Al Ahli defeat Al Nassr on penalties to seal Saudi Super Cup | OneFootball

Al Ahli signalled their intent for the new Roshn Saudi League season with a penalty shoot-out victory against Al Nassr in the Saudi Super Cup final on Saturday.

The Asian champions, who in May claimed a first AFC Champions League Elite crown, triumphed 5-3 on spot-kicks after the match in Hong Kong finished 2-2 in normal time. Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo had earlier opened the scoring with his 100th goal since joining the club.

Nevertheless, the win gives Al Ahli the first piece of silverware of the 2025-26 Saudi football season, as the new RSL campaign gets set to kick off on Thursday.

On an action-packed night in Hong Kong, the first real chance of note came on 16 minutes, when Al Nassr’s Wesley raced clear of the Al Ahli defence.

The Brazilian rolled his effort from the angle inches past the post, although Kingsley Coman looked better positioned to receive a pass. Moments later, Al Ahli goalkeeper Edouard Mendy blocked at his near post from Joao Felix.

Ronaldo then got his first sniff of goal midway through the first half, only for his overhead kick to arrow straight at Mendy.

However, the two-time RSL top scorer would be the man to notch the opener. With seven minutes until half-time, Ayman Yahya’s attempted cross struck the arm of Ali Majrashi, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.

Despite Al Ahli’s protests – Majrashi was extremely close to Yahya – the spot-kick was awarded. As he so often does, Ronaldo breathed deep and kept his cool, drilling the penalty down the middle of goal.

It represented a century of Al Nassr goals for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner since signing for the club in late December 2022. In the RSL alone, he has scored 74 times in 77 appearances.

Al Ahli, though, responded brilliantly to the set-back. First, Ivan Toney was unlucky just before half-time, when his close-range header was ruled out for a perceived foul in the build-up on Felix.

However, not to be undeterred, the AFC Champions League Elite holders equalised deep into first-half stoppage-time. Played in at the edge of the Al Nassr penalty area, Kessie curled a superb low shot beyond Bento in the opposition goal.

The Cote d'Ivoire midfielder was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s semi-final victory against Al Qadsiah, when he scored twice in the 5-1 win.

In the second half, Ronaldo’s fantastic turn and shot was well saved by Mendy low at his near post before, at the other end, Feras Al Buraikan should really have put Al Ahli in front.

Meeting Toney’s cross on 68 minutes, the Saudi Arabia international controlled well but thrashed his shot from four yards against the upright.

Al Buraikan was left to rue the miss not long after, although in this instance the blame fell on Kessie. Taking the ball in the 82nd minute just inside his own area, the Ivorian was caught in possession by Marcelo Brozovic, who then curled an emphatic finish past Mendy.

Yet, once again, Al Ahli hit back. With one minute remaining, Roger Ibanez met Galeno’s deep corner as Bento missed his punch to head the ball into the net to make it 2-2 and force penalties.

In the shootout, Toney, Ronaldo, Kessie, Brozovic, Riyad Mahrez, Felix, and Buraikan all converted before Mendy saved from Abdullah Al Khaibari. That left Galeno to step up, stroke home the ball and seal the cup for Al Ahli.