There was a sense of deja vu this week as a Saudi Arabia club went to the top tier of English football and signed one of the world’s best players.
Al-Ittihad have recruited Ashleigh Plumptre from Leicester City which means that one of the stars of the women’s game has made the switch from the home of the Foxes in England’s East Midlands to join the Tigers in the port of Jeddah.
With the 25-year-old on the radar of several big European clubs, the signing has whetted appetites for the second season of the Saudi Women’s Premier League which kicks off next month.
Plumptre is a former England youth international who switched allegiance to Nigeria and was one of the stars of the World Cup that ended last month with the Africans losing to England after a penalty shootout in the knockout stages.
“(I am) grateful to have signed for Al-Ittihad,” Plumptre reportedly said. “I am excited to start this journey alongside some incredible human beings. My journey of stepping into more of myself continues … It’s more than football.”
She joins a Jeddah club on the rise under coach Kelly Lindsay, the former US international who has managed the women’s teams of Afghanistan and Morocco. They have been busy in the transfer market. As well as the new Nigerian defender, there is Morocco’s Salma Amani — who helped the Atlas Lionesses not just become the first Arab team to play at the Women’s World Cup this summer but also to get to the knockout stage.
Former Swedish youth international Nor Mustafa, who arrived by the Red Sea from Scottish club Hibernian, means that the Tigers will be hoping to mount a title challenge this time after finishing fifth out of eight in the inaugural season. For the city of Jeddah to be home to both the male and female champions would be something special.
Fullback Bayan Sadagah is looking forward to continuing the progress already made. “I used to play for Jeddah Eagles and after the Saudi Women’s Pro League was created, our club was acquired by Al-Ittihad,” the defender said. “We were able to use their facilities and we were happy that we were finally being treated as professionals and this really pushed us to be more ambitious. We push ourselves to become better.”
That is the plan for the new season but taking the title from Al-Nassr will not be easy. The Riyadh team are the ones to beat with stars including Lina Boussaha, a former French youth international who played for Paris Saint-Germain before sustaining a serious injury. Her career is now back on track in Saudi Arabia.
Even the newly-promoted teams are ambitious. Al-Qadsia have former Benfica coach Luis Andrade.
“We are aiming to be competitive in the Premier League,” Andrade said as he arrived in the east of the country in August. “We know that we have a lot of work to do but we are not just there to make up the numbers.”
The numbers are improving and there are plans to expand the top tier to 10 teams from next year. Interestingly, there are 30 sides in the second division which is divided into regional groups of six. At the end of the season there will be playoffs with three teams coming up and one going down.
Compared to other Asian powerhouses such as China and especially Japan, there is a determination to try and catch up as quickly as possible and the progress made in a short time has been impressive.
In 2019, the women’s department at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation was established. A year later, came the Women’s Community Football League and then the Regional Women’s League in 2021. The Premier League launched in 2022, the same year that the national women’s team played their first-ever international game, defeating the Seychelles 2-0. They now have a FIFA ranking.
There is, of course, a bid to host the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup. If that is successful, it would be a huge boost to the game in the country but even if not, there is a plan to qualify to the tournament for the first time.
The 2027 World Cup may be a little too early but with 32 teams participating and the likes of the Philippines and Vietnam making the 2023 edition, there is always hope. There are now more than 50,000 schoolgirls playing football, over 1,000 female coaches and regional training centers where the best talent get the best coaching. The development is continuing at a rapid speed.
First though, is the new season. The objective is that this is better than last year in terms of the quality of play and the interest off the pitch. That remains to be seen but the early signs and the early signings such as Plumptre are very promising.
Ashleigh Plumptre’s move to Al-Ittihad adds star power to Saudi Women’s Premier League
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Ashleigh Plumptre’s move to Al-Ittihad adds star power to Saudi Women’s Premier League
- The Nigeria international joins the Jeddah club ahead of the second edition of the top tier competition
- Plumptre said: “I am excited to start this journey alongside some incredible human beings. My journey of stepping into more of myself continues … It’s more than football”
Al-Taawoun edge close to Asian final with narrow win over Sharjah
- An early strike from Abdelhamid Sabiri was enough to settle the clash
- All to play for in the second leg in UAE next week
BURAIDAH: Al-Taawoun took a big step towards the final of the AFC Champions League Two on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Sharjah in the first leg of their last four clash.
An early strike from Abdelhamid Sabiri was enough to settle the clash in Saudi Arabia but there is still much work to do in the United Arab Emirates next week in the return match.
