Toni Sparks Al Ahli’s Asian Revival in a Five-Goal Night

Match Recap

England-born Ivan Toni, Al Ahli Jeddah's striker, rediscovered his Asian sparkle after a standout display in a 5-0 win over Al Shorta of Iraq on Monday night, in the sixth round of the Elite Asian Champions League.

Standings and Impact

Al Ahli moved to 13 points, sitting third in the West Asia Elite Cup, one point behind Iranian Tractor in second, while leaders Al Hilal sit on 18.

Key Moment

Toni netted the second goal in the 56th minute, capitalizing on a pass that placed him one-on-one with the keeper.

First Asian Goal This Season

That strike marked Toni's first Asian goal of the season after a four-match drought, and the English forward added two decisive assists to complete three goal contributions in the night.

Lineup and Narrative

Taking advantage of teammate Faris Al-Briqan's absence due to fatigue, Toni shone tonight, after a run of criticisms and marginalization by German coach Matthias Jaissle, with rumors of his possible departure following reports.

Role and Stats

Jaissle had relied on Al-Briqan, nicknamed the Maestro, to lead the attack with Toni joining from the bench. Toni now sits on 17 goal contributions in 19 appearances across competitions, with 13 goals and 4 assists.

Sniper punchline 1: If Toni's goals were bullets, tonight's scoreboard would require a bigger magazine.

Sniper punchline 2: Coach Jaissle might consider installing a Wi-Fi router on the bench—so Toni can stream goals directly to the net.