Campaign urges fans to watch SAFF Women’s Cup final between champions Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah

The SAFF Women’s Cup Final between Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah will take place on Wednesday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. (SAFF)
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Updated 18 March 2025
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Campaign urges fans to watch SAFF Women’s Cup final between champions Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah

  • Saudi Arabian Football Federation launches #SeeOurGlory for Wednesday’s showdown at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh

RIYADH: A new campaign has been launched to inspire football fans to attend, watch and follow the SAFF Women’s Cup final on Wednesday.

The hashtag #SeeOurGlory will feature across the social media channels of the SAFF, clubs and players ahead of the highly anticipated clash between defending champions Al-Ahli and first-time finalists Al-Qadsiah.

This is the second edition of the SAFF Women’s Cup, which began in October, and had 16 teams from both the Saudi Women’s Premier League and the Saudi Women’s First Division League competing.

Taking place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the match will feature two of the top teams in Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning women’s football scene. Tickets for the final are available now at cup.saffwfd.com.

This year’s competition has seen more goals scored than last season’s inaugural edition, with players from more than 20 countries now competing professionally in Saudi Arabia.

“This year’s SAFF Women’s Cup Final is a testament to the rapid growth and success of women’s football in Saudi Arabia,” said Lamia Bahaian, vice president of the SAFF.

“We are thrilled to see two exceptional teams compete at the highest level, showcasing the talent, passion, and progress that define this competition.

“This match is not just about crowning a champion; it’s about celebrating the remarkable strides that the domestic game has taken in the Kingdom and we couldn’t be prouder.”

The journey to the 2025 final has seen milestones reached by both clubs.

For defending champions Al-Ahli, their path featured a thrilling 3-2 victory in a rematch of last year’s final against Al-Shabab to secure their place.

Head coach Manar Fraij is in her third season in charge at Al-Ahli and is aiming to secure her second major trophy with the Jeddah club.

Al-Qadsiah, who finished third in last year’s edition having been defeated by Al-Ahli in a 3-2 semifinal thriller, have made a remarkable push to the final this season.

Their journey saw them eliminate league leaders Al-Nassr on penalties in the semifinals.

They have young talent including Sulaf Asseri, an emerging under-20 national team star who was the first player to score for her team in this year’s SAFF Women’s Cup.

To win, Al-Qadsiah will need to find a way to stop Al-Ahli’s prolific forward Ibtissam Jraidi. The Moroccan star has been lethal in the tournament, top-scoring with eight goals to complement her league-leading 22 goals.

The SAFF Women’s Cup continues to be a key pillar in the SAFF’s mission to empower female athletes across the Kingdom, in alignment with Vision 2030.


Al-Hilal win tightens Saudi Pro League title race

Updated 27 December 2025
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Al-Hilal win tightens Saudi Pro League title race

  • The 3-2 victory over Al-Khaleej leaves Al-Hilal a single point behind Riyadh rivals Al-Nassr, who play on Saturday

DUBAI: The gap at the top of the Saudi Pro League table was cut to just one point on Friday night, following Al-Hilal’s 3-2 win over Al-Khaleej.

Simone Inzaghi’s team leapfrogged Al-Taawoun into second place to remain the closest challengers to Al-Nassr in the title fight, with the leaders set to host Al-Okhdood on Saturday.

Al-Hilal opened the scoring on 18 minutes when Mohammed Kanno met Hamad Al-Yami’s lay-off on the edge of the penalty area, his long-range shot beating Al-Khaleej goalkeeper Anthony Moris at his left-hand post.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic doubled the lead on 39 from Malcom’s assist to leave the visitors with a mountain to climb in the second half. Al-Hilal looked to have secured all three points comfortably when Malcom made it 3-0 on 57 minutes, but Al-Khaleej had other ideas.

Joshua King’s goal on 79 minutes looked to be nothing more than a consolation, but five minutes later Al-Hilal were left sweating after Giorgos Masouras cut their lead to a single goal. The visitors’ revival was short-lived, however, with no more additions to the score.

The defeat leaves Al-Khaleej in eighth place, with three matches still to be played on Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, Al-Taawoun briefly climbed to second place in the table after an away win against Al-Kholood at Al-Hazem Stadium. Their goals came from Christopher Zambrano after 22 minutes and a William Troost-Ekong’s own goal in the 75th; Al-Taawoun ended the match with 10 men after Muteb Al-Mufarrij was sent off in stoppage time, but the three points were already secured.

Al-Hilal’s win later in the day meant Al-Taawoun dropped to third, while Al-Kholood sit in 12th.

The first match of the day saw Al-Fateh shock reigning Asian champions Al-Ahli with a 2-1 win, after falling behind at home to Valentin Atangana’s 22nd-minute goal. However, the home team turned the match around with two goals from Maria Vargas either side of half time.

The win saw Al-Fateh rise to 14th while Al-Ahli stayed in fourth.