Pusic’s Al-Ahli launch Saudi King’s Cup bid on 16 August 2026

Al-Ahli will begin their 2026-27 Saudi King’s Cup campaign against Al-Anwar on 16 August 2026, with the club targeting a return to domestic cup success after building on their Asian achievements from last season.

The Jeddah side will enter the competition under Bosnian manager Marino Pusic, who took charge in the summer of 2026. Al-Ahli are aiming to win the trophy for the first time since 2016 and restore it to the club’s honours list after a decade-long wait.

The Saudi King’s Cup remains a major target despite the intense competition among the leading clubs in the Roshn Saudi League. The knockout tournament carries significant sporting and public interest, with its one-off format regularly creating the possibility of unexpected results.

Al-Ahli’s opening fixture will be played in the round of 32. Their opponents, Al-Anwar, will stand between Pusic’s team and a place in the next stage, while the club’s route beyond that match will be determined by a fresh draw after each round.

The competition is played on a single-match knockout basis from the round of 32 through to the final. There are no two-legged ties, meaning each fixture carries immediate consequences and a defeat ends a team’s participation.

A new draw takes place after every round to decide the subsequent match-ups. As a result, Al-Ahli’s potential opponents and the remainder of their King’s Cup schedule cannot be confirmed until they progress through each stage.

The club’s ambitions come after a season in which they achieved notable success in Asia, and they will now attempt to translate that momentum into a domestic cup challenge. Their longer-term objective is to reclaim the trophy last won by Al-Ahli in 2016.

Where to watch the Saudi King’s Cup

Thmanyah holds the rights to broadcast the 2026-27 Saudi King’s Cup across the Middle East and North Africa. The agreement runs until the end of the 2030-31 season.

Supporters who want to watch the matches online can use the Thmanyah application. Viewers outside the region can use NordVPN to follow the matches.

NordVPN is also promoted as offering a secure and fast internet connection, with viewers able to subscribe to the service.

For now, the confirmed fixture in Al-Ahli’s campaign is the round-of-32 meeting with Al-Anwar on 16 August 2026. Any further matches will depend on the result of that game and the draws held at each stage of the tournament.