Tijjani Reijnders Shines as Al Qadsiah Defeats Al Ahli in Five-Goal Thriller

Al Qadsiah climbed to second place in the Saudi Pro League standings following a thrilling 3-2 victory against Al Ahli in Damman on Tuesday, powered by an impressive performance from new signing Tijjani Reijnders.

Revisiting the dramatic encounter from last March, Al Qadsiah once again triumphed over their opponents from Jeddah in a match featuring five goals. The loss triggered internal tensions within the Al Ahli squad, highlighted by a heated dispute between England striker Ivan Toney and teammate Mohammed Abdulrahman during the second half. Toney also required restraint at the final whistle as he directed his frustration toward the referee.

This outcome indicates that the Al Qadsiah squad managed by Brendan Rodgers is positioning itself as a serious title contender against Riyadh powerhouses Al Hilal and Al Nassr. Conversely, Al Ahli continues to face challenges under new manager Marino Pusic, who succeeded double Asian title winner Matthias Jaissle during the summer.

Addressing the incidents, the Al Ahli boss minimized the significance of the on-field disagreements, stating, “These are natural things that happen between players, and a reflection of the results, and sometimes it is a positive thing, because it instils more spirit in the team.”

Dutch midfielder Reijnders, who arrived in the summer from Manchester City, opened the scoring 14 minutes into the match with a signature strike from outside the penalty area. Right-back Mohammed Abu Al Shamat extended the advantage during stoppage time of the first half by finishing off a low delivery from Christopher Bonsu Baah. Shortly after, in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Reijnders secured his second goal and his team's third by heading in a cross from Al Shamat, establishing a comfortable half-time lead for the hosts.

Al Qadsiah withstood a second-half resurgence from Al Ahli, who began their comeback when Toney converted a header in the 63rd minute from a cross provided by winger Francisco Trincao. The prolific forward struck again in the 82nd minute, latching onto a pass from Saleh Abu Al Shamat to beat goalkeeper Koen Casteels.

Despite the late pressure, the visitors were unable to find an equalizer, resulting in their third loss of the campaign. Meanwhile, Al Qadsiah secured their fifth victory in six matches, matching leaders Al Hilal with 15 points and sitting in second place only on goal difference.