Primera División De Arabia Saudita: Al-Ittihad wins with 10 men as Diaby red card dispute collides with VAR reversal
In the primera división de arabia saudita, Al-Ittihad Jeddah secured a 1-0 win over Al-Hazm on Friday in matchday 27 of the Roshen League, a result shaped as much by Abdulrahman Al-Aboud’s 72nd-minute finish as by two defining officiating moments: Moussa Diaby’s dismissal and a penalty decision that was overturned after VAR review.
What actually decided the match in primera división de arabia saudita?
The game remained tight for long stretches before Al-Ittihad finally broke through in the 72nd minute. Abdulrahman Al-Aboud scored the decisive goal after receiving an assist from Hossam Awar that left him one-on-one with the Al-Hazm goalkeeper. Al-Aboud finished with a low shot that stayed as the only goal of the match.
Before that breakthrough, Al-Ittihad had a clear opening in the 27th minute when Moussa Diaby missed a chance from close range, sending his attempt wide after a favorable sequence put him in front of goal.
The victory moved Al-Ittihad—also referenced as Jeddah United in the match report—to 45 points and sixth place. Al-Hazm remained on 31 points and dropped to 11th.
Primera División De Arabia Saudita spotlight: why Diaby’s red card became the central flashpoint
The most contentious episode arrived in the first half, when Moussa Diaby was sent off following a foul on Abdulrahman Al-Dakhil of Al-Hazm. In the match account, the referee initially showed a yellow card, then upgraded the punishment to red after input from the assistant referee—leaving Al-Ittihad to play the remainder of the match with 10 men and altering the tactical shape of the contest.
A separate account framed the moment amid loud crowd reaction and described the incident as Diaby striking an Al-Hazm player in the lower abdomen. As Diaby exited, the stands erupted with shouting and whistles directed at both the player and the referee.
Amid the debate, Egyptian arbitration expert Mohamed Kamal “Risha” addressed the decision and backed the dismissal, stating that the referee was correct to show red because the challenge involved a dangerous kick and fit the standards approved by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
That same account described the incident as Diaby’s third sending-off with Al-Ittihad, noting previous red cards against Al-Nassr last season and Al-Riyadh during the current season, before the dismissal against Al-Hazm.
VAR overturns a penalty: what the reversal says about control and pressure
The second major refereeing moment came after the break. Al-Ittihad appeared to win a penalty following contact in the box between Hossam Awar and an Al-Hazm defender, with the referee initially pointing to the spot.
VAR then prompted a review, after which the referee reversed the call. The ruling held that there was no foul on Awar and that he fell on his own inside the Al-Hazm area. Possession was awarded to Al-Hazm, eliminating a potentially decisive scoring chance for Al-Ittihad.
Together, the red card and the reversed penalty created a paradox: Al-Ittihad lost a player and a spot-kick opportunity, yet still produced the match’s only goal and walked away with all three points.
What the public should watch next
The match offered two storylines that now travel beyond this single result: the continuing scrutiny of disciplinary thresholds in the primera división de arabia saudita and the growing influence of VAR in reshaping key decisions in real time. In this case, a dismissal stood as the defining first-half act, while VAR erased a penalty in the second half—both decisions framing the conditions under which Al-Ittihad ultimately found a way to win.
For supporters, the clearest unresolved issue is not the scoreline but confidence: whether match-defining calls—especially those upgraded after consultation or reversed after review—are communicated and understood well enough to prevent the kind of stadium-wide anger described around Diaby’s exit. The facts of Friday’s game are settled on the field: Al-Aboud scored, Al-Ittihad won 1-0, and the table shifted. The debate around the officiating, however, is now part of the week’s agenda in the primera división de arabia saudita.
