Al-Ahli suffered a severe shock after losing to Egyptian Pyramids 1-3 in the final of the Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup, amid mutual accusations between the players and the German coach Yalese.

The team faced criticism for Yalese's insistence on not rotating players, especially after the classic match against Al-Hilal, which drained the team's energy significantly, leading to fatigue in the important continental match.

Pyramids, the African champion, managed to defeat their hosts Al-Ahli in the match held at the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah in front of 49,284 fans, thanks to a brilliant hat-trick from their Congolese striker, Veston Mayeli, in the 21st, 71st, and 75th minutes.

Englishman Ivan Toney scored a consolation goal for Al-Ahli from a penalty in the 45th minute, while Pyramids secured a place to face the champion of the Americas on December 13, and qualified for the final against Paris Saint-Germain on December 17 for the first time in its history.

Criticism escalated from sports experts, as Imad Al-Hosni emphasized the need to postpone the Al-Hilal match to support teams in international commitments, while Majid Al-Fahmi considered that fatigue from local and international championship matches was the biggest factor in the declining performance.

Former player Ahmed Atif commented on Al-Ahli's tactics, confirming that Pyramids exploited the strengths intelligently, while Sultan Al-Luhayni stated that Al-Ahli's players did not show enough seriousness in intercepting balls, and the performance was of the type 'you win or you play.'

The transfer of Congolese player Mayeli also stirred considerable controversy, as there were negotiations with Al-Fateh Saudi Club, but the player's continuation with Pyramids came after activating the extension clause for an additional year, amid fears of his transfer to Egyptian Al-Ahli or any other club.

The two clubs reached an agreement regarding the financial compensation, but financial constraints and suspensions from the International Federation prevented his transfer to Al-Fateh, leading to the later recruitment of Cameroonian player Ekambi to strengthen the attacking line, after varied experiences in previous Saudi clubs.