Latest news with #AlKholood
The Star
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Cancelo ruled out of Al-Hilal's Asian Champions League semi with Al-Ahli
Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Kholood v Al Hilal - King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - September 28, 2024 Al Hillal's Joao Cancelo during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Stringer JEDDAH (Reuters) -Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus has ruled Joao Cancelo out of the remainder of his side's Asian Champions League Elite campaign with a hamstring injury ahead of their all-Saudi Pro League semi-final against Al-Ahli in Jeddah on Tuesday. The former Manchester City and Barcelona defender limped off 42 minutes into Al-Ahli's 7-0 thrashing of South Korea's Gwangju on Friday and Jesus confirmed the 30-year-old would play no further part in the continental championship. "The only negative part of an excellent night was the injury to Joao Cancelo," said Jesus. "He's one of the players who is very important for the team for his attacking ability. "We will not have him. He will be out for four to six weeks, that means his season is practically over but he will be well prepared for our participation in the Club World Cup." Al-Hilal remain on track for a record-extending fifth Asian title but face a difficult challenge against an Al-Ahli side that is the only undefeated team left in the competition. The clubs have already met three times this season in domestic competition, with Al-Ahli winning the most recent encounter in the Saudi Pro League thanks to a hat-trick by England striker Ivan Toney. That win was coach Matthias Jaissle's first against Al-Hilal in five attempts and the German is confident his side can repeat the feat. "It helps definitely to know, to feel that we are capable to win against Al-Hilal," said Jaissle. "We've played against Al-Hilal so often and they have huge quality in their squad, but we're well prepared. We know exactly what will come tomorrow, there will be no surprises on the pitch. Details will be decisive." The semi-final will be played at Al-Ahli's home at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Jaissle is hoping the support of the local fans will be a factor in deciding the outcome. "The results in the matches since the competition started show clearly that this competition fits us," he said. "But we didn't achieve anything so far. "Everything has to fit together, all the details in all phases of the game. Then you need sometimes a bit of luck and the extra energy of the fans." (Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Ros Russell)
Saudi Gazette
15-03-2025
- Sport
- Saudi Gazette
Al Nassr climbs to third with dominant win over Al Khaleej, Al Qadsiah slips after loss to Damac
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Al Nassr surged into third place in the Saudi Pro League with a 3-1 victory over Al Kholood on Friday, capitalizing on Al Qadsiah's defeat to Damac in Round 25 of the competition. Ronaldo, Mané, Durán on target in first-half blitz Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané, and Jhon Durán all found the net in a dominant first half for Al Nassr, securing a comfortable win despite being reduced to 10 men in the second half. Ronaldo, the league's top scorer with 19 goals, opened the scoring in the 4th minute, pouncing on a rebound after Durán's initial strike hit the right post, before bouncing off the left post and into his path. Moments later, Al Kholood thought they had equalized through Miziane Maolida, but VAR ruled it offside. Al Nassr doubled their lead in the 26th minute when Salem Al-Najdi delivered a pinpoint cross that Mané met with a sublime first-time finish into the net. Durán added a third just four minutes before halftime, collecting a pass from Angelo Gabriel and firing a low shot past the keeper. Al Nassr holds firm despite red card Al Nassr had to play the final half-hour with 10 men after Nawaf Boushal received a second yellow card. Head coach Stefano Pioli responded with a triple substitution in the 61st minute, bringing on Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem, Ayman Yahya, and Majid Fashish for Ronaldo, Gabriel, and Ali Al-Hassan. Al Kholood pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute when Jackson Muleka's shot deflected off Ali Lajami and past goalkeeper Bento Matheus. Mané thought he had restored Al Nassr's three-goal lead three minutes later, but his strike was ruled out for a foul in the buildup. With the win, Al Nassr moved level on 51 points with Al Qadsiah but climbed to third on goal difference. Al Kholood remains 10th with 31 points. Damac stuns Al Qadsiah with stoppage-time penalty Al Qadsiah slipped to fourth place after a 1-0 defeat to Damac, with Habib Diallo scoring a last-gasp penalty in stoppage time. The result leaves Al Qadsiah on 51 points, trailing Al Nassr on goal difference, while Damac climbs to 12th with 27 points. Al Wehda cruises past Al Khaleej Elsewhere, Al Wehda secured a 2-0 win over Al Khaleej, with Juninho Bacuna scoring inside two minutes, followed by Youssef Amin's second-half goal in the 63rd minute. The win lifts Al Wehda to 20 points in 16th place, while Al Khaleej stays 11th with 30 points.
