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Midseason review of Roshn Saudi Pro League 2023-2024 part 2

Al-Shabab have bolstered their squad with the signing of Ivan Rakitic during the winter break. (X/@AlShabab_EN)
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Updated 14 August 2024
Matt Monaghan
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Midseason review of Roshn Saudi Pro League 2023-2024 part 2

  • Arab News looks at the state of play for the SPL clubs in positions 10-18 as they return from the AFC Asian Cup break
Updated 14 August 2024
Matt Monaghan

Anticipation abounds ahead of this week’s intriguing full restart of the 2023/2024 Roshn Saudi Pro League.

The six-week interlude for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup contained managerial changes, eye-catching player acquisitions and noteworthy exits as competitors strove to finish campaigns on a high.

Arab News provides an essential guide for the 16 clubs as they head into Thursday’s resumption, including their key winter business and outlook for the 15 remaining matchweeks.

In part two, we look at the clubs occupying positions 10 to 18.

10. Al-Khaleej

Points 22

Goals scored/conceded 23-28

Season so far: A club in the same situation as Wehda. Al-Khaleej were threatened by instant demotion until the final matchweek last season, but have breathing space in 2023/2024. Magical Portuguese winger Fabio Martins is a class apart, being their top scorer on seven goals and joint-top assist maker with two. Experienced South Korea anchorman Jung Woo-young and Argentina center-back Lisandro Lopez have made all the difference to their defense.

Major winter changes: Former Inter Miami midfielder Mo Adams adds ballast after an invisible time at Al-Shabab.

Outlook: It is time to push on and look ahead to the King’s Cup semifinals. An upturn from disappointing Egypt striker Mohamed Sherif would help.

 

11. Al-Shabab

Points 21

Goals scored/conceded 19-25

Season so far: A season to forget for Shabab. Jose Mourinho will not be there to salvage this campaign, after winter rumors came to nothing. Well-travelled compatriot Vitor Pereira is at the helm instead, making him this season’s third permanent boss following swift exits from former Ajax supremo Marcel Keizer and Igor Biscan. Serious injury to South Korea No. 1 Kim Seung-gyu has added to their worries. But remedies have been sought to quell lingering relegation worries.

Major winter changes: Iconic Argentine midfielder Ever Banega has been allowed to return home to Newell’s Old Boys after almost four years of stellar service. An eye-catching, like-for-like replacement was secured in Croatia superstar Ivan Rakitic. He is joined by Ettifaq loanee Vitinho and promising Hilal youngster Musab Al-Juwayr.

Outlook: Pereira and Rakitic boast the experience to drag Shabab away from the mire. Belgium winger Yannick Carrasco and Morocco center-back Romain Saiss should build on decent individual starts. They need Senegal striker Habib Diallo to ignite.

 

12. Al-Okhdood

Points 20

Goals scored/conceded 13-25

Season so far: Their top-flight debut has contained a vital ability to edge results, with six victories coming via one-goal margins. An encouraging December under new boss Martin Sevela shifted the mood, with 10 points coming from 15 available. Prolific Romania defender Andrei Burca (four goals) is one of the signings of the season. The fact that he has outscored three-goal attackers Leandre Tawamba and Saviour Godwin is concerning.

Major winter changes: Not applicable

Outlook: For Sevela to avoid a second-successive relegation after Al-Adalah, he must get his misfiring attack in motion.

 

13. Al-Raed

Points 19

Goals scored/conceded 24-31

Season so far: It has been an uncomfortable season for the side from Buraidah. Shakhtar Donetsk title winner Igor Jovicevic has failed to find consistency. This is despite boasting the bottom half of the table’s best attack in which Algerian schemer Amir Sayoud has joined resident Moroccans Karim El-Berkaoui and Mohamed Fouzair. Last month’s stunning 3-1 raid of champions Ittihad points to untapped potential.

Major winter changes: Not applicable.

Outlook: The collective strength of the squad eases relegation doubts but they must start exhibiting this on a regular basis.

 

14. Al-Fayha

Points 19

Goals scored/conceded 19-31

Season so far: This has been a season of strife for the 2021/2022 King’s Cup victors. Zambia forward Fashion Sakala and Nigeria winger Henry Onyekuru have shone after summer moves. But lengthy injuries to fellow Super Eagle Anthony Nwakaeme and Morocco’s World Cup 2022 performer Abdelhamid Sabiri have stung. Belief remains in Serbian supremo Vuk Rasovic to correct their course, like last season.

