The intensity of the disputes accompanying the Al-Ahly and Al-Fayhaa match in the Saudi Roshan League escalated during the past few hours, after the match that brought the two teams together ended in a positive 1-1 draw in the twenty-eighth round of the competition.
The match witnessed a major arbitration controversy, which included objections from Al-Ahly players to some decisions taken by referee Mohamed Al-Smail.
In a related context, Al-Ahly Club issued an official statement, requesting access to audio recordings of the match referees’ conversations in some arbitration cases that sparked controversy during the Al-Fayhaa match.
The match also witnessed another incident that sparked a lot of controversy, after English star Ivan Toney, the Al-Ahly striker, said that the fourth referee, Abdul Rahman Al-Sultan, spoke to his team’s players in a provocative manner.
Tony mentioned that the fourth referee addressed him and his teammates, telling them: “You must focus on the AFC Elite Champions League.”
While journalist Debbas Al-Dosari reported that the fourth referee, Abdul Rahman Al-Sultan, categorically denied this incident during the investigation conducted with him by the Referees Committee of the Saudi Football Association.
Al-Dosari explained through his account on the X platform that the fourth referee swore that such a thing would never happen.
Debbas Al-Dosari added through his account: “Abdulrahman Al-Sultan, the fourth referee in the match between #Al-Ahly and Al-Fayhaa, denied that he told the Al-Ahly players to ‘focus on Asia.’ He swore to that during the investigation that took place with him in the Saudi Football Association.”