Al Arabiya
07-03-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
William Troost-Ekong on facing Ronaldo and defying expectations with Al Kholood
Among the numerous quality Saudi Pro League arrivals last summer, there has arguably been none as influential for their team as Al Kholood center-back William Troost-Ekong. Signing for - in hindsight - a steal at €1.2m from Greek side PAOK, the Nigeria captain has brought a steeliness and professionalism to Kholood that has helped the club punch well above its weight in this season's Saudi Pro League. After losing coach Fabiano Flora and many of the players who helped him steer the club to a historic first promotion to the top flight, Al Kholood was a firm favorite to be relegated straight back to the Saudi First Division in 2024-25. Instead, inspired by the defensive solidity of Troost-Ekong, the creativity of winger Álex Collado, and the goals of Myziane Maolida, Kholood currently sits 11th in the table - 10 points clear of the dropzone. This over-achievement has been overseen by Algerian coach Noureddine Ben Zekri, a proven specialist in Saudi Pro League survival in recent years who replaced Paulo Duarte in October. 'The coach has given the players responsibility and that is why we are overachieving,' Troost-Ekong tells Al Arabiya English in an exclusive interview. 'He's had a good look at what our qualities are and has just made the puzzle as simple as possible for us to solve on the pitch.' 'You see that a player like Myziane is completely coming into his stride and he is one of the most lethal players in the league right now one-on- one. Then we have Alex Collado, who is a very good player, and Hamad Al-Hammadi is doing amazing things too.' 'I feel like everyone's kind of blossoming, playing this system that they enjoy.' Experiencing different countries and football culture has been a regular part of Troost-Ekong's career. Coming through the youth academies of Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, the center-back went on to play in the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Turkey, Italy and Greece - as well as three years back in England with Watford, including a stint in the Premier League. But he admits that joining a newly promoted Saudi club has been an entirely different adventure, particularly in a smaller city like Ar Rass - in the Kingdom's Al-Qassim Province. 'It was very difficult to find anything about Al-Qassim on Google so I did a lot of figuring things out for myself as quickly as I could,' Troost-Ekong recalls. 'Obviously I didn't know what to expect and what I found was that everything was new for the club too.' 'I remember walking on my first day past the gym and it wasn't finished yet, and quite a few of the overseas players only came in right before the start of the season. But fortunately everything came together in time for the opening game.' 'It was quite hectic but I think the one thing that has always been my strength in football, and in life probably, is adapting - because I've played in so many different countries, under many different managers, in many different cultures. Change doesn't faze me and honestly the feeling was of excitement.' There has been plenty of cause for that excitement this season. Since the turn of the year, Kholood has beaten Al Ettifaq, Al Raed, Al Riyadh, Al Wehda and Al Khaleej, as well as taking a 2-0 lead against Al Ittihad in Jeddah before succumbing to a 4-3 defeat. The pièce de résistance, however, was a 1-0 win over ACL Elite-chasing Al Ahli in January. Troost-Ekong helped repel the substantial threat of Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney, the latter of whom has scored 16 Saudi Pro League goals this season. 'I think that it's always nice to measure yourself against guys who are among the best players in the world,' Troost-Ekong explains. 'Ivan was someone that I played against in the Championship with Watford before we both got promoted. Fast forward five years and yeah, he's a star striker for Al Ahli.' 'There was also Franck Kessie, who I played against in the [2024] Africa Cup of Nations final for Nigeria. These are the challenges that you do it for and this is of course part of the appeal of moving to Saudi Arabia.' Of all the players Troost-Ekong has faced so far, however, it is Al Ittihad captain Karim Benzema against whom he has most enjoyed pitting his wits. 'I never played in Spain so it has been great to go up against a striker with his pedigree. I think his understanding of the game and movement really became so clear when you're trying to play against him.' 'It's like a constant game of cat and mouse, trying to drag you around to open up the space and entering the box very late.' Next week, Troost-Ekong will add another illustrious name to that list of opponents as he aims to shackle Cristiano Ronaldo, who was missing when Al Kholood claimed a surprise 3-3 draw at home to Al Nassr in October. Troost-Ekong has played against both Lionel Messi - at the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Nigeria - and Ronaldo in his career, with the Portuguese superstar an opponent during his time at Juventus and Manchester United. 'I have so much respect for him, though we did beat Manchester United 4-1 with Watford when he was in the team,' the Nigerian defender laughs. 'I'm sure that he's not keeping a tally against me, but I definitely am.' 'It'll be really exciting to play against him and I'm also looking forward to seeing [Al Nassr's record signing] Jhon Duran, too. It's natural that these games and opponents are the ones that I'm excited about the most.' 'The benefit for us at Al Kholood is we go into these matches with no expectations, which means we can express ourselves. That mindset has enabled us to get some of the great results we've seen - like the draw with Al Nassr and the win against Al Ahli.' Despite there being a 10-point gap between Al Kholood and the relegation zone, Troost-Ekong insists he and his teammates are taking nothing for granted as they aim to extend their stay in the Saudi Pro League by another season. 'I always like to look at how many points teams have historically needed to stay in the league and I think that figure is around 34 points,' he says. 'That means we cannot relax yet and we know we are not there yet; we are still very much in competition with those teams below us. Things can change so quickly - we've seen that in recent weeks.'