The home fans in Buraidah were celebrating, waving their yellow flags and dreaming of a first ever continental trophy inside two minutes. Mohammed Al-Kuwaykibi’s cross caused problems for the visiting defence, it was headed out to the edge of the area and there was Sabiri to fire home with a fierce shot.
The visitors were rattled and after giving the ball away in defence two minutes later, were relieved as Al-Kuwaykibi’s shot from long range went just over the bar with the goalkeeper struggling.
Sharjah came close to the equaliser after 19 minutes but while Guiherme Biro was found in a good position in the area, the Brazilian slightly slipped as he sent the shot over.
It seemed to get better for the UAE team seven minutes into the second half as they were awarded a penalty as Ousmane Camara went down in the box under a challenge from Mohammed Mahzari. Yet, after a VAR intervention, the decision was reversed, much to the relief of the home fans.
Yet it was the away team who were happier with 18 minutes remaining as Al-Taawoun came within millimetres of extending their lead.Musa Barrow broke free down the right, cut inside and, with just the goalkeeper to beat, the Gambian goalgetter fired his shot against the inside of the post.
It means that there is all to play for in the second leg in Sharjah next week. It should be quite the battle.
Al-Taawoun eye continental glory in AFC Champions League Two
- Wolves Park in Buraidah will host the first leg of the semifinal between the Saudi club and the UAE’s Sharjah on Tuesday
AUSTRALIA: Wolves Park may not have the grandeur of other stadiums in Saudi Arabia, but it lacks nothing when it comes to drama — especially in Al-Taawoun’s run to the AFC Champions League Two semi-finals.
The 6,000-capacity stadium on the northern edges of Buraidah will on Tuesday host arguably the biggest game in the team’s history, 2019 King’s Cup final aside.
This is just the fourth time they have featured in Asian competition. While the ACL Two may be second tier, behind the AFC Champions League Elite, the new continental format means it is far more prestigious than its former incarnation, the AFC Cup.
After topping their group with five wins from six, Al-Taawoun faced Qatar’s Al-Wakrah in the Round of 16. After 2-2 draws across both legs, penalties decided the outcome — with Al-Taawoun advancing 4-3 after a thrilling climax in front of a raucous home crowd.
The drama of that night was not only matched but surpassed when they faced Iranian side Tractor in the quarterfinal. After a scoreless game in Iran, Al-Taawoun were confident of victory in front of a capacity crowd at Wolves Park.
A see-sawing battle ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, with both sides scoring again in extra time. Once more, penalties would test the nerves of the Al-Taawoun faithful who packed the stands.
Reserve goalkeeper Abdulquddus Atiah, deputizing for the injured Mailson, pulled off a huge save to deny Sajjad Ashouri and help his club through to a continental semifinal.
It was a moment that reduced interim coach Mohammed Al-Abdali to tears, pictured sitting in the center circle long after the final whistle had blown, as he took in the enormity of the moment. The rest of the ground was filled with wild celebrations.
“I thank the Al-Taawoun fans and promise them that we won’t stop at this stage, we will continue until the end,” 51-year-old Al-Abdali said afterwards.
Following that entree, admission to the 6,000-capacity stadium will be the hottest ticket in town on Tuesday.
Another full house is expected as the boutique venue hosts the first leg of the semi-final against UAE powerhouse Sharjah FC, with fans eyeing another slice of history.
If Al-Taawoun win the semifinal, a trip to either Singapore or Australia awaits. The ACL Two’s rotation policy means this year’s final will be hosted by the winner of the East Zone — either Singapore’s Lion City Sailors or Australia’s Sydney FC.
For a club the size of Al-Taawoun, the chance of a continental final rarely comes around. This might be their only opportunity for some time.
The new structure means the top three finishers in the Saudi Pro League qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite, while the King’s Cup winners qualify for the AFC Champions League Two.
This season, the league’s “Big Five” fill all those spots — the four PIF-owned clubs plus Al-Qadsiah — and with their financial power increasing, it’s hard to see a future in which any other club can break in.
And with clubs like NEOM SC — coached by Pericles Chamusca, who guided Al-Taawoun to fourth last season — set to join the SPL next year, with all the financial backing they bring, expect it to be even tougher for the smaller clubs, which operate on far smaller budgets, to qualify for Asian competition as they did last season.
That’s what makes Al-Taawoun’s clash with Sharjah over the next two weeks so momentous. Never say never in sport, but this could be their make-or-break chance. After the high of their fourth-placed finish last season, they have come back to the pack this year and currently sit in seventh, nine points behind sixth-placed Al-Shabab.
