Saudi Pro League Sparks Red Card Debate After Tony's Challenge Breaks the Momentum
21 January 2026
Controversial Moment Takes Center Stage
After Al Khaleej's 4-1 defeat to Al Ahli Jeddah on Tuesday, in round 17 of the Roshen Saudi Pro League, Sadiq Al-Huwaidi, Al Khaleej's sporting director, vented anger over the day’s officiating.
The match featured one of the most controversial moments when Tony stepped forcefully on the leg of an Al Khaleej player early in the second half, yet the referee issued only a yellow card, triggering the opposing team's fury.
On the matter, Al-Huwaidi told the Saudi program "Action with Walid": I think Tony deserved a red card at the start of the second half, but the referee strangely ignored it; he had previously overseen the Al Ittihad match last week, caused a fiasco, and was assigned to our game.
Even the official in charge of VAR has made mistakes for more than two years; we see little benefit. He should have summoned the on-field referee to review the moment and decide to send Tony off.
We hope domestic referees will rise to elite status, but at this rate nothing will change; clubs from seventh to last suffer major refereeing errors.
Punchline: If this referee keeps whistling like this, my coffee trembles more than the players.
Punchline: In football, the only thing more offside than the ball is the truth about the ref's decisions.