Al Arabiya
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
SPL week 22: Five-star Al Hilal bounces back, Al Ittihad held and Ronaldo leads Benzema
The Saudi Pro League is now home to some of football's most recognizable names, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang putting the competition on the global football map. Each week, Al Arabiya English brings you the key storylines and highlights in the race for the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League title. For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. In Week 21, Al Hilal breathed life back into the title race – capitalizing on Al Ittihad's surprise draw with Al Khaleej to close the gap at the top of the table, courtesy of a thumping win over Al Kholood. Elsewhere, Al Ahli claimed a huge victory over fellow AFC Champions League Elite hopeful Al Qadsiah to spice up the battle for third place, while Cristiano Ronaldo leapfrogged Karim Benzema at the top of the scoring charts after netting in Al Nassr's win at Al Wehda. Kholood KO'd by five-star Al Hilal Al Hilal delivered exactly the type of response coach Jorge Jesus would have hoped for following last weekend's damaging defeat to title rival Al Ittihad. Jesus' team immediately bounced back with a ruthless 5-1 thrashing of Al Kholood at the Kingdom Arena. Al Hilal's wingers were in particularly irrepressible form as Malcom and Salem al-Dawsari each helped themself to a brace, with Marcos Leonardo adding the other goal in a win that brought the reigning Saudi Pro League champion back to within five points of leader Ittihad. Malcom set Al Hilal on its way just two minutes into the game after combining brilliantly with al-Dawsari, whose scooped through-ball was headed in by his Brazilian team-mate. The Al Hilal and Saudi Arabia national team captain then added his own name to the scoresheet, tapping in from close range after Marcos Leonardo's initial effort was parried his way. The first half went from bad to worse for Kholood in the 20th minute as Malcom fired in his second goal of the night, striking left-footed past goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's knockdown. Before the half-hour mark, Jesus' team was 4-0 up thanks to a goal made in Brazil. Marcos Leonardo continued his rich vein of recent scoring form for Hilal – now 14 in his last 11 Saudi Pro League games – as he rose unmarked to head home a cross from compatriot Kaio César. Unsurprisingly, Al Hilal took its foot off the gas a little in the second half but there was still one more goal as Kaio Cesar was creator again – laying the ball off for al-Dawsari to sweep home his second of the match. Abdulrahman al-Safari's late consolation for Al Kholood could not take the shine off a result that breathed life straight back into the Saudi Pro League title race. Late leveler sees Al Ittihad stumble Heading into the sixth minute of stoppage time of Al Ittihad's clash with Al Khaleej on Wednesday night, it seemed as though Laurent Blanc's league leader had produced a professional performance that had consolidated its position at the top of the table. That was until Greek midfielder Kostas Fortounis struck a late equalizer from the penalty spot – snatching a 1-1 draw that knocked the wind out of Al Ittihad's sail and reduced the gap between itself and second-placed Al Hilal to five points. Just a few days earlier, Al Ittihad produced a performance worthy of a champion-elect as it blew away Al Hilal 4-1 in Jeddah. But having given everything to get that result, Blanc's side appeared a little more labored at the Prince Mohammad bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam. In truth, it was a genuinely close contest, with Al Khaleej raising its level and drawing multiple saves from Al Ittihad goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic – notably in the first half when the Serbian was regularly called into action. But Al Ittihad did sneak ahead in the 78th minute with an excellent team goal. Captain Benzema switched the ball to Moussa Diaby, who released Fawaz al-Sqoor in the penalty area. The Saudi right-back's fizzing cross was turned home at the back post by Abdulrahman al-Oboud, who has exploded into life recently with five goals in his past seven matches. It stayed 1-0 until the sixth minute of stoppage time, when Fortounis held his nerve under substantial pressure to bear Rajkovic from 12 yards to grab a deserved point for Al Khaleej – condemning Ittihad to a draw that will certainly