German coach Matthias Jäissle, manager of the Al-Ahli Saudi FC first team, has decided to include Mohamed Bakr in the official squad for the upcoming match against Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai of the UAE, in the AFC Champions League. This decision marks the player's return to the team after a period of forced absence from recent matches due to the death of his father, which necessitated granting him special leave.

The German coach had previously preferred to exclude Mohammed Bakr from the team's roster that faced Al Shabab in the local competitions, citing the player's lack of complete mental and physical readiness following the emergency situation he went through, preferring to give him enough time to recover before returning to the atmosphere of high-level competitive matches.

Al Ahli is scheduled to host Shabab Al Ahli Dubai at 7:00 PM on Monday in a crucial match that will conclude the group stage of the new "Elite" edition of the continental championship. This match is of particular importance to both teams as they strive to improve their standings before entering the knockout rounds.

Al-Ahli enters this match in second place in their group with 14 points. The team has delivered impressive performances in previous rounds, securing their qualification, but they aim to close the gap or at least maintain their second-place position behind leaders Al-Hilal, who are currently five points ahead. Al-Ahli hopes to capitalize on home advantage in Jeddah to finish the group stage on a high note, providing a significant morale boost for the players and coaching staff.

On the other side, the Emirati visitors, Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai, enter the match in sixth place with 11 points. For them, this game is an opportunity to boost their points tally and climb the standings, thus securing a more balanced opponent in the next round. Matches between Saudi Arabia and the UAE are always fiercely contested and exciting, reflecting the development of football in both countries and the intense competition for Asian supremacy.

The return of Mohammed Bakr bolsters coach Yassle's defensive options at this crucial stage of the season, as competing on multiple fronts (domestic and continental) necessitates a strong bench and the readiness of all key and reserve players. Al-Ahli fans eagerly anticipate this match, hoping for another victory that reaffirms the team's dominance in Asian competitions.

The twenty-second (22) round of the Yelo First Division Professional League witnessed great football excitement and fluctuations in results on Saturday evening, as three decisive matches were held that directly affected the standings, whether in the struggle for promotion or to escape the specter of relegation.

Al-Ta'i deepens Al-Jubail's wounds with a clean four-goal victory

In one of the most exciting matches of the round, Al-Tai dominated their encounter with Al-Jubail at Prince Abdulaziz bin Musaed bin Jalawi Stadium. The "Knights of the North" secured a resounding 4-0 victory, further solidifying their position in the mid-table.

Al-Tai's four goals were scored by Machado in the 58th minute, Torles Knoll who scored twice in the 72nd and 90+3 minutes, and Hussein Al-Shurafa in the 78th minute. This resounding victory raised Al-Tai's points tally to 28, placing them ninth in the standings, while Al-Jubail's woes deepened as they remained stuck at the bottom of the table with only 8 points, making their chances of avoiding relegation from the First Division even more precarious.

A thrilling comeback for Arabism in the face of justice

In a nail-biting match that went down to the wire, Al-Oruba snatched a valuable and hard-fought draw at home against Al-Adalah, with the final score being 2-2. Al-Adalah started the match strongly, surprising the home side with two goals, one by Chivavero Ranga in the 27th minute and the other by Abdulaziz Al-Jamaan in the 38th minute.

However, Al-Oruba refused to give up, narrowing the gap through Ahmed Al-Jwaid in the 56th minute, before the decisive moment came in the 90+6th minute with Abdulrahman Hindi scoring the dramatic equalizer. With this result, Al-Oruba maintained their strong position in the promotion race, reaching 44 points in third place, while Al-Adalah raised their tally to 16 points in sixteenth place.

Al-Zulfi defeats Al-Bukairiyah on their home turf

In the opening match of the day, Al-Zulfi secured a crucial away victory against Al-Bukairiyah, winning 3-1. Hamza Barry (23'), Diego Miranda (61'), and Abdulaziz Al-Shuraid (89') scored for Al-Zulfi, while Jonathan Moya (76') netted Al-Bukairiyah's lone goal. Al-Zulfi climbed to 10th place with 28 points, while Al-Bukairiyah remained in 6th place with 33 points.

The importance of the round and its impact on the competition

These results are of paramount importance in the league context, as the battle for the three promotion spots in the Yellow League is heating up this season. Al-Oruba's point today could prove crucial in securing one of those promotion places, while heavy losses for bottom-ranked teams like Al-Jubail put them under immense pressure as the final third of the season approaches, making recovery increasingly difficult with each passing round.

The day's competitions conclude with a match between Jeddah and Al-Batin at 7 pm, in which both sides will seek to improve their positions in the standings.

The exciting match between Al-Riyadh and their guest Al-Khaleej ended in a 1-1 draw on Saturday evening at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh, as part of the 22nd round of the Saudi Professional League.

First half details and Al-Riyadh's lead

The first half saw a slight advantage for the home side, Al-Riyadh, who entered the match with a clear desire to secure all three points. Despite this strong start, Al-Khaleej came close to opening the scoring early, specifically in the ninth minute, when Spaniard Paulo Fernandez unleashed a powerful shot, but Al-Riyadh's Canadian goalkeeper, Milan Borjan, made a brilliant save.

Riyadh responded with a series of dangerous attacks, with Portuguese player António Tozé squandering a clear opportunity in the 21st minute after his cross went just wide of the post. Riyadh continued to press, and Leandro Antunes almost scored in the 37th minute, but Luxembourg's goalkeeper, Anthony Moris, made a brilliant save to tip the ball over the bar for a corner. In the dying moments of the first half, specifically in the 45th minute, Leandro Antunes capitalized on his team's dominance, scoring the opening goal with a perfectly placed header that nestled into the net to Moris's right.

Al-Khaleej's comeback in the second half

At the start of the second half, Al-Khaleej tried to recover and get back into the game, and they had a dangerous opportunity in the 50th minute through Hussein Al-Essa, but his shot went just wide of the post. Meanwhile, Al-Riyadh almost sealed the victory with a second goal in the 63rd minute through Ahmed Al-Sayahi's header, which narrowly missed the target.

After continuous attempts to break through Al-Riyadh's defense, Greek star Konstantinos Fortounis managed to save his team and equalize in the dying moments at the 83rd minute, with a perfectly executed rocket shot from outside the penalty area that settled to the right of goalkeeper Borian, ending the match with a shared point.

The two teams' positions in the standings

With this result, Al-Riyadh raised their points tally to 13, remaining in the relegation zone in 16th place, putting them under significant pressure in the upcoming rounds to avoid the drop. Meanwhile, Al-Khaleej increased their points to 27, strengthening their position in the middle of the table in ninth place, reflecting a relative stability in the team's performance compared to their opponents.

The importance of the point and the struggle for survival

This match takes on particular importance given the overall context of the Roshan League competition this season, where the relegation battle is fierce among several clubs. A draw for Al-Riyadh might not be enough to satisfy their fans' ambitions of moving away from the relegation zone, but it does ensure they avoid defeat against a tough opponent. As for Al-Khaleej, securing a point away from home, especially after conceding a goal, confirms the strong character the team has developed thanks to quality signings and the outstanding performances of their professional players, such as Fortounis, who proves match after match that he is a key pillar of the squad.