Al-Ahli star Ivan Toney has become the talk of the town following the events of Wednesday’s match against Al-Fayha, asserting that the fourth official told the club to forget about competing for the Saudi League title and focus solely on the AFC Champions League.
The match between Al-Ahli and Al-Fayha ended in a 1-1 draw, bringing Al-Ahli to 66 points, four points behind league leaders Al-Nassr, with a game in hand. This makes Al-Ahli’s chances of winning the title extremely slim with only six rounds remaining in the season.
What Happened in the Al-Ahli vs. Al-Fayha Match?
The Al-Fayha vs. Al-Ahli match witnessed controversial VAR interventions. Replays showed a handball by an Al-Fayha player in the first half, but play continued after review.
The drama escalated in stoppage time of the second half with another penalty appeal. Despite vehement protests from Al-Ahli players, the referee stood by his original decision.
Toney Launches a Fierce Attack on Fourth Official
Toney launched a scathing attack on fourth official Abdulrahman Al-Sultan, claiming that while the on-field referee was reviewing a controversial handball incident in stoppage time—where Al-Ahli players insisted there was a penalty—the fourth official told him, “Focus on the AFC Champions League” instead of focusing on domestic competitions.
In an angry post-match interview with the “Thmanyah” platform, Toney stated, “I don’t know if the referee turned off his microphone before telling me, ‘Focus on the AFC Champions League.’ That’s why we need to release the audio recordings, so the fans can see the truth.”
Toney’s anger didn’t stop there. He further vented his frustration on his Instagram account, providing a full account of his dissatisfaction with the refereeing and the VAR room.
In his first post, Toney questioned the integrity of the decisions, writing: “Two of these incidents went to VAR and one didn’t. It’s truly insane how things like this can be missed at crucial moments or ignored. Without saying anything that might get me into trouble, it’s clear what influence is being exerted here!”
He continued, speaking about the referee’s conduct: “For the referee to tell us to focus on another competition while the review is ongoing is beyond me. Even worse, the referee admitted the first incident was a penalty in the 90+ minute, as if that admission will help us now!”
He concluded, “Next time, if necessary, I can bring in someone from my area who knows absolutely nothing about football and they’ll do a much better job than some of these clowns.”
After calling him “finished,” a Saudi journalist apologizes for insulting Salah
Calls for an urgent investigation into the incident
Saudi media figures have been calling for an immediate investigation into Toney’s claims regarding the fourth official’s statements and the potential impact on the integrity and competition for the Saudi League title.
Sports journalist Eid Al-Thaqil demanded a review to verify the fourth official’s account. He stated that if the Englishman was correct, decisive action should be taken against the referee immediately.
If it is found that Toney lied and his statements were unfounded, the Disciplinary Committee must intervene immediately to punish him in a manner that protects the integrity of the competition and the tournament.
It is worth noting that Toney scored a goal against Al-Fayha, equaling the record for the most goals scored by a single player in one season for Al-Ahli. This record was previously held by club legend Omar Al-Somah, who scored 27 goals this season.