Major winter changes: Saudi Arabia’s breakout 2023 Asian Cup performer, goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar, has departed for ambitious First Division League-pacesetters Al-Qadsiah.

Outlook: Their AFC Champions League form must be showcased domestically, or relegation looms.

 

15. Al-Riyadh

Points 19

Goals scored/conceded 17-37

Season so far: It has been tough going upon their top-flight return after almost two decades away. Their defense is the leakiest outside the bottom three and attack is the second worst. These problems conflated during a December which featured three defeats and one win. Attacker Saleh Al-Abbas has carried them at times, with Jamaica striker Andre Gray and Zimbabwe forward Knowledge Musona failing to match his impact.

Major winter changes: Not applicable.

Outlook: October hire Odair Hellmann must sharply correct course. The ex-Santos and Al-Wasl tactician has a huge job on his plate.

 

16. Al-Tai

Points 17

Goals scored/conceded 20-39

Season so far: Comfortable mid-table finishes since 2021/2022’s top-flight comeback are a distant memory. An opening matchweek victory against Damac was an illusion, with four points being taken from the next nine matches. Little uptick followed September’s call to dispense with Kresimir Resic, then hire ex-Hilal and Ahli manager Laurentiu Reghecampf. If it was not for the brilliance of nine-goal Ghana attacking midfielder Bernard Mensah, signed from Kayserispor, they would be even further adrift.

Major winter changes: Not applicable.

Outlook: It is going to be a slog to survive, from this point. A date with Abha looms large on March 1.

 

17. Abha

Points 14

Goals scored/conceded 22-52

Season so far: Abha started slowly and got worse from there. They have lost their last seven league matches to a combined score of 29-9. The services of Czeslaw Michniewicz and Yousef Al-Mannai have already been dispensed with. Winter tweaks, however, must point toward better times, or a five-season top-flight stint will end.

Major winter changes: Changes have been sought across the club. Ahli’s promotion winner, Pitso Mosimane, has been set a distinctly different task. Ettifaq loanee Marcel Tisserand must tighten up a defense which has conceded five more than any other. Five-goal Cameroon forward Karl Toko Ekambi has moved in the opposite direction, with Montenegro and Sochi attacker Luka Djordevic his replacement.

Outlook: Much rests on the prowess of Djordevic and Mosimane’s ability to rebound from a mixed spell at the UAE’s Wahda. Alarm bells are still ringing.

 

18. Al-Hazem

Points 13

Goals scored/conceded 19-47

Season so far: It has been tough going for last season’s First Division League runners-up. Every matchweek has been spent within the drop zone, including 11 in last place. A call was made in October to release promotion winner Filipe Gouveia and draft in Nassr’s 2013/2014 double winner, Jose Daniel Carreno. After the pain of their landmark Hilal thumping, they now sit on an encouraging run of one defeat from the subsequent five matches.

Major winter changes: Hazem looked to Major League Soccer and recruited Venezuela defensive midfielder Junior Moreno.

Outlook: Carreno has provided hope that an instant demotion is not inevitable. To do this, will require impressive Portuguese midfielder Toze’s 10-goal contributions to be matched elsewhere.

Topics: Roshn Saudi League SPL SPL Al-Qadsiah SPL Al-Khaleej SPL Al-Wehda SPL Al-Riyadh SPL Al-Okhdood SPL Al-Orobah SPL Al-Kholood

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Max Verstappen delighted at birth of his first child with partner Kelly Piquet

Updated 11 sec ago
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Max Verstappen delighted at birth of his first child with partner Kelly Piquet

  • Verstappen had skipped Thursday activities at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix to be with his partner
Updated 11 sec ago
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MIAMI GARDENS, Florida: Four-time defending Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen and partner Kelly Piquet have announced the arrival of their first child.
“Welcome to the world, sweet Lily,” Verstappen and Piquet wrote Friday on Instagram. “Our hearts are fuller than ever — you are our greatest gift. We love you so much.”
Verstappen had skipped Thursday activities at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix to be with his partner.
The announcement gave no further details about the birth.
Verstappen and Piquet, the daughter of three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet, went public with their relationship in 2021. She has a daughter, Penelope, with driver Daniil Kvyat that Verstappen is very close with but this was the first child for Verstappen.
Verstappen, who has 64 career victories, has won the last four F1 titles. He’s won just once this season as McLaren has shown an early edge over Red Bull headed into Sunday’s race, the sixth of the season. He is third in the series standings.
Verstappen won the first two Miami Grand Prix races, while Lando Norris of McLaren scored the first F1 victory of his career at this race last year.

