Neom nicks a 2-1 win over Al-Najma as refereeing debates heat up in the Roshn Saudi League

Match recap

Neom secured a 2-1 victory over Al-Najma on Thursday in the 11th round of the Roshn Saudi League, with Majed Al-Shamrani in charge.

The goals came in the second half: Frenchman Nathan Zezi opened in the 54th minute and Khalifa Al-Dosri added a second in the 89th. Bilal Boutobba pulled one back for Najma in stoppage time (90+5) from a penalty.

The clash featured a slate of controversial refereeing decisions, highlighted by analyst Samir Osman who flagged seven second-half incidents.

On the show Action with Walid, Osman said: 'In minute 54 the referee awarded Neom a goal, and I think the decision was wrong because Zezi was fouled by a defender before scoring.'

He added: 'In minute 70 there was a valid Najma penalty that the referee did not award, as Ali Hassan Al-Asmari prevented a Najma player from reaching the ball inside the box.'

Osman wrapped up: 'In minute 93 the referee gave a Najma penalty, and I believe the decision was correct... five minutes later the assistant overturned a Najma goal for offside, and I also think that call was correct.'

What comes next

Fans left the stadium buzzing about the officiating and the tightly fought contest, with Neom maintaining a slender advantage in the table and Najma left pondering what might have been.

Punchline time: If VAR existed in this kitchen, even the toaster would be calling for a review. Punchline two: the only thing offside in this game was my Wi-Fi during the highlight reel.