Ali Al-Bulaihi red card sets unwanted Roshn Saudi League record

Ali Al-Bulaihi was sent off in the first half of Al-Shabab’s match against Al-Taawoun, leaving his side with 10 men and moving him level with the second-highest number of red cards in Roshn Saudi League history since 2009-10.

The defender was dismissed in the 33rd minute after bringing down Al-Taawoun forward Mohammed Al-Kuwaikibi as he ran towards goal. The referee initially allowed play to continue but reviewed the incident on the video assistant referee (VAR) pitchside monitor before showing Al-Bulaihi a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

A post from Thmanyah Sports on 11 October 2026 described the decision: “Red card. The referee returns to VAR and decides to send off Ali Al-Bulaihi with a direct red card.”

According to football statistics provider Opta, the dismissal was Al-Bulaihi’s fifth in the Saudi Professional League since the 2009-10 season. That takes him level with eight other players for the second-highest total in the competition.

Only Mohammed Al-Khabrani has been sent off more often over that period, with seven red cards. Al-Bulaihi and the other eight players in the group each have five.

The latest incident also extended a notable disciplinary run in the fixture. The last four meetings between Al-Shabab and Al-Taawoun have produced four red cards, shown to Al-Bulaihi, Abdullah Matouq, Mohammed Al-Shuwairkh and Brazilian defender Andre Girotto.

Al-Bulaihi’s dismissal adds another entry to his record in the competition and created an early defensive problem for Al-Shabab against Al-Taawoun. It also underlined the frequency of red cards in recent matches between the two clubs.