Al-Hilal win to keep in touch at the top

Al-Hilal's Mohamed Kanno in action with Al-Taawoun's Mohammed Mahzariat the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah on March 15, 2025. (REUTERS)
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Updated 16 March 2025
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Al-Hilal win to keep in touch at the top

  • The result means that Al-Ittihad, who left it late to defeat Al-Riyadh 2-1 on Thursday, are top with 61 points while Al-Hilal are in second with 57

Al-Hilal won 2-0 at Al-Taawoun on Saturday to cut Al-Ittihad’s lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League back to four points. 

Both Hilal and Taawoun had enjoyed success in Asian competitions during the week, and returned home to play out a hard-fought clash in Buraidah.  The champions' form in the league may have been patchy of late but they bounced back to return to winning ways with a strong performance. 




Al Hilal's Malcom in action with Al-Taawoun's Muteb Al Mufarrij during the Al-Hilal vs. Al-Taawoun match at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah on March 15, 2025. (REUTERS)
 

There were only 12 minutes on the clock when Mohamed Kanno put the defending champions ahead. Salem Al Dawsari swung over a corner from the left which was met by the midfielder who directed his header home.

Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made a number of saves to maintain the champions’ lead though the Riyadh giants had, and missed, plenty of opportunities, but then with a quarter of an hour remaining, Marcos Leonardo added a second to seal the win.

Hamad Al Yami floated over a deep cross for the in-form Brazilian to head home for his 17th league goal of the season, just two behind top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.

The result means that Al-Ittihad, who left it late to defeat Al-Riyadh 2-1 on Thursday, are top with 61 points while Al-Hilal are in second with 57. 

Al-Ahli also won in Asia in midweek but came home to lose 2-1 at Al-Okhdood to stay in fifth behind Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsiah.

The Jeddah club have been in fine form of late and were full of confidence and took the lead just before the half hour thanks to an own goal from Damion Lowe.




Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus before his team's clash with Al-Taawoun on March 15, 2025. (REUTERS)

It was all looking good for the Greens until the 95th minute when the hosts equalised through Saleh Al-Abbas. There was still time for it to get worse for Al-Ahli as Godwin Saviour struck to win the game for the relegation-threatened Al-Okhdood 

Al Ahli’s shock defeat means that they are in fifth in the table, on 48 points, three behind Al-Qadsiah and Al-Nassr. Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad are, however, out in front.


Three clubs fighting relegation in SPL Roshn League’s final round

Updated 23 May 2025
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Three clubs fighting relegation in SPL Roshn League’s final round

  • Two out of the three clubs — Al-Wehda, Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah — will be relegated to join Al-Raed
  • Al-Wehda will stay in the league if they win or draw against Al-Ettifaq in Dammam

RIYADH: Three clubs — Al-Wehda, Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah — will be fighting relegation during the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League) final round on Monday with matches being played simultaneously.

Two out of the three clubs will join Al-Raed, who have already been relegated to the first division. As things stand, Al-Wehda is in 15th place with 33 points, Al-Akhdood is in 16th place with 31 points and Al-Orobah is in 17th place with 30 points.

Al-Wehda will stay in the league if they win or draw against Al-Ettifaq in Dammam. A loss means they will need both Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah to also lose or draw.

Al-Akhdood must beat Al-Khaleej and hope that Al-Wehda lose, as that would keep Al-Akhdood in the SPL for another new season.

Al-Orobah has the most difficult task. They need to beat Al-Taawoun in Al-Jouf and then hope that both Al-Wehda and Al-Akhdood lose. If that happens, Al-Orobah will move above Al-Akhdood in points and tie with Al-Wehda.

In that case, Al-Orobah would survive because they have a better head-to-head record against Al-Wehda — losing the first match 2–1 but winning the second 4–2.


Saudi-based Ivan Toney recalled to England squad by Tuchel

Updated 23 May 2025
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Saudi-based Ivan Toney recalled to England squad by Tuchel

  • Toney, who has scored 22 goals in 29 Pro League games for the Saudi champions, made the last of his six England appearances in the Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain

LONDON: England manager Thomas Tuchel insists Ivan Toney “deserves” his surprise recall for the forthcoming internationals against Andorra and Senegal.
It is a first call-up for the 29-year-old since he left Brentford to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli last August.
Toney, who has scored 22 goals in 29 Pro League games for the Saudi champions, made the last of his six England appearances in the Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain.
“Ivan deserves to be with us, I think, and I’m convinced because he scored over 20 goals this season,” Tuchel said.
“He won a major title with the Asian Champions League, in goals and assists made a huge contribution.
“I thought, why not bring him over and let him travel to us? It’s a good occasion now to also test new players, see new players, meet Ivan first and see him in the environment.”
Tuchel has also given a first senior call-up to Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah.
The Sierra Leone-born Chalobah has played 32 times for Chelsea this season as they chase Champions League qualification and target victory over Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday.
“He played a fantastic second half of the season with Chelsea. He is very, very consistent on a very high level,” Tuchel said.
Manchester City star Phil Foden was left out just days after opening up about his mental health struggles.
Foden, who is struggling with an ankle injury, revealed his mental state has suffered throughout a difficult season for the forward.
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was selected despite reports that he needs surgery on a shoulder problem after the Club World Cup.
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher are among eight players in the squad who will also be involved in the Club World Cup in the United States.
England face Andorra in a World Cup qualifier in Barcelona on June 7 before a friendly with Senegal in Nottingham three days later.
The Club World Cup starts just five days after England’s second game of the international break.
“I could see the reasons for the players who go to the Club World Cup to maybe leave a bit earlier, to maybe change the squad,” Tuchel said.
“We had a good discussion over if we nominate the squad without Club World Cup players.
“Very quickly we understood that it’s also important for us. It’s only one year to go until the World Cup.
“So why send players away? We want to cherish and worship every day that we have together, and what signal will be sent to the group to send players away?“
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka are back in the international fold after injuries ruled them out of England’s wins over Albania and Latvia in World Cup qualifiers in March.
There was no place again for Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, with Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke and West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen also left out.


