Tarek Dhiab calls for Al-Ahli coach Marino Pusic to be sacked at half-time

Tunisian football analyst Tarek Dhiab called for Al-Ahli manager Marino Pusic to be dismissed during half-time of their Roshn Saudi League match against Al-Qadsiah after his side fell 3-0 behind in the opening 45 minutes.

Al-Ahli were visiting Al-Qadsiah at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam on Tuesday for the sixth round of the Roshn Saudi League.

The hosts dominated the first half and took a commanding three-goal lead into the interval. It was only the fourth time in their Roshn Saudi League history that Al-Ahli had been three goals behind at half-time.

Dhiab, working as a technical analyst for Thmanyah, the broadcaster of the Roshn Saudi League, was asked what change could help Al-Ahli recover after the break.

He responded sarcastically: “Changing the coach, this is the best thing that could happen at half-time, for (Pusic) to stay in the dressing room and for the players to play without a coach.”

The former Tunisia international then delivered a strong criticism of the Dutch manager’s performance, saying: “Poor Al-Ahli, they were not there in the first half, and Al-Qadsiah completely controlled the match.”

Dhiab’s comments came as Pusic faced a difficult start to his time in charge of Al-Ahli. The Dutchman took over at the beginning of the current season, replacing German coach Matthias Jaissle.

Jaissle left Al-Ahli to become manager of Newcastle United. Before the match against Al-Qadsiah, Pusic had lost two of his first five Roshn Saudi League games in charge.

Al-Ahli’s first-half display prompted Dhiab to question whether the team had shown any effective tactical response or control during the match. His assessment was delivered during Thmanyah’s studio coverage as Al-Qadsiah took advantage of a dominant opening period.

The result represented a particularly damaging position for Al-Ahli, who were required to respond after conceding three times before the interval. Al-Qadsiah’s advantage was also notable because of how rarely Al-Ahli had previously found themselves in the same situation in the competition.

The match was played at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium, where Al-Qadsiah hosted their visitors in the sixth round of the Saudi top flight. Dhiab’s remarks were subsequently shared alongside a clip from the Thmanyah studio, highlighting his description of Al-Ahli as absent during the opening half.