Referee expert Ahmed Al-Ali has stated that Al Hilal were wrongly denied a clear penalty during their recent Saudi Pro League match against Al Taawoun.
The incident occurred in the 88th minute of the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Al Hilal’s Serbian striker, Aleksandar Mitrović, was challenged inside the penalty area by Al Taawoun’s Brazilian defender, Andrei Girotto. Replays showed clear contact from Girotto on Mitrović’s foot.
In his analysis on the “Koora Time” program, Al-Ali was unequivocal. “This is a penalty kick without any doubt,” he stated. “The Al Taawoun player clearly steps on Mitrović’s foot inside the penalty area. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) should have intervened to review this obvious error.”
The expert confirmed that the match officials, led by referee Sami Al-Jires, made a significant mistake by not awarding the spot-kick. He emphasized that the VAR protocol exists precisely to correct such clear and obvious errors in match-changing situations.
This missed call proved costly for the league leaders. The draw meant Al Hilal dropped two points in their title race, a decision that has sparked considerable debate within Saudi football circles.
