The third edition of Al-Qadisiyah's Ramadan Season witnessed a remarkable appearance by Saudi football legend Saeed Al-Owairan, who was a special guest at the club in Al-Khobar. The event was held amidst a festive atmosphere that blended Ramadan spirituality with exciting sporting competition. This visit comes at a time when Al-Qadisiyah is experiencing a qualitative leap forward on all fronts, reflecting the significant sporting development taking place in the Kingdom.

Al-Qadisiyah: The return of the giant and its impact on Saudi football

In his commentary on the sporting scene, Al-Owairan not only praised the organization but also addressed the club's technical and historical significance, noting that Al-Qadisiyah is not just a club, but a historical pillar that has supplied the Saudi national team with stars over the decades. He emphasized that Al-Qadisiyah's return to fierce competition with top clubs like Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli is a major gain for Saudi football, as the rising technical level of clubs in the Eastern Province (Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Ettifaq, and Al-Nahda) directly contributes to strengthening the Saudi national team in international competitions.

Al-Owairan addressed a message of affection to the people of the Eastern Province, saying, "We are living through wonderful times, and Al-Qadisiyah has ignited the league with its strong competition. This is what we hope for the Eastern Province – to always be at the forefront of the sporting scene." He also praised the safe and family-friendly environment the season provides, which gives families peace of mind and encourages large fan attendance.

Padel competitions: Women's empowerment and a large audience

As part of the accompanying events, the women's padel tournament kicked off, reflecting the rapid growth of this sport in the Kingdom and its significant popularity among women. The tournament, which runs until the 12th of Ramadan, features 98 players, both professionals and amateurs, highlighting the club's commitment to providing competitive platforms for all segments of society, in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals of enhancing quality of life and promoting sports participation.

Logistics services and valuable prizes

To ensure a seamless visitor experience, the organizing committee provided shuttle buses transporting fans every 15 minutes from the Prince Saud bin Jalawi Park parking area to the club headquarters, a move that reflects the professionalism of the organization and facilitates smooth traffic flow. The club also continues to offer valuable daily prizes, including smart devices (iPhones, iPads, PlayStations), through interactive competitions under the slogan "Your Ramadan with Us.".

Excitement in the halls... and remarkable Arab results

In the Zhou Futsal Championship, the excitement and competitiveness continued, with the Egyptian "Media" team achieving a valuable 3-1 victory over the Omani "Al-Shaab" team. Meanwhile, the Libyan "Al-Suwaihli" team defeated the Al-Tamimi group 2-0, with their player Mohamed Khamis receiving the Man of the Match award. Fans eagerly anticipate the fiery encounters between league leaders Al-Qadisiyah and "Oden Roastery," and the match between "Al-Thaqbah" and the Jordanian "Hamada.".

Al-Qadisiyah star Sultan Khalifa “Haqrous” concluded the scene by confirming that the Ramadan season has gone beyond being a sporting event to become a social and cultural phenomenon that dazzles everyone year after year, and enhances the club’s position as a beacon of light in the Eastern Province.

Saudi goalkeeping legend and former Al-Hilal player, Mohammed Al-Deayea , directed explicit technical criticism at Moroccan international goalkeeper Yassine Bounou , the guardian of the "Leader's" goal, following the worrying defensive performance displayed by the team during the "Riyadh Derby" match against Al-Shabab Club, within the competitions of the twenty-fourth round of the Roshan Professional League.

Details of Al-Da'ayee's criticism of Yassine Bounou

In a detailed technical analysis on the "Our League is Different" program, the former world's most capped player pointed to a fundamental weakness that has recently emerged in the Moroccan goalkeeper's performance. Al-Da'ayee stated, "Yassine Bounou is clearly suffering from a crisis: a lack of effective communication with his fellow defenders. This silence and lack of direction is the primary reason behind the defensive disarray we've witnessed, leading to him conceding many easy goals recently, both in domestic and continental competitions.".

The importance of communication between the goalkeeper and the defense

Mohammed Al-Deayea's words carry significant weight in sporting circles, given his illustrious history of achievements and his extensive experience protecting the goal for Al-Hilal and the Saudi national team. Experts believe that in modern football, a goalkeeper's role extends beyond simply saving shots; he also acts as a "backside leader," possessing a comprehensive view of the field and directing defenders to close down gaps before the opponent can penetrate. Al-Deayea believes this is a quality Bono lacked in recent matches, resulting in poor defensive positioning.

The result of the match and its impact on the league

The match, played at Al-Shabab Stadium, was a high-scoring affair, with Yassine Bounou conceding three goals in a thrilling 5-3 victory for Al-Hilal. Despite the win and the three points, the number of goals conceded drew criticism from pundits and Al-Hilal fans, who are accustomed to a more solid defense.

With this resounding victory, Al-Hilal's points tally rose to 58, signaling the team's strong return to winning ways and regaining its footing in the Roshan League title race after a period of inconsistency that saw them temporarily lose their top spot. Al-Hilal's coaching staff hopes to address these defensive weaknesses to ensure they remain competitive for all available titles this season.

The 24th round of the Saudi Professional League witnessed dramatic events following the end of the match between Al-Khaleej and Al-Ittihad at Al-Inma Stadium, where the Greek coach, Giorgos Donis, the technical director of Al-Khaleej Club, launched a scathing and unprecedented attack on the match refereeing team, expressing his extreme dissatisfaction with what he described as influential decisions that changed the course of the result.

Fiery statements at the press conference

In the aftermath, Donis erupted in anger during the post-match press conference, directing veiled and direct messages at the referee. The Greek coach said sharply, "We had a clear penalty that wasn't awarded, and there was a deserving red card for Al-Ittihad's Fabinho that was ignored. I hope the referee sleeps well tonight." Donis added, emphasizing his team's respect for the competition but demanding fairness: "We respect everyone, and we will do everything to get what we deserve. Our priority is to play beautiful football, but unfortunately, the referees are changing the results.".

Accusations of double standards

The Al-Khaleej coach didn't limit his comments to this match alone, but extended his criticism to previous games, pointing to a disparity in refereeing decisions when it comes to major clubs with large fan bases compared to other teams. Donis explained, "Against Al-Ittihad, the result changed because of the referee, and the same thing happened previously against Neom. It's very easy for referees to show red cards to our players, but when we faced Al-Hilal, making such decisions was difficult for them." These statements reflect a growing feeling among mid-table clubs that referees are under pressure when officiating matches against top teams.

Match context and the impact of the result

Technically speaking, the match ended with a hard-fought and valuable 1-0 victory for Al-Ittihad, courtesy of a goal from Danilo Pereira, securing three crucial points for the "Dean" in their league campaign. This match comes at a critical juncture in the season, as Al-Ittihad aims to solidify their position in the top four and compete for higher rankings, while Al-Khaleej seeks to improve their standing in the mid-table.

Donis and his experience in Saudi stadiums

It's worth noting that Giorgos Donis is no stranger to Saudi football, having previously coached several prominent clubs such as Al-Hilal, Al-Fateh, and Al-Wehda before arriving in the Gulf. This extensive experience lends his statements added weight, as the Greek coach understands the intricacies of the competition and the nature of the fan and media pressure surrounding Roshan League matches. This makes his criticism of refereeing decisions a potential catalyst for renewed debate about the standard of officiating and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in one of the region's strongest leagues.