Given the rising quality of the SPL, seventh for a club its size is nothing to be ashamed of, but it does highlight how difficult it will be to match last season’s heroics and return to this position in the future.
However, after a 2-0 win over Al-Kholood last Friday, Al-Taawoun carry with them confidence and momentum.
With the finals of the ACL Elite in Saudi Arabia in just over two weeks, it would be easy for this match to fall under the radar as attention focuses on the country’s biggest clubs, stadiums and fan bases.
But not in Buraidah. Not among the Al-Taawoun faithful. They’ll be at Wolves Park on Tuesday hoping to add another successful chapter to the club’s rich history.
‘Ready for any challenge’: how Rami El-Hassan embraced being first Palestinian to coach in Saudi top flight
- Former Palestine international had a brief stint as caretaker manager of Buraidah-based side in March before returning to the role of assistant manager
AMSTERDAM: If you have ever wondered what happened to your favorite big name, bigger personality football manager, chances are they are now on the touchlines of the Saudi Pro League.
Fatih Terim, Stefano Pioli, Laurent Blanc, and Jorge Jesus are just some of the famous tacticians currently managing in the Kingdom.
While the big names grab most of the headlines, the league is now producing younger first-time managers from the region who are also making a name for themselves.
Former Palestine international Rami El-Hassan took the reins, albeit briefly, of the Buraidah-based side Al-Raed on March 9, replacing ex-Santos manager Odair Hellmann.
His appointment made history as El-Hassan became the first Palestinian to manage in the Saudi top flight. The 45-year-old’s time with the team spans seven years, six different managers, and a whopping 220 games.
A long-awaited managerial debut finally arrived on March 13, but ended with Al-Raed losing 3-1 to relegation rivals El-Fateh.
In spite of the setback, the former midfielder was positive. “It was a (good) experience and a big step in my career, and I feel ready for any challenge in the future,” El-Hassan told Arab News in an exclusive interview earlier this week.
Resiliency has been a hallmark of El-Hassan’s footballing journey. He was born in the Nahr El Bared refugee camp in Lebanon to a Palestinian family from Saffuriya, and his life has rarely been straightforward.
In spite of hardships off the pitch, El-Hassan has had a knack of being in the right place at the right time. A debut in the Lebanese top-flight in 1996 came at barely 17 years of age with one of Lebanon’s oldest clubs, Tripoli-based Riada Wal Adab.
“My school was playing a match on their training ground and their Egyptian manager was waiting for us to finish. Afterwards he and his staff came up to me, asked some questions, and offered for me to train with them, and even said they would register and sign me.”
Keen to prove himself, El-Hassan wanted to sign right away, but first had to get his father’s approval. Any distraction from the pursuit of education was out of the question, especially since El-Hassan was an exemplary student.
“I said to my father, ‘don’t worry, I can do both well. If you see at any moment I lose focus on my studies you can stop me from playing.’ I think I kept my promise to my father because I completed three years of high school and a four-year bachelor of arts degree from university.”
Two years after his league debut, a path to becoming a fully fledged international opened up when Palestine was admitted into FIFA in 1998.
Fans of vintage Levantine football might remember El-Hassan from his days playing for Salam Zaghrta. His late runs into the box and set-piece proficiency resulted in 12 goals in the 2003/04 season — good enough for third most in the league and a spot in the team of the season.
That form caught the eye of the late Alfred Riedl, who held an exploratory camp for Palestinian players based in Syria and Lebanon, which in turn led to a call-up to the Palestine national team in 2004.
El-Hassan’s time with the national team was brief — two caps, one goal — but eventful as part of a generation who still hold the record for Palestine’s biggest win in World Cup qualification (8-0 vs. Chinese Taipei).
A year after his national team debut, El-Hassan made the difficult choice to end his footballing career early and move to Spain in search of a better future. His passion for football served as the perfect conduit for learning a new language and adapting to a different culture.
“Learning the Spanish language was the first objective in order to make my life easier,” he said.
“When I was going to the language center, I would buy the two most famous sports newspapers, Marca and AS, and I had a small pocket dictionary and I would read the football news.”
Living with his uncle and Spanish-born cousins for his first two years in Madrid further eased his adaptation.
El-Hassan also began coaching neighborhood teams in the Spanish capital while pursuing his UEFA B-license. This led to a brief stint in Jeddah with Al-Ahli under Vitor Pereira before joining Atletico Madrid in 2015.