Topics: Motorsport Formula 1 Formula One F1 Max Verstappen

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Maguire revels in ‘Harrydinho’ tag after United’s Europa League win

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Maguire revels in ‘Harrydinho’ tag after United’s Europa League win

Updated 3 min 10 sec ago
Maguire set up Casemiro’s header with some brilliant dribbling skills and a pinpoint cross
The night had fans calling Maguire “Harrydinho” on social media

MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Harry Maguire received rave reviews for his masterful performance as a makeshift forward in their Europa League victory on Thursday with many comparing the team’s oft-maligned center-back to Brazil great Ronaldinho.
Maguire set up Casemiro’s header with some brilliant dribbling skills and a pinpoint cross that opened scoring in United’s 3-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their semifinal tie.
The night had fans calling Maguire “Harrydinho” on social media, while Maguire’s assist was the top post on Reddit Soccer on Friday. The top comment read: “Yer a winger, Harry!“
Teammate Amad Diallo posted a hilariously-morphed photo of Maguire’s face with Argentine great Maradona’s flowing hair on his Instagram.
“What a winger! I don’t think he even knew he had that in his locker,” said United captain Bruno Fernandes, who scored twice.
“Harry is a much more confident man now. When he is playing, his position is becoming more strong, he is a very good leader and we hope he keeps improving.”
Maguire channelled his inner Ronaldinho when he twice stopped and changed direction before blazing past Mikel Jauregizar to deliver the cross.
“The shimmy, the chops, I had to look twice,” former Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend told the BBC.
United boss Ruben Amorim also heaped praise on the 32-year-old defender.
“Sometimes there are moments in our life and Harry has had difficult moments,” the Portuguese said. “Everything he does is good for the team, so we have to enjoy.”
Maguire downplayed the accolades, although admitted he enjoyed his moment of brilliance.
“I found myself attacking the back post, I think (Alejandro Garnacho) Garna passed me the ball, it was nice to do a bit of dribbling and put in a great cross,” he said.
“We had a lot of bodies in the box and they must have trusted me to put in the cross. It was a nice feeling and it was a great header in the end.”
Amorim’s men, who are having a miserable season domestically but are the only unbeaten team in any European competition this season, host the second leg next Thursday at Old Trafford.
The winners will face Tottenham Hotspur or Bodo/Glimt in the final, with Spurs leading 3-1 from their home leg.

Saudi Arabia concludes West Asian Laser-Run Cup with 12 medals

Updated 02 May 2025
Khaled Alarafah
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Saudi Arabia concludes West Asian Laser-Run Cup with 12 medals

Updated 02 May 2025
Khaled Alarafah

Kuwait: The Saudi Arabian Modern Pentathlon National Team delivered a strong performance at the West Asian Laser-Run Cup, securing a total of 12 medals.

In all, the team took two golds, four silvers, and six bronzes at the championship, which was hosted by Kuwait with the participation of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Bahrain, Syria, and Lebanon.

The president of the West Asian Modern Pentathlon Federation, Hussein Al-Abdulwahab, awarded the winners and praised the high level of competition at what marks the inaugural edition of the West Asian Laser-Run series.

The Saudi team was represented by 15 male and female athletes across various age categories.

Abdulrahman Al-Enazi claimed gold in the under-19 category. Thamer Masoud won gold in the under-17 category, with teammate Wissam Bakri earning bronze.

In the under-15 girls’ section, Lamar Al-Sharari took silver, and Fatimah Al-Saiari secured bronze.

Bayan Al-Saiari won silver in the under-17 category, and Rimas Al-Zubaidi earned bronze.

Hadeel Al-Qousi, meanwhile, claimed bronze in the women’s open category, while Mohammed Bahetham took bronze in the men’s.

In the team competitions, Saudi Arabia added bronze in the under-15 boys’ team contest, silver in the men’s open team category, and silver in the women’s open team category.

Al-Abdulwahab congratulated all medalists and praised the remarkable efforts of the athletes and teams. He expressed optimism for the future of the sport in the region, stating that this event sets a strong foundation for the continued development of Laser-Run and modern pentathlon in West Asia.

Topics: Saudi Arabia Laser-Run Cup

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How Kawasaki Frontale banished continental woes to face Al-Ahli in AFC Champions League Elite final

Updated 02 May 2025
Paul Williams
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How Kawasaki Frontale banished continental woes to face Al-Ahli in AFC Champions League Elite final

  • Saudi Arabia’s last team standing will welcome rejuvenated Japanese opponents on Saturday night in Jeddah
Updated 02 May 2025
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AUSTRALIA: Football works in mysterious ways at times and that is certainly the case for Kawasaki Frontale and their exploits on the continent.

