Al-Shabab and Al Ahly FC unbeaten in last 4 matches ahead of Riyadh clash

The match features a renewed clash between Englishmen Ivan Toney and Josh Brownhill, who celebrated the English Football League One title with Barnsley nearly ten years ago, before competing against each other in English and Saudi Arabian football.

In October 2021, Brownhill helped Burnley beat Brentford, then featuring Toney, 3-1 in the Premier League. The match saw Icelandic player Johann Berg Gudmundsson participate, who later played for Al-Orouba in the Saudi Pro League during the 2024-2025 season.

Ivan Toney and Brownhill met again in Jeddah last October, when each scored in the Al Ahly FC and Al Shabab 1-1 draw in the fifth round of the Saudi Pro League for the 2025-2026 season, before facing each other again in the current season.

The second encounter between the two teams saw Al Shabab lose to Al Ahly FC in Riyadh 5-2 last February, making the new match even more important for both teams looking to continue their progress and make up for lost opportunities.

Attention is also drawn to the Senegalese goalkeepers Edouard Mendy, of Al Ahly FC, and Mory Diaw, of Al-Fayha FC, who will face each other in a match featuring two players from the Senegal national team, following their shared experience during international competitions.

Mory Diaw, 33, stepped in for Mendy after the latter was injured while trying to stop Erling Haaland's third goal for Norway. The substitute goalkeeper then started the next two matches, keeping a clean sheet against Iraq.

The Saudi Pro League 2026-2027 season features six Senegalese players, including Sadio Mané with Al Ahly FC and Al Nassr, Kalidou Koulibaly with Al-Hilal, as well as Mory Diaw, Abdallah Sima from Al-Fayha FC, and Idrissa Gueye from Al Diriyah.

The clash features two of four clubs that have remained unbeaten in their last four matches. Al Ahly FC and Al-Hilal have achieved a perfect record during this period, while Al Nassr has won three consecutive matches after drawing with Al Khaleej.

Al-Shabab maintains its unbeaten record after defeating Al-Taawoun 3-0 and Al-Fateh 3-1, and drawing with Al-Fayha 0-0 and Al-Faisaly 2-2.

Al-Shabab started the season without achieving any victory in the first seven rounds, before winning twice in the last three matches, while Al Ahly FC lost three times in the first six rounds, then regained their balance and achieved a series of victories that placed them among the most stable teams recently.

Al-Shabab sit in 12th place with 11 points, ten points behind Al Ahly FC in 5th, adding extra importance to the clash for both teams, as they both seek to recover from a shaky start and improve their position in the Saudi Pro League table.

Al-Shabab and Al Ahly FC are preparing for an anticipated clash in the Saudi Pro League, as both teams aim to continue their unbeaten run after avoiding defeat in their last four matches, despite a rocky start to the season.