Facundo Tello inspection interrupts Al Hilal’s Riyadh derby at Al Shabab

Al Hilal’s Roshn Saudi League match against Al Shabab was delayed by several minutes after referee Facundo Tello identified a problem with the home side’s goal net before kick-off.

The Riyadh derby was due to begin at 21:00 local time on Friday at SHG Arena in the Saudi capital, where Al Shabab were hosting Al Hilal in the fifth round of the competition.

However, the scheduled start was pushed back after Tello, the Argentine official appointed to take charge of the fixture, noticed an issue with Al Shabab’s netting. The referee requested that it be repaired before the match could begin, leading to an unusual delay.

The incident was reported by Saudi journalist Nawaf Al-Aqeel, who said the problem was discovered during the final preparations for the derby.

A post shared on social media also highlighted the reason for the hold-up, with the caption: “The referee discovers a problem with the goal net and causes the start of the match to be delayed.”

The delay came as Al Hilal sought to maintain their perfect start to the new Roshn Saudi League campaign. They began the evening at the top of the table with 12 points from their opening four matches, ahead of second-placed Al Nassr only on goal difference.

A fifth consecutive victory would allow Al Hilal to continue their position at the summit and preserve their early momentum in the title race.

Al Shabab, meanwhile, were still searching for their first win of the season. Their first three league matches had all ended in draws, leaving them 13th in the table with three points before the meeting with Al Hilal.

The sides therefore entered the fixture with contrasting objectives. Al Hilal were aiming to extend their winning run and strengthen their hold on first place, while Al Shabab were attempting to claim a first victory after an unbeaten but winless opening to the campaign.

The problem with the net meant the derby could not start at the advertised time, with the necessary repair taking place before play was allowed to get under way. It created an unexpected interruption to one of the biggest fixtures in the fifth round of the Roshn Saudi League.