Al Ahli goalkeeper dismissed after bizarre handball in Al Shabab clash

Abdulrahman Al Sanbi was sent off after handling the ball outside his penalty area as Al Ahli faced Al Shabab in the Roshn Saudi League on Friday.

Al Ahli were visiting Al Shabab at the SHG Arena in Riyadh for the 12th round of the competition when the incident occurred in the 22nd minute.

Al Shabab forward Ricardo Matias broke clear from the halfway line and ran through on goal. Al Sanbi came off his line to meet him, but when Matias struck the ball towards the unprotected goal, the goalkeeper attempted to stop it with his hand despite being outside the box.

The referee immediately showed Al Sanbi a red card, leaving Al Ahli to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.

The dismissal created an immediate problem for Al Ahli head coach Marino Pusic, who had not included Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy among his substitutes.

Pusic was therefore forced to send on young goalkeeper Abdullah Abdu. Defender Ryan Hamid was taken off to make way for the replacement, having been involved in the first goal scored by Matias.

Abdullah Abdu conceded with his first touch of the match. Al Shabab were awarded a free-kick following Al Sanbi’s costly challenge, and Belgium winger Yannick Carrasco converted it to score Al Shabab’s second goal.

The fixture was described as the “small classic”, with Al Ahli and Al Shabab meeting in the Saudi top flight.

The schedule listed alongside the match also includes Al Sadd’s AFC Champions League Elite fixture on 02 November 2026, followed by Al Ahli’s Roshn Saudi League match against Abha on 05 November 2026. Al Shabab are also listed in the schedule for that date.

The red card meant Al Ahli had to reorganise early in the contest, while Al Shabab took advantage of the numerical advantage and the free-kick that followed Al Sanbi’s decision to use his hands outside the area.