JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Shabab booked their places in the AFC Champions League next year after being guaranteed of a top four finish in the Saudi Professional League, which ends its season next Sunday.
The four teams also qualified to play in the King’s Cup for Champions along with Al-Nasr, Al-Ittifaq, and Al-Hazem, while the eighth and final spot is a toss-up between Wehda and Najran.
With only the final placings to be decided in Sunday’s last round Ittihad leads the pack on 52 points. Hilal is second on 50 points, Ahli third (37 points), Shabab fourth (35 points), Nasr fifth (31 points), Ittifaq sixth (28 points), Al-Hazem seventh (23 points), Wehda eighth (23 points), Najran ninth (21 points), Al-Raid 10th (18 points), Abha 11th (16 points) and 12th and last Al-Watani (12 points).
Watani was booted out of the elite 12 and relegated to the First Division when it lost its round 21 match against Ahli on Wednesday.
Set to join Watani in the First Division is either Abha or Al-Raid. Raid’s hope is to win the last match against Al-Ittifaq. If Raid lost, then the team’s only option is for Abha to lose against Shabab in the league’s concluding round 22.
Abha is in a more difficult situation. Its only hope is to win against Shabab and that Raid loses against Ittifaq, failing which means Abha is out of the premier league.
In the Wehda-Najran fight to enter the King’s Cup, Wehda advances with either a win or draw in its last match. Najran needs the combination of a victory and a Wehda defeat.
In case Najran wins and Wehda draws both teams will be equal on 24 points but Wehda advances by virtue of a better goal difference of –10 goals to Najran’s –19.
