The incident of the red card shown to Senegalese star Sadio Mane, a player for Al-Nassr, sparked controversy during the match against Al-Ittihad in the semi-finals of the Saudi Super Cup currently taking place in Hong Kong, after he forcefully challenged the opposing goalkeeper.

In the 25th minute of the match, a direct red card was shown to Mane following his violent clash with goalkeeper Hamid Al-Shanqeeti, a decision that caused widespread division among fans and observers.

Former international referee Saad Al-Kathiri clarified the situation, confirming in his analysis through Al-Jazirah newspaper that the red card was fully justified, pointing out that the referee's decision was supported by a correct intervention from VAR.

Al-Kathiri explained that the player used excessive force in a dangerous tackle with the Al-Ittihad goalkeeper, which made the decision legally sound, despite some Al-Nassr fans objecting to its severity.

It is worth mentioning that Mane had scored the first goal for Al-Nassr in the 10th minute of the match in a brilliant manner, before leaving the field after being sent off, placing his team in a difficult position against Al-Ittihad for the remainder of the match.