Al-Ahli Jeddah secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Al-Fateh in the 28th round of the Saudi Roshn League on Monday night, continuing their remarkable late-season surge.
The match at Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium saw the hosts take a surprise lead. Al-Fateh’s striker, Mourad Batna, broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to put his team ahead.
Al-Ahli responded with determination in the second half. The equalizer came in the 67th minute from star winger Riyad Mahrez, who expertly converted a penalty kick to level the score. The comeback was completed just six minutes later, in the 73rd minute, when midfielder Ali Al-Asmari fired home a powerful shot to secure all three points for the visitors.
This crucial win extends Al-Ahli’s extraordinary unbeaten run in the league to 25 consecutive matches. Their last defeat dates back to September 21, 2023, when they fell 3-1 to Al-Hilal. Since then, under the guidance of German coach Matthias Jaissle, the team has collected 20 wins and 5 draws.
With this result, Al-Ahli solidifies its hold on third place in the standings with 55 points, while Al-Fateh remains in seventh place with 35 points.
Al-Ahli’s incredible streak now puts them within sight of a historic Saudi football record. The all-time record for the longest unbeaten run is held by their cross-city rivals, Al-Hilal, who went 34 matches without defeat between May 2021 and February 2022.
To match that legendary feat set by Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli must remain unbeaten for their final six matches of the current 2023-2024 season and continue their form into the first three rounds of the next 2024-2025 campaign.
The team’s focus now shifts to their next challenge, a match against Al-Khaleej in the 29th round, as they continue their pursuit of history.
