Hong Kong will host the 12th edition of the Saudi Super Cup — the fourth under its new format — starting Tuesday, with Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad squaring off in the first semifinal, a high-profile clash between two leading contenders for the domestic league title. Reigning champions Al-Ittihad claimed the league and King’s Cup last season.
The second semifinal will see Al-Qadsiah take on Al-Ahli on Wednesday, with the final scheduled for Saturday.
This will be the fifth time the Super Cup is staged outside Saudi Arabia, following three editions in London and one in Abu Dhabi.
Six clubs have lifted the trophy so far, led by Al-Hilal with five titles. Al-Nassr have won twice, while Al-Fateh, Al-Shabab, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad have each claimed one title. The inaugural final took place on August 17, 2013, with Al-Fateh defeating Al-Ittihad 3-2, while the most recent final on August 17, 2024, saw Al-Hilal beat crosstown rivals Al-Nassr 4-1.
Both Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad enter Tuesday’s clash following overseas training camps. Al-Nassr held camps in Austria and Portugal before concluding with a friendly in Spain, winning three of their four preparation matches. Al-Ittihad staged their camp in Spain and Portugal, losing their first four friendlies before winning their last.
New Signings and Familiar Faces
Al-Nassr strengthened significantly under Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, who previously managed rivals Al-Hilal. The club added Portuguese forward João Félix, Spanish defender Iñigo Martínez, French winger Kingsley Coman, and local talent Nader Al-Sharari.
“I wanted to bring João Félix to Al-Hilal last season, but he chose Chelsea. This time, he made the right decision by joining the Saudi league,” Jesus said.
Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, kept faith in French coach Laurent Blanc, who guided the team to the league and cup double last year. The Jeddah club retained all of their foreign stars while adding three local players: midfielder Hamed Al-Ghamdi (whose loan was made permanent), Olympic right-back Ahmed Al-Julaidan, and young goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Absi.
“The first objective in pre-season was restoring players’ fitness after some had been out for more than six weeks,” Blanc noted. “Now, after all this work, we must be fully ready for the challenge against Al-Nassr.”
Al-Nassr will rely heavily on their new recruits alongside key figures such as captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Senegal’s Sadio Mané, Croatia’s Marcelo Brozović, and Brazilian goalkeeper Bento. Coman expressed his excitement about the move, saying: “I wanted a new challenge to win elsewhere, and I felt Al-Nassr was the right choice for me.”
Al-Ittihad remain led by captain Karim Benzema, with fellow Frenchmen N’Golo Kanté and Moussa Diaby, Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn, Brazilian midfielder Fabinho, and Albanian defender Mario Mitaj. However, they will be without Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajković, still recovering from surgery in June.
Al-Qadsiah vs Al-Ahli
On Wednesday, the second semifinal will pit debutants Al-Qadsiah against Al-Ahli, who are making their third Super Cup appearance after winning the title in 2016.
Both teams prepared extensively. Al-Qadsiah held a three-stage camp in the Netherlands, Spain, and England, playing four matches (one defeat, three draws). Al-Ahli trained in Austria, Italy, and Spain, winning two, drawing two, and losing one, before returning to Jeddah to beat Al-Riyadh 4-2 in a final friendly.
Both clubs retained their coaching staff for a third consecutive season: Spaniard José Miguel González for Al-Qadsiah and German Matthias Jaissle for Al-Ahli.
On the transfer front, Al-Qadsiah signed seven players, including Italian international striker Mateo Retegui, Ghanaian Christopher Bonsu Baah, as well as Saudi talents Abdullah Al-Salem, Mohammed Al-Thani, Mishari Senior, Yasser Al-Shahrani, and national team midfielder Musab Al-Juwair.
Al-Ahli made four signings: French midfielder Enzo Melo, Abdulilah Al-Khaibari, Mohammed Abdulrahman, and Saleh Abu Al-Shamat.
Both squads boast star power. Al-Qadsiah feature Spanish defender Nacho, Argentine midfielder Ezequiel Fernández, Uruguayans Gastón Álvarez and Nahitan Nández, and Mexican forward Julián Quiñones. Al-Ahli’s lineup includes Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Brazilian duo Roger Ibañez and Wanderson Galeno, Ivorian Franck Kessié, Algerian Riyad Mahrez, and English striker Ivan Toney.
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Agence France-Presse ©