be viewed as two points lost. Al Ahli joins hunt for third spot After a slow start to the season, Al Ahli has improved dramatically in recent months and produced arguably its best display of 2024-25 to beat fellow in-form side Al Qadsiah 4-1 in Jeddah on Tuesday. It means coach Matthias Jaissle has now guided his players to an impressive run of 15 wins in 18 games in all competitions. Victory over Al Qadsiah puts Al Ahli only three points behind its opponent – and Ronaldo's Al Nassr – in the race for third place in the Saudi Pro League, while Jaissle' side has also progressed unbeaten into the last-16 of the AFC Champions League Elite. At King Abdullah Sports City, Al Ahli went ahead early against Al Qadsiah through Ivan Toney. The Englishman boasts an exemplary penalty record and showed again how deadly he is from the spot after Firas al-Buraikan was brought down, converting calmly to make it 1-0. That lead was doubled soon after by a more unlikely source as Saudi center-back Mohammed Sulaiman showed striker-like instincts to turn the ball home after Gabri Veiga's corner caused confusion in the Al Qadsiah penalty area. By half-time it was 3-0. Brazilian winger Galeno has impressed since arriving from Porto and his direct running into the area and shot forced ex-Real Madrid defender Nacho to divert the ball into his own net. It was a sensational first-half display by Al Ahli, particularly as Al Qadsiah's defense has been the tightest in the division this season; this was only the third time in 2024-25 that Michel's side has conceded more than two goals in a game. Julián Quiñones 15th goal of a prolific debut campaign in Saudi Arabia gave Al Qadsiah hope just after half-time but just four minutes later another Toney penalty – this time won and scored by the ex-Brentford striker – put the exclamation point on a massive win for Al Ahli. Best of the rest Cristiano Ronaldo moved ahead of Benzema in the race for the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot after scoring the opening goal in Al Nassr's 2-0 win over Al Wehda. Ronaldo rose to head home Angelo Gabriel's right-wing cross for a 17th league goal of the season that puts him above Benzema atop the scoring charts. Al Wehda stayed valiantly in the game but Sadio Mane made sure of the points in Mecca – Ronaldo relinquishing penalty-taking duties in order to let his team-mate snap an eight-game scoreless run late on. Al Ettifaq followed up its magnificent victory over Al Nassr last time out with another against Al Taawoun, winning 1-0 in Dammam. For the second time in as many games it was captain Georginio Wijnaldum who was Al Ettifaq's match-winner – his 78th-minute goal helping the club climb to seventh in the table, continuing a dramatic transformation in fortunes since Steven Gerrard's dismissal as coach in January. Al Fateh claimed a vital 3-1 win against fellow struggler Al Akhdoud to leapfrog its opponent and move out of the Saudi Pro League relegation zone. Al Fateh had – until very recently – looked cut adrift in the Saudi Pro League drop zone having won just twice this season up until February 7, but Portuguese coach Jose Gomes has now overseen three straight victories. The latest one was served up thanks to goals from Djaniny, Sofiane Bendebka and in-form Moroccan Moura Batna, who has now netted five in seven games for Al Fateh. Elsewhere, Al Shabab returned to winning ways as a brace from Cristian Guanca secured a late 2-1 victory away at Al Raed. In the 70th minute, Mehdi Abeid cancelled out Guanca's opener but the Argentina winger, who has been at Al Shabab for almost six years, struck again to hit an 88th-minute winner for Al Shabab, which remains sixth in the table. Al Orobah recorded its third win in four games as it claimed a 2-1 away reverse at Damac. English striker Brad Young took nine games to open his Al Orobah account but now has two in his last three after opening the scoring. The crucial second goal came from January arrival Omar Al Somah, with the veteran Syria striker having hit the ground running since arriving from Al Arabi. This was his fourth in six games since joining Al Orobah, which held on through Meshari al-Nemer's stoppage-time goal to take all three points. Finally, Al Riyadh and Al Fayha battled it out in an attritional 0-0 draw, in which both sides squandered chances to grab the victory. Most notably, French forward Sekou Lega had a second-half effort well saved by Fayha goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera.
