RIYADH: The Jeddah derby this week promises to be an unforgettable night for football fans when Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad and Riyad Mahrez’s Al-Ahli meet in week nine of Roshn Saudi League.
The most eagerly awaited fixture in the Saudi football calendar will take place in front of a capacity 60,000 crowd at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium at 9 p.m. on Friday.
It will be the first meeting between the footballing archrivals since the 2021/2022 season when Al-Ahli were relegated to the Saudi First Division.
The derby clash will also be the first time Ballon d’Or winner Benzema and ex-Manchester City winger Mahrez meet in the RSL.
Benzema said: “Derbies, here or abroad, have the same flavor. The fans are going to give it their all, and that’s going to motivate the players even more. It’s going to be a big match. It’s up to us to do everything we can to win and show that we’re the best.”
Tickets for the match sold out within 10 minutes, he added.
“The fans are going to push us so that we can win this match.”
When asked about playing Mahrez, Benzema said: “There’s no face-off. We’re not the same players; we don’t have the same experience. Each of us will try to give his all for his club.”
Al-Ahli’s players know the importance of the fixture, with defensive midfielder Franck Kessie saying: “It would be great to win it and we will have a busy week to be ready for the game.”
Echoing the sentiment, teammate Edouard Mendy said: “I am expecting a huge atmosphere on Friday for what will be my first Jeddah derby.”
Mahrez is Al-Ahli’s top assist maker with four assists so far this season. He leads the RSL with 33 chances created.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea and UEFA Champions League winning teammates N’Golo Kante and Mendy will face off for the first time after their Stamford Bridge departure.
Al-Ittihad’s lineup might include five-time UEFA Champions League winner Benzema alongside Fabinho and Luiz Felipe. They will match up against an impressive Al-Ahli squad that includes Robert Firmino, Allan Saint-Maximin, Gabri Veiga, Merih Demiral and Kessie.
Football fervor continues to grow in Saudi Arabia with the announcement this week of the Kingdom’s intention to bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Domestically the league is experiencing its strongest season yet, with more fans and some of the biggest stars in the world.
All eyes on Jeddah derby as Al-Ittihad’s Karim Benzema faces off against Al-Ahli’s Riyad Mahrez
https://arab.news/jatmk
All eyes on Jeddah derby as Al-Ittihad’s Karim Benzema faces off against Al-Ahli’s Riyad Mahrez
- Archrivals’ clash will take place in front of 60,000-capacity crowd at King Abdullah Sports City stadium on Friday
- Benzema said: ‘Derbies, here or abroad, have the same flavor. The fans are going to give it their all, and that’s going to motivate the players even more’
Saudi football authorities deny that Saudi national team manager Herve Renard has been sacked
- It comes after Al Riyadh newspaper, citing “special sources,” claims the Saudi Arabian Football Federation was considering replacing him
- @SaudiNews50 posts message on X, citing SAFF, saying the report is false; Al Riyadh later confirms it has received a written denial from the federation
RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation moved quickly on Wednesday night to deny rumors that national football team coach Herve Renard was to be fired.
Speculation about the Frenchman’s future in the job earlier began to mount after Al Riyadh newspaper posted a story on social media platform X claiming Renard would be replaced, after Saudi Arabia failed to reach the final of the FIFA Arab Cup.
Citing “special sources,” the Arabic-language newspaper reported that the federation’s board was considering relieving Renard of his duties, and that a search for the 57-year-old’s replacement would start before preparations begin for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The new manager might be someone working in the Saudi Professional League, the newspaper said, and would be an individual whose standards and objectives match the ambitions of football officials and fans in the Kingdom, and are aligned with the reputation and development of Saudi football.
Shortly after the report appeared, the account @SaudiNews50, which has 21.6 million followers on social media platform X, posted a message, citing SAFF, that said: “Reports of Renard’s dismissal from coaching the Saudi national team are false.”
A little less than two hours after its initial report, Al Riyadh published an update confirming that the federation had sent the newspaper a written denial of the claim that Renard’s job was on the line, and confirming that he would be in charge of the team on Thursday for the Arab Cup third-place play-off against the UAE at Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar.
Renard’s contract runs until the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. After the 1-0 defeat by Jordan in Monday’s Arab Cup semifinal at Al-Bayt Stadium, Renard was asked about the possibility he might be sacked and replied: “I have a contract and I will continue my work. I can’t do something if someone else wants to do something else. I’m staying, but if someone tells me my job is finished I’ll go somewhere else. That’s football.”
He said later that the team had “prepared superbly” for the game against Jordan, adding: “The match statistics were clear, as we had 69 percent possession compared to our opponents, who had 31 percent.
“We knew Jordan’s strategy and playing style. We weren’t successful defensively and in creating chances, so we couldn’t maintain the 0-0 draw and we couldn’t score.”
