Al-Qadsiah are closing in on reclaiming their trump card ahead of a highly anticipated King’s Cup clash with Al-Ahli Jeddah, after a spell on the sidelines.
Al-Ahli will visit Al-Qadsiah tomorrow, Friday, in the King’s Cup quarterfinal in Jeddah.
Kinonis Status
Mexican forward Julian Kinonis is set to be ready to feature after recovering from injury, with the Saudi press noting he could start on the bench and that head coach Mitchell Gonzalez can deploy him at any moment.
The squad trained today before traveling to Jeddah, and Kinonis was among the players who travelled with the team.
Kinonis Injury
Kinonis has recently been sidelined for three league games, with Qadsiah losing two and winning one in his absence, illustrating his impact on the side.
They lost 0-2 to Taawoun, beat Al-Khaleed 4-0, and then fell 1-2 to Al-Ahli in rounds seven through nine of the Saudi Pro League.
Returning against Al-Ahli, it will be his first appearance in a month, dating back to the 3-1 win over Al-Hazm on Oct 28 in the King’s Cup quarterfinal.
Addition
The 28-year-old Mexican striker is a strong addition for Qadsiah, especially as one of the core players relied upon by coach Mitchell since last season.
Since the start of this season Kinonis has appeared in 9 matches across league, cup, and the Saudi Super Cup, tallying 9 goals, averaging a goal per game.
Last season he delivered 20 goals and 5 assists in 33 matches, contending for the league’s top scorer late in the campaign.
He also claimed the King’s Cup top scorer award with 5 goals as he helped Qadsiah reach the final, before a 0-2 defeat to Al-Ittihad.
Legal Crisis
The King’s Cup clash follows a week after their Saudi Pro League Round 9 meeting, which was won by the German coach Matthias Jaissle’s side 2-1.
The match was marred by a legal controversy when Qadsiah formalized a protest to the Saudi Football Federation alleging administrative errors by Al-Ahli in the lineup.
Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat detailed the complaint, noting that Al-Qadsiah asserted Al-Ahli submitted two lists: one 75 minutes before kickoff and another after the official time, including seven players, four of whom started and three on the bench.
The report says the starting lineup included Zakaria Hosawi, Saleh Abu Shamout, Enzo Mio, and Feras Al-Breikan; with three substitutes named as well.
Al-Qadsiah argue that Al-Ahli used a lineup with certain players on starting or bench lists inconsistently, potentially breaching competition rules and prompting an investigation to determine if procedural violations occurred.
At the time of writing, Al-Qadsiah sit on 17 points in fifth place, while Al-Ahli are on 19 points in fourth.
Legal Opinion
Legal expert Ahmed Al-Sheikh said in a TV interview that Al-Qadsiah filed the protest citing an alleged irregularity around the inclusion of Firas Al-Breikan after he was initially left out of the starting XI, which they deem illegal.
He added that the club also believes Evan Tony’s participation did not follow the regulations since he was not listed in either the starting lineup or the bench.
He noted that if these violations are proven, Al-Ahli could face a deduction of three points from the match.
As things stand, Al-Qadsiah remain on 17 points in fifth, while Al-Ahli sit on 19 points in fourth place.
