SCM Sports Desk I Saturday, Sept 12, 2026
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA — Former Premier League hitman Ivan Toney was the star of the show at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, bagging a brace to propel Matthias Jaissle’s heavyweight Al-Ahli side to a commanding 3-1 victory over Al-Hazem in Saudi Pro League Matchday 7.
The high-value hosts, anchored by ex-Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy in goal alongside a backline featuring former Atalanta titan Merih Demiral and ex-Roma defender Roger Ibañez, found themselves stunned almost immediately at kick-off. In the very first minute of play, Al-Hazem winger Ahmed Al-Nakhli silenced the home crowd by catching the Al-Ahli defense off guard and slotting past Mendy to hand the underdogs a shock 1-0 lead.
However, Al-Ahli’s galaxy of attacking talent proved too potent to hold back for long. Portuguese winger Francisco Trincão ignited the response in the 21st minute, showcasing brilliant footwork to haul the hosts back on level terms at 1-1.
Ten minutes later, the referee awarded a penalty to Al-Ahli after a VAR review confirmed an infringement inside the box. Step up Ivan Toney—the Englishman calmly stepped to the spot in the 32nd minute and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 2-1.
Toney wasn’t finished there. Right on the stroke of half-time in the 45th minute, the clinical striker hit the back of the net again from open play to complete his double, sending Al-Ahli into the break with a comfortable two-goal advantage and bringing his tally to 10 goals in the Roshn Saudi League campaign.
Though Toney had a chance to secure a sensational hat-trick early in the second half, his 48th-minute penalty kick was saved. Al-Hazem introduced substitute Mory Konaté and forward Amir Sayoud at half-time to spark a comeback, but Jaissle’s side managed the rest of the match comfortably, controlling possession through French midfielder Valentin Atangana and Armenian creator Eduard Spertsyan.
In terms of match flow and key figures, the encounter proved to be an action-packed first-half affair. A total of four goals were scored across ninety minutes, with three coming from the home side and one from the visitors.
Al-Ahli generated two penalty kicks during the match—converting the first via Ivan Toney in the 32nd minute before seeing the second saved shortly after the restart in the 48th minute.
The official referee reviewed two key incidents on the pitch monitors, awarding Al-Ahli their first-half penalty after a confirmed review and later cancelling a potential penalty call in the 82nd minute.
Discipline was largely well-maintained throughout, with the referee issuing only a single yellow card across the match to Al-Hazem defender Sultan Tanker in the 46th minute. Both managers utilized their full bench depth, as Al-Hazem made five strategic substitutions across the second half while Al-Ahli introduced five substitutes of their own—including forward Firas Al-Buraikan—to close out a comfortable home victory.
