Englishman Des Buckingham, manager of Al-Kholoud, expressed his immense joy at his team's important victory over Al-Shabab in their match in the 21st round of the Saudi Professional League. This win boosted the team's morale at a crucial stage of the competition.

In the press conference held after the end of the match, Buckingham revealed that this victory coincided with a special personal occasion, saying: "I am very happy with this victory which came on my birthday, making it a special memory. We worked with all our strength and energy during the past period and specifically during the preparation for this match, and therefore I extend my sincere thanks to all the players for their effort and sacrifices on the field.".

The English coach addressed the strategy the coaching staff is following for the upcoming phase, indicating that the work is not limited to the starting lineup but extends to preparing all team members. He explained, "We are working diligently to prepare all players to be fully ready for the remainder of the season's competitions. We are continuing the hard work we began at the start of the league, and our goal is to maintain an upward trajectory that serves the team's best interests.".

Buckingham concluded his remarks by emphasizing the team's full awareness of the set goals, noting the challenges they face in completing the training sessions with the appropriate number of players, adding: "Ultimately, we are fully aware of the goals we are striving to achieve, and we will fight to reach them.".

The importance of winning and its impact on the standings

This victory is of utmost importance to Al-Kholoud team, as the team succeeded in collecting three valuable points that raised its tally to 19 points, to occupy the fourteenth position in the Roshan League standings, equal in points with its opponent in this match, Al-Shabab team, which occupies the thirteenth position, superior only by goal difference.

This victory comes at a time when Saudi football is witnessing tremendous development and fierce competition on all fronts, with the Roshan League becoming a focus of global attention. Winning against a team of Al-Shabab's stature and history is a significant morale booster for Al-Kholoud's players, confirming the ability of a newly promoted team (or one competing in the mid-table) to challenge and even trouble the established giants. This reflects the improved technical and tactical level under Buckingham's leadership.

Technical readings indicate that the close points in the middle and lower parts of the standings will make the upcoming rounds like cup matches, as Al-Kholoud seeks to secure its position and move away from the danger zones, taking advantage of the high morale it gained from this tactical victory with a clean goal.

The Spanish coach of Al Shabab, Imanol Alguacil, expressed his great confidence in the capabilities of international defender Ali Al-Bulaihi, who recently joined the ranks of "Al-Laith" during the last winter transfer period, despite the negative result that ended the team’s match against Al-Kholoud.

Al-Ghuwasil's comments on Al-Bulaihi's performance

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Alguacil defended his new defender, emphasizing that Al-Bulaihi possesses a wealth of experience and an exceptional ability to read the game – qualities not easily found on the pitch. The Spanish coach explained that what Al-Bulaihi currently needs is more playing time to regain his full technical and physical fitness and deliver the best version of himself that Saudi fans have come to expect.

The scenario of the match of eternity and the disallowed goal

The match saw Ali Al-Bulaihi make a strong attempt to make an immediate impact with his new team, and he did manage to score a goal for Al-Shabab. However, his joy was short-lived as the referee intervened and disallowed the goal. Despite the loss, Al-Shabab's coach emphasized that signing Al-Bulaihi was a "great acquisition" for the team, describing him as a top player who will add a lot to the dressing room and the team's defense in upcoming matches.

A distinguished career and international experience

Al-Ghuwasil's praise stems from Ali Al-Bulaihi's illustrious career in Saudi football. The player, who joined from Al-Hilal, boasts a long history of local and continental achievements and championships, in addition to his extensive international experience with the Saudi national team, where he was a key player in the Green Falcons' participation in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This accumulated experience is what Al-Shabab's coaching staff is relying on to fine-tune the defense and guide the young players on the pitch.

Deal details and future prospects

It is worth noting that Al-Shabab's management officially announced the signing of Ali Al-Bulaihi on loan from their Riyadh rivals, Al-Hilal, extending his contract with the "Sheikh of Clubs" until the end of the current 2025/2026 season. Al-Shabab fans hope that Al-Bulaihi will successfully instill his winning mentality and fighting spirit, for which he is known, in his new teammates, contributing to improving the team's position in the league standings and competing strongly in the remaining matches of the season.

The Spanish coach of Al Shabab, Imanol Alguacil, expressed his strong dissatisfaction with the refereeing decisions that took place during his team’s match against Al Khulood, which ended with Al Shabab losing by one goal to nil, in the twenty-first round of the Saudi Professional League.

During the post-match press conference, Alguacil launched a scathing attack on the refereeing team, stating that their decisions were poor and directly impacted the outcome of the match. The Spanish coach declared, "The referee disallowed a perfectly valid goal and failed to award us a clear penalty. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time we've suffered from erroneous refereeing decisions that have harmed the team.".

Despite his anger at the refereeing, Alguacil displayed sportsmanship and tactical pragmatism, praising Al-Kholoud's performance and acknowledging that their opponents played well and deserved respect. At the same time, he didn't absolve his own players of responsibility, noting that Al-Shabab hadn't capitalized on scoring opportunities, saying, "Our players squandered several clear chances, and the crossbar denied us a goal that could have changed the course of the match.".

The youth team's worrying position in the standings

This loss compounds Al-Shabab's woes this season, leaving them stuck on 19 points and in 13th place in the Saudi Professional League standings. This situation is unusual for one of Saudi Arabia's football giants, as fans of the "Sheikh of Clubs" are accustomed to seeing their team competing for top-four finishes and qualification for continental tournaments.

The team is experiencing a state of technical instability and fluctuating results, which puts the coaching staff, led by Alguacil, under great public and media pressure to correct the course and return to winning ways before entering into complex relegation calculations or moving completely away from the safe zones, especially in light of the fierce competition that the league is witnessing this season.

The development of the Roshan League and the increasing difficulty of the matches

The result of the Al-Shabab vs. Al-Kholoud match reflects the significant development of the Saudi Professional League, where there are no longer easy matches or predetermined outcomes. Newly promoted teams and those in the middle of the table now possess a defensive and offensive organization capable of challenging the established giants, as demonstrated by Al-Kholoud, who managed to snatch three valuable points from Al-Shabab.

Alguacil’s repeated statements about refereeing indicate a state of frustration that may seep into the dressing room, which requires a great deal of psychological and mental work from the management and technical staff to restore confidence to the players, and to focus on exploiting opportunities on the field instead of being preoccupied with external decisions, in order to ensure the improvement of the team’s position in the upcoming rounds.