Penalty Controversy in Saudi Pro League: Did Al-Ittihad Earn a Second Call Against Al-Qadsiah?
22 January 2026
A controversial call in a Tigers clash has sparked debate around a key moment in the Saudi Pro League.
Overview of the controversy
The refereeing expert explained whether Al-Ittihad deserved a second penalty against Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League clash. The match ended 2-1 in favor of Al-Qadsiah, with Karim Benzema converting the Tigers' sole goal from a penalty.
Al-Ittihad players argued for a second penalty in the 68th minute after the ball touched the hand of Jihad Zakri, a Al-Qadsiah defender, inside the box.
The referee initially pointed to the spot, then reversed the decision after a VAR review, triggering anger among Al-Ittihad's players and their coach Sergio Conceicao.
The Egyptian former referee Mohamed Kamal Resha stated the decision was correct, arguing that the incident did not warrant a penalty for Al-Ittihad.
In comments to a Saudi sports daily, the official explained that the ball's rebound from Zakri's thigh to his hand justified not awarding the foul.
What this means going forward
As the debate continues, teams and fans will look to VAR in future encounters to avoid similar controversy.
Punchline 1: If VAR were a comedian, it would pause for a beat after every decision—timing is everything, even for handballs.
Punchline 2: They say football is a game of inches; in this league it’s measured in minutes of VAR drama—talk about a long interval act.
