On Monday, the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Federation issued two penalties against Laila Al-Qahtani, the Al-Hilal player, and Nisreen Bahluli, the Al-Nasr player, against the backdrop of the events of the two teams’ confrontation in the Saudi Women’s Super Cup, which was held on September 5 of this year.
The committee decided to suspend Laila Al-Qahtani, the Al-Hilal player, for two matches in all official matches in which she is entitled to participate, in addition to obliging her to pay a fine of 5,000 riyals to the account of the Saudi Football Federation.
The punishment came after it was proven that Al-Qahtani carried out aggressive actions towards a player from the opposing team, according to what was stated in the match officials’ reports, proving that she violated Article “48-2-2” of the Discipline and Ethics Regulations, while the decision was not subject to appeal in accordance with Article 144.
In a similar decision, the committee punished Nisreen Bahlouli, Al-Nasr player, with a two-match suspension in all official matches in which she is entitled to participate, and obliged her to pay a fine of 5,000 riyals.
Bahlouli was found to have violated Article 48-2-2 of the Discipline and Ethics Regulations, after she carried out aggressive actions towards a player from the opposing team, according to what was stated in the match officials’ reports, while the decision was considered non-appealable in accordance with Article 144.
Thus, the penalties issued against the two players amounted to four suspension matches in total, and financial fines amounting to 10 thousand riyals, for two matches, and 5 thousand riyals for each player.
On Monday, the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Federation issued a decision to punish Al-Taawoun Club due to the phrases and chants chanted by its fans during the confrontation with Al-Hilal, within the Saudi League competitions, by closing its stadium to the fans in the next two matches that it plays at home, in addition to fining it 100 thousand riyals.
The committee confirmed that the Al-Taawoun crowd violated Article 51-2 of the Discipline and Ethics Regulations, after chanting phrases and slogans that violated the provisions of the regulation, while the Committee decided to tighten the punishment in accordance with Article 39-4.
The committee obligated Al-Taawoun Club to play the next two matches at home in the Saudi League without fans in attendance, with a complete closure of the stadium, in addition to paying a fine of 100,000 riyals to the Saudi Football Federation, while the decision was non-appealable in accordance with Article “144” of the Disciplinary and Ethics Regulations.
The punishment came against the backdrop of the confrontation between Al-Taawoun and Al-Hilal, last Friday, which witnessed a group of home fans chanting chants towards the Portuguese Ruben Neves, the Al-Hilal player, which prompted Al-Hilal Club Company to file an official complaint with the Saudi Football Federation, considering what happened as “offensive and unacceptable collective chants” that are inconsistent with sporting values and morals, and exceed the limits of competition and encouragement in stadiums.
Informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee had begun an investigation into the issuance of offensive chants and phrases against the Al-Hilal player from the Al-Taawoun stands, before the committee issued its official decision, on Monday, to impose penalties of a financial fine and closing the stadium to the fans for two matches.
In another decision, the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee punished the Portuguese Gomez, the Al-Khaleej coach, with a one-match suspension and a fine of 10,000 riyals, after he committed unsportsmanlike behavior towards one of the ball collectors during the confrontation between Al-Khaleej and Al-Nassr, last Friday, according to what the official broadcaster showed.
The committee confirmed Gomez’s violation of Article “48-2-1” of the Disciplinary and Ethics Regulations, and decided to suspend him for one match in all official matches in which he is entitled to participate, and to oblige him to pay a fine of 10,000 riyals to the account of the Saudi Football Federation, while the decision was not subject to appeal in accordance with Article “144.”
The committee also suspended French coach Christophe Galtier, NEOM's coach, for 3 matches, including the automatic suspension resulting from a direct red card, and fined him 30,000 riyals, against the backdrop of what he did during the confrontation between NEOM and Al-Fateh, last Saturday.
The committee explained that Galtier committed obscene and insulting acts towards the opposing team’s substitutes, according to what was stated in the match referee’s report, and decided to tighten the punishment in accordance with Article “39-4” of the Discipline and Ethics Regulations.
The NEOM coach was proven to have violated Article 48-2-2, and he was punished with a suspension for 3 official matches, including an automatic suspension, and obligated to pay a fine of 30,000 riyals to the Saudi Football Federation, while the decision was not subject to appeal in accordance with Article 144.
Colombian Brian Leon, the South African Mamelodi Sundowns striker, confirmed his team's readiness to participate in the upcoming confrontation against Al-Ahly Saudi Arabia, next Saturday in Pretoria, as part of the Africa and Asia-Pacific Cup, which qualifies for the next stage of the 2026 Confederations Cup.
Leon said, in an interview with the official FIFA website, that he was experiencing a state of calm before the match, and did not feel any pressure on a personal level, indicating that the true sense of the scale of the confrontation would appear as its date approached.
The Colombian striker added: “I feel very calm on a personal level, and I do not suffer from any pressure at all,” before explaining: “There is no need for us to impose pressure on ourselves. That feeling will come the day before the game, or on our way to the stadium. “This is the kind of pressure needed, that spark that ignites your enthusiasm.”
Sundowns are counting on Lyon, who joined the team last January from Deportivo Independiente Medellin, after becoming one of the most prominent elements of the South African team and contributing to their winning the African Champions League title.
Lyon scored five goals during Sundowns' continental journey towards the African title, while his total goals with the team reached 18 goals in 35 matches, giving his team a prominent offensive option before facing Al-Ahly.
Regarding facing Al-Ahly and the prominent names that the Saudi team has, including Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Turkish defender Merih Demiral, Portuguese Francisco Trincao, and English striker Ivan Toney, Lyon stressed that Sundowns is well aware of the scale of the challenge.
He said: “We are well aware of the level of players they have, the strength and depth of their squad, as well as the quality and potential they possess.”
He added: “They are the champions of Asia and we are the champions of Africa, and they also think of us in the same way.”
The confrontation holds special importance for the two teams, as each of them seeks to continue their journey in the tournament, after Al-Ahly secured its position as champion of the AFC Champions League, while Sundowns enters the match as the holder of the African Champions League title.
Lyon does not view the confrontation with Al-Ahly as a final stop; The Sundowns striker is looking forward to continuing the journey and facing one of the Latin American clubs in the next stage, whether it is a Mexican team like Toluca or the Copa Libertadores champion.
He said in this regard: “This match will mean a lot to me. We will face a strong and experienced competitor in the finals.”
He explained that football in South America is very different from the way it is practiced and lived in the African continent, considering that facing one of the clubs in the region will be “a very exciting football occasion.”
Lyon pointed out that Sundowns had previously experienced this type of competition during its participation in the 2025 Club World Cup, when it faced Brazilian Fluminense, stressing that qualifying for the next stage and meeting one of those clubs “will represent a tremendous achievement.”
Sundowns and Al-Ahly are awaiting Saturday’s confrontation in Pretoria, amid shared ambitions to cross the continental test, in a meeting that brings together the African and Asian champions and puts the Saudi football experience in front of the strength of the South African team that is crowned continental champion.
