Riyadh Derby Drama: Al-Aqidi’s Blunder Lights Up the Field as Al-Hilal Edges Out Al-Nassr
12 January 2026
The Saudi goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi sent his coach Jorge Jesus into a meltdown in the Riyadh derby against arch-rivals Al-Hilal, a moment that instantly lit up social media.
What happened during the Riyadh derby
In the 14th minute, a long ball toward the box found no players from either side, but Al-Aqidi rushed out to clear and mis-hit, turning routine chaos into a tension-filled moment.
The clearance rolled badly, narrowly missing a teammate and nearly landing at the feet of Al-Hilal's attackers, and the defense scrambled to avert a dangerous counter.
Aftermath and the match result
Because of the lapse, Jesus berated Al-Aqidi from the touchline, the kind of tirade that fuels memes and press conferences for days to come.
Goalless at that stage, the mishit ball ricocheted off Mexican Julian Quinones and landed for Qadsia to score the opener in front of a stunned crowd.
The visitors still failed to convert the chances, and Al-Hilal took the match 2-1, widening the gap at the top as the derby looms again, leaving fans to trade memes and sighs.
Punchline: If goalkeeping paid wages, Al-Aqidi would be the season's highest earner; Punchline 2: maybe next derby he'll bring a helmet to avoid… air-kicks.
