Al-Ahli secured the ticket to the semifinals of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup after defeating Al-Qadsiah 5-4 on penalties, following an exciting match that ended 3-3 after regular and extra time in Jeddah.

Al-Ahli played their decisive match at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, fielding a lineup that included Mendy, Demiral, Ibanez, Mathew Dams, and Majrashi, in addition to Kessié, Gonsalves, Atangana, Mahrez, Galeno, and Ivan Toni.

The match started with offensive pressure from Al-Qadsiah, as Nandez and Otavio tested the alertness of goalkeeper Mendy, who shone in the opening minutes, before Retigi succeeded in opening the scoring in the 11th minute after capitalizing on a defensive error.

Julian Quiñones extended Al-Qadsiah’s lead with a second goal from individual skill and a powerful shot, while Ivan Toni brought Al-Ahli back into the game with a penalty in the 36th minute, but Retigi returned to score the third goal from another penalty just before the end of the first half.

Al-Ahli entered the second half with a clear attacking spirit; Atangana reduced the deficit with a second goal in the 61st minute, then Kessié scored the equalizer with a strong header in the 73rd minute, igniting the match just before the final moments.

Video assistant referee (VAR) technology intervened to cancel two Al-Ahli goals due to offside, one by Kessié in the 89th minute and the other by Demiral during extra time, amid a notable performance by Al-Qadsiah’s goalkeeper who denied several dangerous chances.

Al-Ahli sealed their qualification after winning the penalty shootout, continuing their journey toward the final, while Al-Qadsiah exited the tournament with honor after a strong performance until the final moments of the marathon encounter.