Having gained a UEFA pro license, a return to the Kingdom beckoned in 2018. The former midfielder’s motives were two-fold.
“I am the oldest son and I had a responsibility to my family back in Lebanon who lost everything after two wars. I also have three daughters, two born in Madrid and one born in the Kingdom, and thought it would be good for them to grow up around the language and culture of their parents.”
There were other offers from the Arab world, but El-Hassan recalls: “It was my destiny; it was written to come to Al-Raed.”
His brief tenure as Al-Raed boss came to an end over the international break with the club bringing in their seventh manager, Kresimir Rezic, in as many years. The Madrileno was back to his role of assistant manager for the team’s narrow 1-0 loss to Al-Qadsia in the semifinal of the King’s Cup.
Reflecting on his time in charge, El-Hassan was full of praise for his players, suggesting they deserved more in their 3-1 defeat. He was also happy to see his former international teammate Ehab Abu Jazar lead Palestine to their first win against Iraq over the international break.
As for his coaching future, El-Hassan is keeping the door open: “I feel I have potential and the capacity to go further.”
Benzema breaks Al-Ahli hearts in Sea Derby special
- For the 60,000 fans at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, there was plenty of excitement
- There was some worrying news for Al-Ittihad fans as goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic picked up an injury
JEDDAH: The honours were shared in a thrilling Sea Derby on Saturday as Al-Ahli drew 2-2 with Al-Ittihad, who twice came back to earn a precious point.
A 95th minute strike from Karim Benzema broke the hearts of home fans and put the leaders five points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League.
For the 60,000 fans at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, there was plenty of excitement and entertainment in a game that could have gone either way.
There was some worrying news for Al-Ittihad fans after goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic picked up an injury in the thrilling King’s Cup semi-final win over Al-Shabab on Tuesday, but stand-in Mohammed Al-Mahasneh showed his worth early in the first start of the season.
In the eighth minute, he saved from Firas Al-Buraikan’s low shot from inside the area and then got down quickly to deny Ivan Toney from the rebound.
At the other end, Edouard Mendy returned to the fitness and the No.1 position for Al-Ahli, after not playing a competitive game for three weeks. There is no doubt however that his opposite number had more to do in the early exchanges.
But the Tigers started to look dangerous and, just before the break, N’Golo Kante broke into the area, went around the goalkeeper but pulled his shot just wide.
The miss became more painful four minutes after the restart as Al-Ahli took the lead with a simple set piece. Riyad Mahrez swung over a corner kick from the left and Brazilian defender Ibanez climbed high on the edge of the six-yard box to head the Greens into a deserved lead.
It was all looking good for the hosts but then, with 15 minutes remaining, the fans in yellow and black were celebrating. Saleh Al-Shehri dropped deep and his slide-rule pass found Moussa Diaby on the right side of the area and the French winger made no mistake with his first-time shot.
Then, in the 82nd minute, Al-Ahli were back in front. Kante tried to block a cross but succeeded only in finding Toney and the England striker shot home from close range.
That strike looked as if it had won a famous victory for the home team but for the second time in four days, Al-Ittihad hit back deep into added time. Abdulelah Al-Amri found Benzema with an exquisite pass to the back post and the former Real Madrid star was never going to miss.
The goal takes the leaders to 62 points from 26 games, five clear of Al-Hilal. Al-Nassr are third with 54, two and five ahead of Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ahli respectively.
Jack Hendry primed for first Dammam derby with Al-Ettifaq
- The Scotland defender spoke to Arab News about playing under Steven Gerrard and the ‘Eastern Derby’ against Al-Qadsiah
LONDON: Al-Ettifaq center back Jack Hendry knows a fair bit about cross-city rivalries. He played for Dundee against Dundee United, for Club Brugge against Cercle Brugge and, most notably, for Celtic against Rangers in the Old Firm Derby.
On Saturday, Hendry will face a new foe when he lines up in Al-Ettifaq’s defense against high-flying Al-Qadsiah. For the past few years, Al-Ettifaq has been Dammam’s leading club, but this season it has been undeniably usurped by rivals Al-Qadsiah.
Michel’s newly promoted side has enjoyed a stellar season on its return to the Kingdom’s top flight, currently lying third in the Saudi Pro League table and making it to the final of the King’s Cup.
“Hats off to Qadsiah, they’ve had a very good season,” Hendry told Arab News in an exclusive interview. “They’ve had good recruitment, bringing in players that have worked well for them.