For five seasons between 2017 and 2021 under the guidance of Toru Oniki they almost completely dominated the J. League, winning four league titles and finishing fourth in the only year they missed out.

When you include their third-place finish in 2016, for a six-year stretch they never finished outside the top four. They were Japan’s premier domestic football club by some distance.

But when it came to Asia, they floundered. Think of the internet meme comparing a dog built like a bodybuilder and a small pup, and that encapsulates the exploits of Kawasaki in Japan as opposed to Asia.

In six continental campaigns from 2017 to 2023, their best finish was a quarterfinal in 2017 when they squandered a 3-1 lead from the first leg to lose 4-1 in the second leg to fellow J. League side Urawa Reds, who subsequently went on to win the title.

It was a loss that exposed a soft underbelly, something that had been a criticism of the team for the decade prior, having come so close but never managing to get over the line for a maiden J. League title.

They finished runners-up in 2006, 2008 and 2009, and third in 2013 and 2016.

That loss in the quarterfinal of 2017 came just months before they clinched their first J. League title, which seemed to flick a switch in their mentality, at least in Japan, anyway.

On the continent they continued to struggle.

In 2018 and 2019 they failed to get out of the group stage, winning just two of 12 games in the process. Another group stage exit followed in 2022, bookended by Round of 16 appearances in 2021 and 2023.

But it fell well short of expectations for a side so dominant in arguably Asia’s best league. And which had overseas and national-team stars like Kaoru Mitoma, Kengo Nakamura, Shogo Taniguchi, Hidemasa Morita, Ao Tanaka, Miki Yamane, and Reo Hatate.

It was a squad stacked with talent, but having lost so many to European football Kawasaki have returned to the pack in recent years, struggling to maintain their excellence, with back-to-back eighth-place finishes.

At the end of last season, Oniki moved to Kashima Antlers (who are currently top of the table in Japan) and was replaced with Shigetoshi Hasebe, a more pragmatic-minded coach from Avispa Fukuoka.

So football being as it is, of course it is this season of change and transition that has Kawasaki on the precipice of achieving what they never could during their dominant reign — being crowned Kings of Asia.

After finishing second in the League Stage of the East Zone, they found their way past Chinese heavyweights Shanghai Shenhua in the Round of 16 but arrived in Jeddah with very little expectation upon them.

They needed extra time to sneak their way past perennial Qatari champions, Al-Sadd. A semifinal clash against Al-Nassr’s bevy of international stars was expected to be their end point, but would still have been considered a success given their current status as a club.

Hasebe and his troops had other ideas, however.

Perhaps able to play without the burden of expectation, which seemed to weigh heavily on the shoulders of Al-Nassr, it was Frontale who were able to take control and look the most at ease.

Tatsuya Ito’s sensational volley opened the scoring, and after Sadio Mane equalized, it was the pressing of Ito that created the opportunity for their second. Yuto Ozeki, part of a new generation of stars beginning to emerge, finished off, for a surprise lead going into half-time.

When the ageless Akihiro Ienaga scored to make it 3-1, very few could believe what they were seeing. With a starting XI having just one foreign player and an attack featuring players of 19 and 20, with another 20-year-old in the heart of defense, this should not have been possible.

“Our two young players stepped up,” Hasebe said after the game of Ozeki and Soma Kanda, who are both so inexperienced that neither even has a Wikipedia page.

“They may still be developing but they’ve gained experience at the under-20 level. Their main job was to contain (Al-Nassr midfielder Marcelo) Brozovic but they also contributed well going forward.

“Discipline and attitude were key tonight. I’ve spoken with the players regularly to instill this mindset and they responded well. Everyone showed great commitment. This is the football we’ve been working towards.”

Also speaking after the game, goalscorer Ito said this was as much a victory for Japanese football as it was for Kawasaki.

“This isn’t just important for our club, it means a lot for the J. League as well. It shows the level of Japanese football. Before the game, the manager told us we came here to change things and make history. I hope we can complete that mission in the next match.”

Having made it this far against the odds, there would be few willing to say they now cannot go all the way and create that history, and in the process become the seventh Japanese club to lift continental silverware.

It is the type of unpredictability that makes football the game we all love. Sometimes it does not make sense, but that is also what makes it so beautiful.

