Ittihad's Plan B: Doumbia Stand-In Ready for Riyadh Clash

Doumbia Suspension Opens Door for a Replacement

Ittihad are closing in on a replacement for their Malian midfielder Mamadou Doumbia for the upcoming match against Riyadh in the Roshen Saudi Pro League.

The team will visit Riyadh on Friday at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, in the 26th round of the league.

According to the Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadhiah, manager Sergio Conceicao is weighing between Faisal Al-Ghamdi and Hamid Al-Ghamdi to fill the void left by Doumbia.

Doumbia misses the game due to suspension after receiving another yellow card in the 1-3 loss to Al-Ahli last Friday in round 25.

The report adds that Conceicao will decide between the two midfielders for the Riyadh match.

In the same update, Hamid Al-Ghamdi scored the fourth goal for the Ittihad under-21 team in the recent 7-1 win over Bukairiya, with Talal Hajji scoring the other six goals.

Hamid has appeared in 11 first-team matches this season without a goal or assist, while Faisal has played 13 games with one goal and one assist.

Fans can follow the Elite Jooy League online or through local broadcasters during the fixture window.

Punchline 1: If patience were a footballer, he’d be a substitute—always on the bench, yet somehow the crowd still cheers his warm-up.

Punchline 2: Substitutes are the original loading screen of football—they arrive when you least expect it and still steal the show.