First Step in the Escalation: Al-Qadsiah Pushes Back in the Ahli Clash

Background

In Round 9 of the Saudi Pro League, Al-Ahli edged Al-Qadsiah 2-1, triggering an escalation by the latter in the ongoing dispute with the club.

Al-Qadsiah filed a complaint against Al-Ahli seeking the match points, arguing that Al-Ahli changed its starting XI before kick-off. The Disciplinary Committee of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation rejected the request.

According to the Saudi daily Al-Riyadhiyah, Al-Qadsiah plans to send a letter to the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee to inquire why the complaint was dismissed.

This step marks the first phase of the escalation, with a formal appeal to be filed in due course.

The decision confirmed that Al-Qadsiah could appeal, keeping the door open for the club to pursue the three points.

Note that the win lifts Al-Ahli to fourth place in the table on 19 points, two points ahead of Al-Qadsiah, before Al-Ahli knocked them out of the King’s Cup quarterfinal.

What’s next

The article doesn’t specify the immediate next steps beyond the appeal, but the dispute is set to run through the SAFF disciplinary channels as the teams await a resolution.

Punchline 1: This saga is so heated, even the offside flag needs a therapist.

Punchline 2: If suspense could earn points, Qadsiah would be lifting the trophy—right after a few referee jokes.