Refereeing expert Khalid Al-Senan has confirmed that the decision to disallow Al Ittihad’s late goal against Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League semi-final was correct, ending debate over a controversial moment that sealed the Jeddah giants’ exit from the competition.
The incident occurred in the 95th minute of the second leg on April 23, 2024, with Al Hilal leading 2-1 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate. Al Ittihad’s Ahmed Al Ghamdi fired the ball into the net, sparking wild celebrations from the home fans who believed they had forced extra time.
However, after a VAR review, the goal was chalked off for offside against striker Marwan Al-Sahafi. The match ended with Al Hilal advancing to the final.
In his analysis for Kooora, Al-Senan explained the precise reason for the disallowed goal. “The offside offense was clear,” he stated. “The player in the offside position, Marwan Al-Sahafi, impacted the play by obstructing the vision of Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. This constitutes an offside offense according to the laws of the game, as it interferes with an opponent’s ability to play the ball.”
Al-Senan emphasized that the Video Assistant Referee system correctly intervened. “The on-field referee did not see the infringement in real time,” he said. “VAR reviewed the phase of play and rightly advised the referee to cancel the goal due to Al-Sahafi’s offside position and his clear impact on the goalkeeper.”
The confirmation brings closure to a painful chapter for Al Ittihad, who were bidding farewell to Asian competition for the season. The 2-1 defeat (4-3 on aggregate) marked the end of their continental campaign, while Al Hilal moved on to face Urawa Red Diamonds in the 2023-2024 final, seeking a record fifth title.
