Al Ahli Warned About Sundowns Threat as Defensive Problems Raise Concerns Ahead of Intercontinental Cup Clash
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Mamelodi Sundowns have been handed an interesting advantage ahead of their FIFA Intercontinental Cup showdown with Al Ahli.
Not because the Saudi Arabian giants lack quality.
Quite the opposite.
Al Ahli have some of the biggest names in Asian football and are the reigning AFC Champions League Elite champions. But ahead of Saturday’s meeting with the African champions, serious questions are being raised in Saudi Arabia about the team’s defensive organisation, midfield protection and overall consistency.
And those concerns could be particularly significant against a Sundowns side that has built its identity around controlling possession, moving opponents around and exploiting spaces when they appear.
Al Ahli have already been warned.
The question is whether Sundowns can make those weaknesses matter.
Al Ahli’s form is becoming a concern
Al Ahli started the season strongly, winning their opening four matches across competitions.
Since then, however, the picture has changed dramatically.
The Saudi giants have suffered heavy defeats against Al Kholood, Al Hilal and Al Qadsiah, while also needing late resistance to escape with results in other matches.
Their 3 0 defeat against Al Hilal was followed by a 3 2 loss to Al Qadsiah, where their defensive structure was repeatedly exposed.
The result against Al Qadsiah was particularly concerning because Al Ahli were repeatedly overloaded in midfield and struggled to protect the space in front of their defence.
Those problems have now become a talking point ahead of the biggest match of their early season.
Mamelodi Sundowns FC will face Al Ahli Saudi FC on Saturday, September 19 at Loftus Versfeld in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. The match is the next stage of the competition after Al Ahli defeated Auckland City 1 0 to qualify.
Saudi pundits are worried
The concern is not coming from South Africa.
It is coming from inside the Saudi football conversation.
Saudi pundits Ahmed Al Harbi, Hussein Abdul Ghani and Mohammed Noor have all raised concerns about the team’s current level.
Al Harbi pointed towards repeated tactical mistakes and poor defensive organisation.
Abdul Ghani highlighted the lack of protection in front of the back four, arguing that Al Ahli are losing possession too easily and consequently exposing their defence.
Mohammed Noor went even further, questioning whether the team is physically and technically ready for the demands of the match against Sundowns.
His warning was blunt: he expects similar problems to appear against the South African champions.
That is exactly the kind of warning Sundowns will be paying attention to.
Why this could suit Sundowns
Sundowns do not necessarily need to dominate an opponent through direct attacking football.
Their biggest weapon can be their ability to make opponents defend for long periods.
Miguel Cardoso’s side are comfortable circulating possession, moving the opposition’s defensive block and waiting for openings.
If Al Ahli are struggling to maintain their distances between midfield and defence, that could become dangerous.
The biggest question is whether Sundowns can find the spaces between the lines.
That is where players such as Lucas Ribeiro, Tashreeq Matthews and the team’s attacking midfielders can become important.
If Al Ahli’s midfield fails to provide adequate protection, Sundowns could repeatedly find players receiving the ball in dangerous areas.
And once Sundowns get those players facing the Al Ahli defence, the game changes.
But Al Ahli are not a broken team
This is where Sundowns must be careful.
The criticism should not be confused with Al Ahli being a poor side.
They are the reigning Asian champions for a reason.
They defeated Auckland City 1 0 in the opening stage of the Intercontinental Cup, with Saleh Abu Al Shamat scoring the decisive goal.
They also have enormous individual quality.
Ivan Toney remains a major threat in the final third, while Al Ahli’s squad contains players capable of changing a match with one moment of quality.
That means Sundowns cannot approach this match believing that Al Ahli’s recent defensive problems automatically make them vulnerable.
They have to force those problems to appear.
Marino Pusic has another problem to solve
Al Ahli coach Marino Pusic has inherited a team going through a major transition.
The Croatian coach arrived after Matthias Jaissle left for Newcastle United, while the squad itself has undergone significant changes.
Several established stars, including Riyad Mahrez, Franck Kessie and Roberto Firmino, are no longer part of the squad.
Pusic is therefore trying to establish his own footballing identity while simultaneously competing for major trophies.
That makes the timing of this Sundowns match fascinating.
He does not have months to solve every problem.
He has days.
And Sundowns are likely to test exactly the areas that Saudi critics are already questioning.
The Pakhtakor draw did little to calm the noise
Al Ahli’s latest match did not exactly silence those concerns.
They drew 1 1 with Uzbek side Pakhtakor in their AFC Champions League Elite campaign after conceding a late equaliser.
Pusic defended his team afterwards, arguing that Al Ahli had controlled the match, created numerous chances and were unfortunate not to win.
He also pointed out that he had rested several players.
That is an important piece of context.
Al Ahli were managing their squad with the Sundowns match approaching, and Pusic clearly believes there was more positive in the performance than the result suggested.
But from a Sundowns perspective, the draw is another indication that the Saudi side is not operating at full rhythm.
Sundowns have problems of their own
This cannot become a story about Sundowns simply waiting for Al Ahli to collapse.
The African champions also arrive with questions.
Sundowns were held to a 1 1 draw by Chippa United in their most recent Betway Premiership match.
They dominated possession and created considerably more opportunities, but could not turn that control into a victory.
That is an important warning.
Against Al Ahli, possession alone will not be enough.
Sundowns will need to be more ruthless when opportunities arrive.
This could become a battle of contrasting problems
The fascinating part of this match is that both teams have something to prove.
Al Ahli need to show that their recent defensive problems are temporary.
Sundowns need to show that their dominance against African opposition can translate against one of Asia’s elite clubs.
For Al Ahli, the danger is losing control of midfield and allowing Sundowns to dictate the rhythm.
For Sundowns, the danger is dominating the ball without producing enough decisive moments.
That could ultimately decide the match.
Sundowns should take the warning seriously
There is a temptation in football to see criticism from the opposition’s country as a sign of weakness.
Sundowns should not make that mistake.
The warnings coming from Saudi Arabia should instead be viewed as information.
They are being told where Al Ahli have struggled.
They are being told that the midfield has not always protected the defence.
They are being told that the team’s organisation has been questioned.
And they are being told that the players may not yet be at their best physically or technically.
Now Sundowns have to test those claims.
Because if Al Ahli’s defensive problems are real, Sundowns have the technical quality and tactical patience to expose them.
But if Pusic manages to fix those issues before Saturday, the entire conversation changes.
This is the opportunity Sundowns have been waiting for
The FIFA Intercontinental Cup is exactly the type of stage where Sundowns wanted to measure themselves.
They are no longer simply representing South Africa.
They are representing African club football against the champions of another continent.
And Al Ahli provide a fascinating opponent because they have enough quality to punish Sundowns, but enough current uncertainty to give the African champions hope.
The Saudi side has already been warned.
Now Sundowns have to prove whether those warnings were justified.
Saturday could tell us a lot about just how close African club football has come to the elite of the Asian game.
And if Sundowns can turn Al Ahli’s defensive uncertainty into a tactical advantage, this could become one of the biggest state
