Saudi schedule reshuffle leads Al Ahli to drop Abha pre-season clash

Al Ahli’s planned seventh and final pre-season friendly against Abha has been cancelled after the release of the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League fixture list placed the two clubs together in the opening weeks of the new campaign.

The Jeddah side had been due to host Abha on 6 August, shortly after returning from their summer training camp in Austria, in what was set to be their last warm-up match before the league season.

However, Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah reported that the boards of both clubs agreed to call off the friendly once the new schedule for the Saudi Pro League, known commercially as the Roshn Saudi League, was confirmed.

The fixture list pairs Al Ahli with Abha in the second round of league matches on 22 August, meaning the teams would have faced each other twice in less than three weeks. That close proximity between a friendly and a competitive encounter prompted both sides to scrap the non-competitive meeting.

Both clubs are now seeking alternative opposition to complete their pre-season programmes ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Mixed pre-season for Al Ahli in Austria

Al Ahli have already wrapped up their overseas training camp in Austria, where they played six friendlies as part of their preparation for the new season.

The Saudi side recorded just one victory on the trip, an emphatic 8-0 win over Austrian outfit Saalfelden.

The rest of the camp produced more challenging results for “Al Raqi”. They suffered three defeats, losing to German club Holstein Kiel and Portuguese sides Vitoria Guimaraes and Portimonense.

Al Ahli also recorded two draws, both high-profile tests against European opposition. They drew with Portuguese club Rio Ave and English side Fulham.

Despite the mixed set of results, the Austrian camp formed the core of Al Ahli’s preparations before the team’s return to Jeddah, where they had intended to fine-tune their plans against Abha before the late change of schedule.

Domestic title ambition and Asian defence

Al Ahli head into the new season with clear targets on both domestic and continental fronts.

The club are aiming to reclaim the Saudi league title, a trophy that has been absent from their collection since 2016.

At the same time, they are preparing to defend their crown in the AFC Champions League Elite – the new top-tier Asian competition – having lifted that title in each of the past two seasons.

Those ambitions have added extra significance to the club’s pre-season planning, making the search for a new final friendly a priority after the cancellation of the Abha match triggered by the league calendar.