Saudi Sniper Strikes: Khalid Al-Ghannam’s Brace Brings Al-Ettifaq Back to Life
24 January 2026
Brace seals comeback
Al-Ettifaq winger Khalid Al-Ghannam delivered a decisive brace, overturning a 0-1 deficit to beat Al-Kholoud 2-1 in Round 18 of the Roshen Pro League.
Heading on in the second half, he netted twice—the 50th and 83rd minutes—sparking a dramatic turnaround for the Nawakhza. The result nudges him to 7 league goals this season, a personal best across his four previous campaigns in the competition.
Season tally climbs
Opta stats underline a breakthrough season, with seven league goals highlighting a peak in form as the campaign heads into its final phase.
Response to doubters and Jorge Jesus
The stellar display also doubles as a public rebuttal to mentor Jorge Jesus, who sidelined him last season at Al-Hilal and did not sign him on a permanent basis. In the six months since, Al-Ghannam has silenced critics, including with a solo winner against champions Al-Ittihad in Round 16.
With this level of influence, he is rewriting the narrative about his ceiling—one crucial strike at a time.
Punchline 1: If confidence had a crosshair, Khalid just painted the target on the back of every defender.
Punchline 2: They said goals don’t come easy; apparently, they just follow his footwork—night and day, the net gets a new resident.
