JEDDAH, 20 May 2005 — With two rounds remaining in the King Fahd Cup Soccer tournament, three teams Al-Ittihad, Al-Nasr and Al-Ahli are still battling for the remaining two places in the stepladder finals. Al-Shabab and Al-Hilal, both of Riyadh, have already qualified, with Shabab on 43 points and Hilal with 41.
The league will also see some midweek action with the teams completing their engagements that were put off due to international matches.
Shabab has three difficult matches against Ahli, Hilal and Ittihad. and need at least six points from these encounters to remain first and await the winner of the battle of the remaining three in the final. Hilal too have three matches remaining; two of these matches are very difficult one against Shabab and the other against Ittihad with the last against Ohod of Madinah. Hilal needs to collect all nine points and hope that Shabab loses or draw two of their matches to take first. Ittihad in third place with 35 points from 19 matches too have three difficult outings against Hilal, Nasr and Shabab. They need at least 6 points from these matches to stay in the best of four group and probably hold on to their 3rd place for home advantage in the first stepladder match.
Nasr, in fourth place with 35 points from 20 matches suffered an embarrassing defeat against Ohod early this week 3-1. Nasr, with two matches in hand against Al-Taie and Ittihad, cannot lose these ties if they hope to remain among the top four. Nasr’s defeat was a tonic for Ahli, who are in fifth place with 29 points from 18 matches. Ahli have four matches remaining against Al-Ansar, Al-Ittifaq and Ohod and Shabab. If Ahli collects at least nine points and hope that Nasr loses one of their matches, then Ahli will qualify as fourth position.
While the combinations at the top are intriguing with one false step proving crucial, the bottom half of the event sees no such confusion. Ohod will drop to the first division and Ittifaq and Riyadh are battling to escape the eleventh position. Abha and Al-Hazm from Al-Qasim will join the King Fahd Cup Soccer Tournament next season after finishing first and second in the first division.
