Ivan Toney converted a penalty in the 104th minute as Al-Ahli overturned a deficit to beat Al-Taawoun 2-1 and close the gap to Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal to seven points. The victory also stretched
Al-Ahli’s league winning sequence to four matches, underlining a strong run during the middle of the season.
Toney’s late strike brought up 10 league goals for the season and continued an impressive personal surge, with five goals across the last four fixtures. Across this match, Toney also supplied an assist and was heavily involved throughout, underlining how Al-Ahli relied on sharp attacking contributions to overturn the earlier setback.
Al-Ahli looked in control after the equaliser yet faced a serious setback when Ibanez received a second yellow card for a high challenge. Reduced to ten players, Al-Ahli still pressed forward. Deep into stoppage time, Merih Demiral chased a long pass, beat Muteb Al Mufarrij to the ball and earned the decisive foul inside the area.
With the pressure intense and the clock beyond 100 minutes, Toney stepped up from 12 yards. The forward remained composed and drove the penalty past the goalkeeper to complete the turnaround. That strike decided a contest in which Al-Ahli had dominated the late stages despite playing with one player fewer after Ibanez’s dismissal.
Earlier, the first half moved slowly, with few clear chances, until Al-Taawoun took the lead from the spot during added time. Demiral was penalised for a foul on Fulgini in the box, and Roger Martinez sent Abdulrahman Al Sanbi the wrong way. That penalty meant Al-Ahli trailed at the interval after an otherwise cautious opening period.
Al-Taawoun almost tightened their grip just after the restart. Two minutes into the second half, Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi found space near goal but struck too close to the Al-Ahli goalkeeper, who blocked at the near post. That wasted opening became a turning point, as Al-Taawoun later regretted not extending their advantage.
Just after the hour, Al-Ahli levelled through a well-worked move. Toney ran onto a lofted pass into the box and showed awareness to square the ball across goal. Zakaria Hawsawi arrived at the far post and headed in from close range. From that moment, Al-Ahli carried the greater threat and forced Al-Taawoun deeper.
Its all about this badge #AlAhli #RoshnSaudiLeague pic.twitter.com/PZqVGh0TSu Al-Ahli Saudi Club (@ALAHLI_FCEN) January 14, 2026
Al-Ahli continued to attack after Ibanez left the pitch, recording the only two shots following the red card. Across the full match, Al-Ahli generated 2.13 expected goals from 11 attempts, compared with Al-Taawoun’s 1.03 from five efforts. The underlying numbers highlighted how the hosts created more pressure and sustained attacking phases.
| Team | Goals | Shots | Expected Goals (xG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Ahli | 2 | 11 | 2.13 |
| Al-Taawoun | 1 | 5 | 1.03 |
Toney’s individual numbers reflected that influence. The forward attempted four shots, created two chances, and shared the team-high total for chances made. Toney also won seven of 12 duels and drew three free-kicks, including the crucial stoppage-time foul, showing impact across several areas, not only in goals and assists.
Elsewhere in the Saudi Pro League, Al-Qadsiah also celebrated a fourth straight league victory after a dominant 5-0 success over Al-Fayha. Julian Quinones struck a hat-trick to set the tone, before Mateo Retegui and Eyad Houssa added further goals, underlining Al-Qadsiah’s strong attacking display during another decisive result.
These results leave Al-Ahli maintaining pressure on Al-Hilal while carrying momentum from four successive wins, powered by Toney’s strong scoring streak. Al-Taawoun missed a chance to build on their first-half lead, while Al-Qadsiah’s heavy win against Al-Fayha highlighted another form team shaping the current Saudi Pro League picture.
