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August 24, 2024
The first away win of the 2024-25 season occurred in Khamis Mushait. In the early Friday match, Dhari Al Enezi’s own goal handed Al Khaleej a 1-0 victory over Damac Club at their home stadium.
Greek coach Georgios Donis, making his debut with Al Khaleej, now has led four RSL clubs, including Al Hilal, Al Fateh, and Al Wehda. This win marked only his second opening-game victory in the ROSHN Saudi League 2014-15, following a 2-0 win against Najran in the 2014-15 season.
The decisive goal came from a swift passing sequence, with captain Fabio Martins setting up his fellow Portuguese player, Pedro Rebocho, on the left flank. Rebocho delivered a low, whipped cross that deflected off several players before striking an unprepared Dhari Al Enezi at the far post. Al Enezi could only watch as the ball went into his net before he could reposition himself.
Georges Kevin N’Koudou, who made a notable impact in his debut season with Damac last year, celebrated briefly as he scored for the 2024-25 season. However, his excitement was quickly dashed when the flag rose, indicating he was offside.
After a decade away, Al Orobah made a strong impression in their return to the Roshn Saudi League. Still, Al Ahli, who finished third last season, secured the three points at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on Friday night.
The hosts came close to taking the lead just before the half-hour mark when Riyad Mahrez delivered a precise cross from the right. Gabri Veiga connected with a powerful header, but the Spanish midfielder saw his attempt rebound off the crossbar and back into play.
Minutes later, Al Ahli retook the lead thanks to the Algerian maestro Mahrez. The former Manchester City player delivered a pass to Franck Kessie inside the box. Kessie’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Gaetan Coucke, but the rebound fell to Abdulkarim Darisi. The 21-year-old homegrown talent seized the opportunity for an easy tap-in, marking his first senior goal in his ninth RSL appearance for Al Ahli.
Coach Matthias Jaissle’s squad came out with intensity in the second half. Within two minutes of the restart, Mahrez set up Ziyad Al Johani, who squared the ball for Roberto Firmino to score. However, after a thorough review, the semi-automated offside technology revealed that Mahrez had been offside during the buildup, leading to the disallowance of the goal.
Firmino would not be denied, though. He eventually found the net in the 81st minute, connecting with a Kessie cross to double Al Ahli’s lead and secure the victory. It was a strong start for Al Ahli in front of 20,214 home fans.
On the East Coast, Al Qadsiah celebrated its return to the top division with a resounding 3-0 home victory over Al Fateh, with new signing Julian Quinones grabbing the spotlight.
Under the leadership of former Real Madrid star Michel and club captain Nacho, Al Qadsiah demonstrated their intent even without suspended forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who had accrued bookings from his time with Olympique Marseille.
Just past the 30-minute mark, Hussein Al Qahtani intercepted the ball from Lucas Zelarayan. He passed it to Turki Al Ammar on the right. Al Ammar then delivered a cross for Quinones, who controlled the ball skillfully and fired it into the net for his first RSL goal.
Saif Rashad immediately impacted after coming off the bench midway through the second half. The winger launched a solo run, linked up with Quinones, and unleashed a shot that Al Fateh’s new goalkeeper, Peter Szappanos, could only deflect to the oncoming Abdulaziz Al Othman, who capitalized by scoring to make it 2-0.
Just before the final whistle, Rashad set up the promising young right-back Mohammed Abu Al Shamat. The 22-year-old delivered a superb cross, which Quinones headed for his second-night goal, capping off a stellar victory for the Al Khobar-based team.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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