Penalty Miss Sparks Controversy in Saudi Pro League Showdown
6 February 2026
Incident and context
The Al Nassr vs Al Ittihad clash at Al Nassr Park, part of the 21st round of the Roshen Saudi Pro League, produced a moment that sparked debate among refereeing analysts. The veteran commentator Nawaf Shaker Allah weighed in on the clip, suggesting a clear handball was not judged correctly.
In minute 11, defender Mohammed Simakan attempted to clear a cross from Musa Diaby, the Al Ittihad winger. The ball hit his foot and then his hand inside the box, prompting the Tigers' players to shout for a penalty.
The referee reviewed the incident with VAR but ultimately chose not to award a penalty, drawing protests from Al Ittihad and their Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao.
On the sports channel Al-Riyadiyah, Shaker Allah said that the referee did not assess the situation properly; there was a handball that should have been called against Al Nassr.
He added: the defender's body position shows the right foot moving forward and the left hand retracting, but in Simakan's case both the foot and the hand moved forward together.
The analyst concluded that the hand touch arose from an unnatural movement that enlarged the body, so a penalty should have gone to Al Ittihad.
Punchlines: If that VAR check were a movie, it would be two hours of suspense followed by a deleted scene. And for fans, the joke of the day: football has a rule for every situation—except the one we just saw.
