nassr. The coach eyes a trophy to lift the mood around the club and validate the project in the face of tougher challenges in other competitions.

The Portuguese coach already has a track record of success in cups, aiming to add another King’s Cup title to his resume after notable cup runs in prior stops, which would make this achievement particularly sweet for Al-Ittihad’s supporters.

Kadish renewal

Separately, the club is moving to lock down renewals for several players whose deals expire at season’s end, including defender Hassan Kadish.

Saudi media reported that Al-Ittihad has opened talks to keep Kadish beyond this season, weighing performance, fitness, and the aging curve as he approaches 35 next season.

The discussions come amid broader talks to extend other contracts at the club, with both sides keen to continue the collaboration beyond the current term.

Kadish’s renewal is seen as part of a strategy to stabilize the core and maintain continuity as the team chases a busy schedule ahead.

Punchline 1: If uncertainty were a striker, Conceição wouldn’t need a GPS—he’d just follow the fog into the final third. Punchline 2: In football as in life, you never know which bench will save the day, but you can count on Benzema bringing a little class to the bench-squad couture.