SPL champions-elect Al-Ittihad beat Al-Shabab 3-2 in last away game of the season

Updated 21 May 2025
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SPL champions-elect Al-Ittihad beat Al-Shabab 3-2 in last away game of the season

  • Moussa Diaby takes center stage with two memorable goals, the first of them in the opening minute, that put the Jeddah side in control
  • Al-Qadsiah tighten their grip on third place with a 3-1 win over Al-Orubah that moves them 4 points clear of Al-Nassr

RIYADH: In their first match since clinching the Saudi Pro League title last week, Al-Ittihad celebrated with a 3-2 win at Al-Shabab on Tuesday, their final away game of the season.

French winger Moussa Diaby took center stage, scoring two memorable goals that put the champions-elect in control, the first of which came in the opening minute. The former Aston Villa player, who arrived in Jeddah last summer, picked up possession on the right wing, cut inside the area and then, from a tight angle, fired an unstoppable shot into the opposite top corner.

His second, just after the half-hour mark, was delightful in its simplicity. Steven Bergwijn, still inside his own half, lifted the ball over the Riyadh defense to Diaby, who in turn lifted it over the goalkeeper, who was stranded outside his area.

Al-Shabab hit back in added time before the break through Yannick Carrasco, who controlled a Musab Al-Juwayr cross at the far post and fired home from close range.

Just before the hour mark, however, Bergwijn restored Al-Ittihad’s two-goal cushion. As the visitors streamed forward on the counter, N’Golo Kante fed the Dutchman on the left side, who produced another fine finish with a first-time shot.

That was not quite the end of the matter, though. Midway through the second half, Cristian Guanca made it 3-2, the Argentine heading home from close range after Daniel Podence hung a cross invitingly in the air.

Al-Shabab could not get another, however, and so Al-Ittihad recorded a sixth-successive win, which moved them nine points clear of second-place Al-Hilal, who travel to Al-Wehda on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, Al-Qadsiah strengthened their grip on third place, and a spot in the AFC Champions League Two, with a 3-1 home victory over relegation battlers Al-Orubah. Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang contributed two late strikes that put him on 17 goals for the season. Julian Quinones delivered the opener, the Mexican marksman’s 20th league goal of the campaign.

Al-Qadsiah are now four points clear of fourth-place Al-Nassr, who will have a chance to close the gap when they play host to Al-Khaleej on Wednesday, after which there will be just one round of games left to play.


SPL announces five nominees for Player of the Season award

Updated 19 May 2025
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SPL announces five nominees for Player of the Season award

  • Winner will be determined through a voting process distributed as follows: 40% from coaches, 40% from team captains, 15% from sports media professionals, and 5% from fans

RIYADH: The Technical Committee of the Roshn Saudi League has selected five nominees for the Player of the Season award as announced by the league’s official account on the social media platform X, SPL_EN.

The shortlist includes French striker Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal winger Salem Al-Dawsari, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo — the captain of Al-Nassr — Brazilian defender Roger Ibanez from Al-Ahli, and Argentine midfielder Cristian Guanca of Al-Shabab.

The selection was based on the league’s eligibility criteria, which require nominees to have participated in at least 40 percent of their team’s total league matches, regardless of position or nationality.

The winner will be determined through a voting process distributed as follows: 40 percent from coaches, 40 percent from team captains, 15 percent from sports media professionals, and 5 percent from fans.

In terms of performance stats: Benzema played 28 matches, scoring 21 goals and providing 9 assists; Ronaldo also played 28 matches, recording 23 goals and 3 assists.

Al-Dawsari contributed 15 goals and 14 assists in 30 matches, while Guanca appeared in a team-high 32 matches, scoring 10 goals and assisting 11.

Ibanez stood out defensively, leading Al-Ahli’s backline in 30 matches, helping the team keep 8 clean sheets, making 121 clearances, and achieving a 75 percent success rate in tackles.


Al-Nassr unveils new crest to mark club’s 70th anniversary

Updated 19 May 2025
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Al-Nassr unveils new crest to mark club’s 70th anniversary

  • New look unveiled in video showcase with the caption ‘A great legacy and history, and a promising future’
  • The crown atop the crest has gone, the name of the team is now simply ‘Nassr,’ and ‘Riyadh’ is added along with ‘1955,’ the year the club was founded

RIYADH: Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr on Monday unveiled a new official crest, which club officials said is part of a refreshed visual identity in celebration of the team’s 70th anniversary.

A message posted by the team’s official account on social media platform X included a video showcasing the new design with the caption: “A great legacy and history, and a promising future. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary, here is the Al-Nassr logo.”

The redesign features several notable changes, the most obvious of which is the removal of the crown that previously sat atop the crest. The name of the team in English is now stated simply as “Nassr,” the prefix “Al-” used in previous iterations now dropped. “Riyadh” has been added at the bottom of the logo, referencing the club’s home city, along with the year in which the team was founded: 1955. The map of the Arabian Peninsula at the center of the crest remains.

The most recent significant update prior to this came on Oct. 15, 2020, when a laurel wreath around the sides of the crest and a yellow ribbon at the bottom were removed.

Al-Nassr was founded on Oct. 24, 1955, and grew to become one of the most prominent clubs in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. With two matches left to play in the league this season, they sit in fourth place, 13 points behind confirmed champions Al-Ittihad.