Referee Expert: Damac deserved a penalty against Al-Ittihad, says top analyst

Controversial penalty call sparks debate after Damac vs Al-Ittihad clash

In a sharp assessment, Egyptian referee analyst Mohamed Kamal Risha argued that Damac were denied a deserved penalty against Al-Ittihad.

Damac and Al-Ittihad settled for a 1-1 draw at the hosts' stadium in the 15th round of the Roshen Saudi Pro League.

Risha told the Saudi daily Al-Riyadia that the home side should have been awarded a spot kick, but the whistle by international referee Khaled Al-Treis did not grant the penalty.

He noted that the incident involving Damac's Senousi Al-Hosawi and Al-Ittihad's Hassan Kadish inside the box was due to contact by Kadish rather than a balance issue on the Damac player.

He added that the defender committed a clear obstruction, and VAR officials should have summoned the on-field referee to review the play, which did not occur in the match.

The commentary adds that this decision continues to spark debate among fans and pundits alike.

Punchline 1: If penalties were rain, this match would need a bigger umbrella.

Punchline 2: And if whistles had a social life, this one would be trending for all the wrong reasons.