Referee apologises after mistaken red card in Al Qadsiah-Ettifaq thriller

A bizarre refereeing incident briefly threatened to overshadow an extraordinary 3-3 draw between Al Qadsiah and Ettifaq in the Eastern Derby, after referee Jose Maria Sanchez appeared to send off the wrong player before correcting his decision.

With Al Qadsiah leading 3-2 in the 83rd minute, tensions rose between the two sets of players and the Spanish official became involved in a confused exchange.

Sanchez initially showed a red card towards Rady Meshaal Al-Otaibi, prompting an immediate reaction from Ettifaq’s players. He then appeared to realise that he had identified the wrong player and quickly changed his decision.

Television footage captured the unusual conversation between the referee and the players. Sanchez was heard saying: “He says there was a foul and a card… I’m sorry.”

One player then tried to explain the mistake, telling him: “This player isn’t me… he looks like me!”

Sanchez responded with a clear gesture of apology before showing a yellow card instead. The incident left the players appearing stunned, while some reacted with laughter as the referee attempted to resolve the confusion.

The moment came during a match that had already produced a remarkable sequence of events. Al Qadsiah moved into a two-goal lead through Julian Quinones and Mateo Retegui, but Ettifaq fought back with goals from Bersant Celina and Alvaro Medran.

Al Qadsiah regained the advantage when Mohammed Hamad Al-Qahtani scored in the 81st minute. But Ettifaq completed the comeback two minutes after the refereeing incident, with Jordan Larsson striking in the 85th minute to secure a 3-3 draw.

The six-goal contest ultimately continued without the mistaken dismissal affecting the result, although the incident highlighted the pressure on the officiating team during a physical encounter. The match featured five yellow cards and several strong challenges, and briefly came close to seeing a player sent off for an offence he had not committed.

The draw cost Al Qadsiah the chance to move to the top of the Saudi Pro League. They now have 16 points and sit second, one point behind leaders Al-Ittihad, who have 17.

Ettifaq’s point lifted them to 11 points and seventh place.