Al Ahli suffer fourth pre-season defeat in first match since Matthias Jaissle exit

Al Ahli Saudi FC ended their preparations for the 2026-27 season with a 3-1 defeat by Al Ettifaq, extending a run of poor results and losing their first match since the departure of German manager Matthias Jaissle.

The friendly, played on Wednesday, was Al Ahli’s final warm-up game before the new campaign. It was also the first fixture since Jaissle left the club, with Portuguese coach Rui Santos taking temporary charge.

Al Ettifaq took the lead after 19 minutes when Moussa Dembele converted from the penalty spot. The forward had won the penalty himself after being brought down by French midfielder Valentin Atangana.

The home side doubled their advantage in the 31st minute. Yasser Al-Shammari capitalised on a misplaced pass from another French midfielder, Enzo Millot, before sending the ball past Al Ahli goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi.

Al Ahli reduced the deficit in the first minute of first-half stoppage time. Firas Al-Buraikan broke through on goal after receiving an excellent pass from new Portuguese signing Francisco Trincao and finished the move to make it 2-1.

However, Al Ettifaq restored their two-goal lead three minutes after the restart. New signing Abdulaziz Al-Bishi intercepted an errant pass in the centre of Al Ahli’s defence, raced clear and scored.

The result means Al Ahli have now lost four of their seven pre-season friendlies. Six of those matches were played during their previous training camp in Austria and Portugal, where their only victory came against Austrian club Saalfelden, an 8-0 success.

Before the defeat by Al Ettifaq, Al Ahli had also been beaten by German side Holstein Kiel and Portuguese clubs Vitoria Guimaraes and Portimonense. They drew 2-2 with Portuguese club Rio Ave and also shared the points with English Premier League side Fulham.

The match was Al Ahli’s first since Jaissle’s departure. The German is reportedly close to becoming manager of Newcastle United, while Santos was placed in charge on an interim basis for the friendly.

Al Ahli will begin their competitive season on 13 August, when they face Al-Diriyah in the opening round of the Roshn Saudi League.

The club are seeking to win the Saudi league title for the first time since 2016. They will also aim to retain the AFC Champions League Elite title, having lifted the trophy in each of the past two seasons.