Al-Ahli Beat Auckland FC to Set Up Sundowns Clash

Al-Ahli's promising start to life under new head coach Marino Pusic continued on Wednesday night, though not without a fight. The Saudi Pro League side ground out a 1-0 victory over OFC Professional League champions Auckland FC at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, booking their place in the second round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and extending their winning run to four consecutive matches across all competitions.

The result sends Al-Ahli into a heavyweight second-round showdown with Mamelodi Sundowns, the CAF Champions League winners from South Africa, at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on September 19 — a fixture that will test just how far Pusic's side has progressed since his arrival.

A Packed House, A Cagey Contest

There was no shortage of atmosphere inside King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, where Al-Ahli supporters unveiled an elaborate double tifo display before kickoff, with banners reading "Fight for the badge" behind one goal and "Snatch it" spread across the central stands. The buildup promised drama, but the match itself told a more complicated story — one of a team still finding its rhythm under a new tactical philosophy.

Auckland FC arrived with a clear defensive game plan, setting up in a compact 4-4-2 shape and camping deep inside their own half for long stretches. The approach effectively neutralized Al-Ahli's attempts to dominate possession and dictate the tempo of the match, frustrating a home crowd expecting a more comfortable evening.

A Change in Style Under Pusic

The match also offered a window into how Al-Ahli's identity has shifted since Pusic replaced previous manager Matthias Jaissle. Where Jaissle's side often looked to play direct passes into forwards against deep defensive blocks like Auckland's, Pusic appears to favor a more patient, possession-based approach, frequently looking to find playmaker Eduard Spertsyan in the half-spaces between opposition lines.

That shift created openings for Auckland to counter, and the visitors enjoyed a productive spell after the opening quarter-hour, growing increasingly comfortable in transition and manufacturing several dangerous moments. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was called upon more than once to keep the scoreline level, making a series of saves to deny the New Zealand champions an unlikely lead.

Al-Ahli's front line — featuring Galeno, Spertsyan and Francisco Trincao — had chances of their own, repeatedly attempting to break down Auckland's defensive block, but goalkeeper Michael Woud and a well-organized backline managed to keep most efforts away from goal.

Substitutes Make the Difference

The second half brought little relief from the tactical stalemate, with Jeddah's humidity visibly sapping energy from both sets of players as the match wore on. The breakthrough, when it finally arrived, came from Pusic's bench. On the hour mark, the Al-Ahli coach introduced two fresh legs: forward Saleh Abu Al-Shamat and new signing Artem Bondarenko.

The change paid off almost immediately. In a passage of play reminiscent of Al-Ahli's opening-day goal against Diriyah earlier this season, Spertsyan won the ball back deep in his own half before driving forward through acres of open space. He slipped a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of Abu Al-Shamat, who calmly finished under Woud to break the deadlock in the 62nd minute.

The assist marked Spertsyan's fourth direct goal contribution in as many appearances since joining the club, underlining just how quickly the Armenian international has settled into his new surroundings.

Late Drama and What Comes Next

Auckland's night went from difficult to disastrous in the closing stages when defender Sam Cosgrove was shown a straight red card in the 87th minute for a dangerous tackle on Zakaria Hawsawi, leaving the visitors to play out the final minutes a man down.

The win offers Al-Ahli a measure of redemption after last season's Intercontinental Cup campaign ended at the same stage, with a defeat to Egyptian side Pyramids. This time, the Jeddah club will hope to go one step further when they meet Mamelodi Sundowns next month in Pretoria.

Before that continental test, however, Al-Ahli's focus returns to domestic business. The club faces two away fixtures in Saudi Pro League action, starting with a trip to face Al-Kholood on August 29, followed by a mouth-watering clash against fierce rivals Al-Hilal on September 1 — a fixture that will offer a far sterner examination of Pusic's evolving system than Wednesday's narrow win over Auckland.

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