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RIYADH: League football returned to the Kingdom following an international break that saw the Saudi national team confirm World Cup qualification, with reigning champions Al-Ittihad and AFC Champions League holders Al-Ahli both dropping vital points against A-Fayha and Al-Shabab respectively.

The start of the fifth round of the Saudi Pro League saw Al-Fayha take the lead at Al-Majma’ah Sports City Stadium with a goal from Fashion Sakala on the stroke of half-time. They were, however, pegged back by Ahmed Al-Ghamdi’s 64th face-saving equalizer for the champions.

The result left Al-Ittihad in second place, two points behind, with Al-Nassr having played one more match.

Meanwhile Al-Ahli also failed to claim three points, drawing 1-1 against visiting Al-Shabab at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. The home team took the lead through Ivan Toney after 15 minutes and looked to be holding on to a nervy win when Josh Brownhill levelled for Al-Shabab with just three minutes left.

Al-Ahli are now in fifth place with nine points from five matches, while Al-Shabab are 12th with five points from the same number of fixtures.

Also on Friday, Al-Kholood thrashed visitors Al-Najma 5-1 to lift themselves to an impressive fourth in the standing.

RIYADH: Former AC Milan manager Sergio Conceicao will take over as coach of Al-Ittihad following the sacking of Laurent Blanc, the ����ֱ��n Pro League club announced on Wednesday.
The Portuguese coach, who also won 52 caps as a player, was revealed in a video on social media titled “The King Rules the Game.”
“Victory is not a choice,” says Conceicao, 50, in the video.

“It is an identity that defines us. Rivals may change and their allies will fall but the champion remains.
“The champion owns the game. I am Sergio Conceicao, I came to build glory with Ittihad.”
He has signed a two-year contract and is the fourth Portuguese to manage the club, the most recent being current West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo who left in 2023.

Conceicao spent seven years in charge of Porto winning the Portuguese league three times before moving to Milan in the middle of last season.
He was fired after AC Milan finished eighth in Serie A and lost to Bologna in the Italian Cup final.
Al-Ittihad are currently third in the Saudi Pro League, three points behind leaders Al-Nassr.
It was a 2-0 defeat by their rivals at the end of September that spelt the end of Blanc’s 14 months in charge.