When Whistles Sing: King’s Cup Quarterfinals Pile the Pressure on Al-Ahli and Al-Qadisiyah

Match Officials and the Stakes

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced the refereeing crews assigned to Friday's King’s Cup quarterfinals, as the competition moves deeper into the run-in. Today’s program features a clash between Al-Kholoud and Al-Khaleej and, in parallel, the heavyweight Al-Ahli versus Al-Qadisiyah to decide the first semifinalist. The remaining quarterfinals will continue on Saturday, with Al-Ittihad meeting Al-Shabab and Al-Hilal tackling Al-Fateh to close the round.

In the Khuloud vs. Al-Khaleej match, a Saudi refereeing team led by Majid Al-Shamrani was named, assisted by Hesham Al-Rifai and Omar Al-Jamal, with Khalid Al-Ahmari as fourth official and Sultan Al-Harbi alongside Abdulrahim Al-Shamri overseeing VAR.

For the Al-Ahli vs. Al-Qadisiyah game at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, a Portuguese crew led by Luis Godinho will be in charge, with Pedro Mota and Rui Teixeira as assistants, Miguel Nogueira as fourth official, and Fabio Milo handling VAR with Fabio Braga as his assistant.

Godinho has shown up in the Saudi scene before, officiating in 13 matches across competitions this season. Across those assignments, he has issued 65 yellow cards, two reds, and awarded three penalties, with one direct red and a handful of notable decisions.

Repeat encounter

The Al-Ahli–Al-Qadisiyah fixture rekindles a recent league clash in which Al-Ahli prevailed 2-1. The team led by German coach Matthias Jaissle aims to chase the kingdom’s most decorated side’s crown, as Al-Ahli sits among the top contenders this season, eyeing a historic 13th King’s Cup title, while the coach looks to rebound from last season’s early exit when his side were eliminated by Al-Jandal in the second tier before rising back up.

Al-Ahli continue to impress domestically, remaining undefeated in the league and sitting fourth in the standings, three points off third place and four behind second. Al-Qadisiyah, under Spanish coach Michel Gonzalez, also hopes to mirror last season’s successful Cup run that saw them reach the final before losing to the Union.

Return on the horizon

The possibility of a comeback for Julian Quinones has sharpened the focus, with reports from the Saudi press suggesting he could feature for Al-Qadisiyah after a lengthy injury layoff, potentially starting from the bench pending the coach’s call.

The Mexican forward’s absence has coincided with mixed results: Al-Qadisiyah endured two league losses and a single win in his absence. If Quinones is fit to play, this could be his first appearance in over a month, dating back to the Cup’s Round of 16 win over Al-Hazm on October 28, a result that still lingers in fans’ memories.

As the teams prepare to travel to the venue ahead of kickoff, the expectation is that Quinones could be named in the squad, with Al-Kadisiyah hoping his presence tips the balance against the tournament’s most storied club, in front of a sell-out crowd in Jeddah.

Key match-up dynamics

Beyond personnel, the tactical balance will be crucial: Al-Ahli’s attackers will test Al-Qadisiyah’s defense while the visitors will look to exploit any gaps in the hosts’ setup. The semifinal spots are up for grabs, and a confident display from the winners could set the tone for the rest of the King’s Cup knockout rounds.

In summary, Friday’s games shape an exciting weekend of football, with refereeing quality, potential returns, and the ever-important quest for silverware all on display as teams chase domestic glory.

Punchlines

Punchline 1: If the whistle had Wi‑Fi, the stadium would stream the whole match in high definition—and still somehow drop moments of suspense for dramatic delays. Punchline 2: I told my fantasy team to expect goals; apparently the only thing that’s offside tonight is my sense of humor—still, I’m betting on a joke that scores big with the crowd.