“We really want to match that and will continue to work hard to be the main team in Dammam. I think we’re very much capable of doing that. It’s been a disappointing season but we are extremely motivated to be the No. 1 team in the city for our fans, because we know how much it means to them.”
He added: “This is something I am really hungry for. I moved to Al-Ettifaq to accomplish something in football; we don’t want to be finishing mid-table, we want to be winning the King’s Cup, qualifying for Asian competition and challenging at the top of the league.”
Hendry’s winning mentality is ingrained after spells at Celtic in his native Scotland and Club Brugge in Belgium — both clubs expected to consistently challenge for every domestic trophy.
It was this hunger that initially convinced him to move to Al-Ettifaq in summer 2023, excited by the possibility of working under Steven Gerrard. The coach’s own glittering playing career yielded myriad trophies at Liverpool before he also won the Scottish Premiership as Rangers boss in 2021.
“I had lots of opportunities to go to different places across Europe, but Steven really sold the project to me,” Hendry said. “It was an opportunity I thought I couldn’t let go.
“I picked up a lot from Steven and it was a great honor to play for him as he was one of my idols growing up. The winning mentality is something he obviously had as a player and he definitely brought that to his coaching too.”
In January, after 18 months at the helm, Gerrard left Al-Ettifaq and former Saudi Arabia U-23s’ coach Saad Al-Shehri returned for his second stint.
Hendry admits he was sad to see Gerrard go but praised his teammates for their professionalism in quickly adapting to their new coach’s approach — the team are now seventh in the Pro League table with victories including an impressive 3-2 away to Al-Nassr in February.
“To lose a figure, a role model like Steven with all his experience in the game is always disappointing,” Hendry said. “But in football, you get setbacks and things you don’t expect — you have to learn from it rather than dwell on it.
“We’ve now got a new manager who is extremely positive and highly ambitious for the football club. It matches my ambitions as well so I’m delighted he has those high standards and I’m really looking forward to the future.”
Al-Shehri’s arrival has coincided with Hendry’s return to the Al-Ettifaq starting lineup. The Saudi coach clearly sees the 29-year-old as a key figure both on the pitch and in the dressing-room, but it comes after a difficult first half of the season for Hendry.
After playing every minute of every game in the 2023-24 campaign, Hendry found himself initially omitted from the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League squad after suffering an injury. His return came quicker than anticipated, meaning he faced a painful wait for the end of the winter break to return to action.
“I was really happy with how I played last season and I really put my body on the line for the team,” Hendry says. “I played in a couple of games when I had a broken nose and a fractured cheek as well. This is the sort of player I am — I want to put in everything for the team.
“That’s why the first half of this season was so tough. It was a difficult situation but I worked extremely hard to … be fit as soon as possible because I knew the impact I could have on the side. Unfortunately, that then meant I needed to spend longer watching the team as I couldn’t play.
“I want the club to be as successful as possible and feel that when I am on the pitch we have a better chance of keeping the goals out. Thankfully now I’m back in the team and hopefully those circumstances won’t happen again.”
While Hendry has helped bring some solidity back to the Al-Ettifaq defense, the team has been struggling at the other end of the pitch. Al-Shehri’s side goes into the Dammam derby without star striker Moussa Dembele, who in February was ruled out until the end of the year after rupturing his Achilles.
“He is a very talented footballer, a very powerful striker,” Hendry says of Dembele, who was also his teammate at Celtic. “Moussa is going to be a big miss — no team wants to lose their No. 9. But we need to react to that in a positive way, do our best for him and hope he has a good recovery.”
Al-Ettifaq’s attackers will have their work cut out on Saturday against an Al- Qadsiah side that has the Saudi Pro League’s meanest defense this season — they have conceded just 21 goals in 25 games.
Hendry is nonetheless relishing the opportunity to play in his first Dammam derby. While he admits the rivalry might not have the ferocity of the Old Firm or Bruges games, he hopes Al-Ettifaq vs Al-Qadsiah might develop into something just as special.
“Obviously the fans of Celtic and Rangers absolutely live and breathe the Old Firm Derby in Scotland,” Hendry explains. “It means a lot and that creates an unbelievable atmosphere — it would be impossible to experience that kind of a game anywhere else.
“The passion in Scotland and in Belgium were amazing but we are talking about generations upon generations of fans. There is the potential with what’s going on right now in Saudi Arabia that it can reach that level.
“We already have many very loyal supporters at Ettifaq. I know it would mean the world to them to beat Qadsiah and we need to go out there and make them proud of the football club — that’s what we’ll try to do.”
