Al Ahly Edges Past Al Diriyah with a Narrow 1-0 Victory

Al Ahly clinched their first match in the Roshen League with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against hosts Al Diriyah during the encounter that took place on Thursday evening in the opening round of the 2026-2027 season. The match started cautiously from both sides, before the referee brandished a yellow card to Al Ahly's defender, Zakaria Hossawi, in the sixth minute. It didn't take long for Al Diriyah's Idrissa Gueye to join the list of cautions, receiving a yellow card after a challenge in the early minutes of the clash. Edward Spiritsyan opened the scoring for Al Ahly in the 25th minute, successfully penetrating Al Diriyah's defense with a remarkable individual effort, giving his team an advantage that lasted until the end of the first half. Al Diriyah pressed at the start of the second half in search of an equalizer, while Al Ahly made their first substitution in the 57th minute, bringing on Matheus Gonsalves for Jalino to invigorate the attack. The hosts tried to capitalize on their continuous pressure to level the score, but Al Ahly's defense held firm, and Al Diriyah's attempts to change the result were unsuccessful until the final whistle. With this victory, Al Ahly earned their first three points in the Roshen League, while Al Diriyah began their historic appearance in the competition with a loss, despite their efforts in the second half. Al Ahly is preparing to face Al Anwar on Monday, August 17, in the Round of 32 of the King's Cup, while Al Diriyah will meet Al Nassr in the same round on Tuesday, August 18.