Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Al-Ittihad of Jeddah has won the Saudi Super Cup title for the first time in its history, with a 2-0 win over Al-Fayha Club from Al-Majma’a on Sunday.

The Moroccan Abdel Razzaq Hamdallah scored one goal each for the winners in the beginning of the two halves of the Saudi Super Cup final. Al-Ittihad is lifting a title for the first time after winning the Saudi King’s Cup in 2018.

After years of waiting, the Portuguese head coach of Al-Ittihad Nuno Espirito Santo won his first ever title since the start of his coaching career in 2012 with Rio Ave FC of Portugal.

Hamdallah gave Al-Ittihad the lead three minutes after the kick-off and scored the team’s second goal in the beginning of the second half, to make up for his colleague Abdul Rahman Al-Aboud’s missed penalty kick at the end of the first half.

Al-Ittihad had qualified for the final match after beating Al-Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, 3-1 in the semi-finals held on Thursday.

Hamdallah received a wonderful pass from Romarinho behind Al-Fayha’s defense and shot it over Al-Fayha goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic. Al-Fayha almost recovered quickly when Sultan Mandesh hit a wonderful direct ball from outside the penalty area, which, however, was saved by goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe in the 13th minute.

The hopes of Al-Fayha, which entered finals after defeating the defending champions Al-Hilal in the semi-finals, were dealt a heavy blow after the expulsion of midfielder Abdul-Rahman Al-Safri. He got a yellow card after tackling Tariq Hamed of Al-Ittihad but the Argentine referee Fernando Rapallini reversed the decision after reviewing VAR and showed him the red card in the 24th minute of the first half.

Al-Ittihad took advantage of the numerical superiority and dominated throughout the match, but its players seemed to be wasting opportunities.

Hamdallah benefited from the poor positioning of Al Fayha’s defense when he received Igor Coronado’s pass, but goalkeeper Stojkovic knocked him down and the referee awarded a penalty kick at the end of the first half.

But Al-Oboud knocked the ball out of the post, despite his success in sending goalkeeper Stojkovic in the other direction.

The beginning of the second half was similar to what happened at the start of the match, with Hamdallah scoring for the second time to seal Al-Ittihad’s victory. Coronado sent a pass from a free kick, and goalkeeper Stojkovic came out in an attempt to clear it, but Hamdallah was faster to reach it and turn it with a header into the goal.

Al-Ittihad succeeded in winning the title from the third attempt in the finals, as it had previously lost to Al-Fateh in 2013 and Al-Hilal in 2018.