JEDDAH — In a nail-biting Jeddah Derby, Frank Kessie's sole goal in the first half secured a 1-0 victory for Al Ahli against reigning champions Al Ittihad in the Saudi Professional League on Friday. Kessie opened the scoring for Al Ahli with a powerful shot from inside the box, beating the Al Ittihad goalkeeper in the 31st minute. Despite Karim Benzema's multiple attempts, including a shot hitting the post, the French player thought he had equalized for Al Ittihad in the 70th minute. However, the referee disallowed the goal after a video review due to a foul by Igor Coronado against Al Ahli's Ali Majrashi. The drama continued as another goal by Benzema was ruled offside just before the final whistle. Al Ahli's goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, showcased brilliance with several crucial saves during the match. With this victory, Al Ahli climbed to the fifth position with 19 points, equaling Al Ittihad's tally in the league standings. Al Ahli started the game strongly, and an early goal was disallowed in the eighth minute due to offside after Riyad Mahrez's powerful shot was fumbled by Al Ittihad's Marcelo Grohe, allowing Firas Al Buraikan to capitalize on the loose ball with a successful shot into the net. In the 13th minute, the match briefly halted as Kessie of Al Ahli suffered an injury following a strong tackle from Al Ittihad's defense. After medical attention and bandaging, Kessie resumed play. Kessie's decisive goal came in the 31st minute, securing Al Ahli's victory. The first half also saw N'golo Kante's powerful shot narrowly miss the post in the 43rd minute. Benzema missed a crucial opportunity to equalize for Al Ittihad in added time of the first half, shooting wide when one-on-one with the goalkeeper. In the second half, Al Ittihad had another chance to level the score, but Mendy made a spectacular save from Romarinho's shot after a precise pass from Benzema. The match continued with close calls on both sides, including a rocket shot from Kante in the 85th minute that Mendy skillfully saved. Al Ahli's victory in the Jeddah Derby adds another chapter to the fierce rivalry between the two teams in the Saudi Professional League.