Topics: football SPL Al-Nassr Kawasaki Frontale SPL Al-Ahli AFC Champions League Elite

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Heavy hitters book places in 2025 PFL World Tournament semis

Updated 02 May 2025
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Heavy hitters book places in 2025 PFL World Tournament semis

  • Heavyweights Rodrigo Nascimento, Oleg Popov, Alexandr Romanov and Valentin Moldavsky advance from first round in Orlando
  • The PFL welterweight and featherweight semifinals begin on Thursday, June 12
Updated 02 May 2025
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FLORIDA: The first round of the 2025 PFL World Tournament concluded on Thursday night at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, with four fighters in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions punching their tickets to June’s semifinals.

In the heavyweight semifinals, Brazil’s Rodrigo Nascimento (12-3) will take on Russia’s Oleg Popov (20-2), while Moldova’s Alexandr Romanov (19-3) is set to face former interim Bellator champion, Valentin Moldavsky (14-4).

In the light heavyweight semifinals, former Bellator champion Phil Davis (25-7, 1 NC) will face Arizona’s Sullivan Cauley (7-1), while former PFL Europe standout Simeon Powell (11-1) will go head-to-head with 2021 PFL light heavyweight champion Antonio Carlos Jr. (17-6, 2 NC).

Thursday’s main event featured a clash between Davis and 2022 PFL light heavyweight champion Rob Wilkinson (19-4, 1 NC). After a slow start, Davis, an NCAA wrestling champion, came out firing in the second round, overwhelming his Australian opponent with a barrage of strikes that forced the referee to step in. With the emphatic stoppage, Davis secured his spot in the semifinals.

The co-main event featured a showdown between two Russian heavyweights with nearly identical records, former interim Bellator champion Valentin Moldavsky and Sergey Bilostenniy (13-4). It is rare to see heavyweights maintain such a relentless pace, but the former training partners emptied their tanks over three grueling rounds. While Bilostenniy landed more volume, Moldavsky controlled the grappling exchanges and delivered the more impactful strikes, earning a well-deserved decision victory.

Former Bellator light heavyweight No.1 contender Karl Moore (12-4) squared off against 2021 PFL light heavyweight champion Antonio “Shoeface” Carlos Jr. Using his elite jiu-jitsu pedigree, Carlos J. was able to neutralize the power of his Irish opponent for most of the bout. Despite a late flurry from Moore in the final round, Carlos Jr. stayed in control and earned the split decision victory, his eighth win in his past nine fights.

Kicking off the main card was a clash between two European light heavyweights: Karl Albrektsson (14-7) and Simeon Powell. Albrektsson found success early, landing a steady stream of kicks that scored points and wore down the 2023 PFL Europe light heavyweight runner-up. However, momentum shifted in the second round when Powell unleashed a flurry of vicious elbows that staggered the Swede and dropped him to the canvas, prompting the referee to step in. With the win, “Smooth” Powell secured his spot in the semifinals in June.

The 2025 PFL World Tournament continues on Thursday, June 12, with the welterweight and featherweight semifinals.

2025 PFL World Tournament 4: First round main card

Phil Davis (25-7, 1 NC) def. Rob Wilkinson (19-4,1 NC) via KO (strikes) at 00:51 of round two

Valentin Moldavsky (14-4) def. Sergey Bilostenniy (13-4) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Antonio Carlos Jr (17-6, 2 NC) def. Karl Moore (12-4) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Simeon Powell (11-1) def. Karl Albrektsson (14-7) via TKO (strikes) at 2:05 of round two

2025 PFL World Tournament 4: First round early card

Alexandr Romanov (19-3) def. Tim Johnson (18-12) via submission (standing guillotine) at 1:53 of round one

Oleg Popov (20-2) def. Karl Williams (10-3) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Sullivan Cauley (7-1) def. Alex Polizzi (11-5) via TKO (strikes) at 1:36 of round one

Rodrigo Nascimento (12-3) def. Abraham Bably (5-2) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

2025 PFL World Tournament schedule

2025 PFL World Tournament 5: Semifinals, June 12, Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville

2025 PFL World Tournament 6: Semifinals, June 20, INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita

2025 PFL World Tournament 7: Semifinals, June 27, Wintrust Arena, Chicago

2025 PFL World Tournament 8: Finals, Aug. 1, Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ

2025 PFL World Tournament 9: Finals, Aug. 15, Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina

2025 PFL World Tournament 10: Finals, Aug. 21, Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida

Topics: Mixed martial arts PFL

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