Waleed Al-Farraj calls for Al Ahli review after Sundowns defeat

Waleed Al-Farraj has called for an internal investigation into Al Ahli’s decisions involving Matthias Jaissle, Franck Kessie and Riyad Mahrez after the club’s defeat by Mamelodi Sundowns.

The prominent Saudi presenter said Al Ahli had wasted an opportunity to win the title, while also questioning the future of head coach Marino Pusic and criticising the way the match was managed.

Speaking on his programme Rotana Sport with Waleed, Al-Farraj said he had not initially been optimistic about Al Ahli because of the circumstances surrounding the team.

“I was not optimistic about Al Ahli given the situation it was going through, but it failed to produce the required level,” he said.

However, the team’s performance at the start of the game briefly changed his expectations. Al-Farraj said Al Ahli began strongly enough to make him believe they could go on to secure the trophy.

“Al Ahli were very good at the beginning, and I sensed that the team were capable of winning the title,” he added.

His assessment changed as the match progressed, with Al-Farraj directing particular criticism at the management of the second half. He argued that Mamelodi Sundowns had not been especially strong, but that Al Ahli failed to respond effectively during the decisive stages.

“Mamelodi Sundowns were not that strong a team, but the coach’s indifference and coldness in the second half wasted the opportunity,” he said.

Al-Farraj described the defeat as a consequence of poor decision-making during key moments of the game, as frustration among Al Ahli supporters intensified after the final whistle.

“The cup was lost through the management of the moment, and the fans are in a state of fury,” he said.

There have been calls for Pusic to be dismissed, and Al-Farraj characterised those demands as requiring “urgent intervention”.

But he did not place responsibility solely on the coaching staff. He also questioned decisions made before the season which helped shape the current squad, including the departure of former coach Matthias Jaissle and players Franck Kessie and Riyad Mahrez.

“If only there were an internal investigation into the replacements for Jaissle, Kessie and Mahrez,” Al-Farraj said.

The loss to Mamelodi Sundowns has therefore widened the debate surrounding Al Ahli beyond the result itself. Attention has shifted towards Pusic’s position and the earlier decisions that influenced the team’s current make-up.

The club now faces calls for a quick response to restore calm among supporters after the missed opportunity to win the title.