Al-Ahli coach hails 4-1 win over Al-Khaleej as Gomes criticizes refereeing

Al-Ahli head coach Marin Pusic said his team deserved their 4-1 victory over Al-Khaleej in Friday night's match at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, part of the 11th round of the Saudi Pro League.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Pusic explained that Al-Ahli started the first half with strong focus and did not allow Al-Khaleej to control possession. He noted that his players aimed to score multiple goals to secure the result and give an academy player a chance to participate.

Regarding recent training injuries, Pusic said that training loads were not to blame, adding that physical contact is part of football, and that fixture congestion and challenging weather conditions have also played a role.

For his part, Al-Khaleej head coach Jose Gomes said the first half saw limited performance from both sides, but Al-Khaleej began the second half well before losing focus after conceding the second goal, which allowed Al-Ahli to add more goals.

Gomes voiced his objections to some refereeing decisions, claiming Al-Ahli's first goal was offside and that the penalty converted by Ivan Toney was not valid. He expressed satisfaction with his team's progress as they build a new squad, noting that Al-Khaleej have lost some matches they deserved to win.