The Al-Diriyah Sentinel
Player ratings17 Aug 2026
Georges-Kévin Nkoudou runs at them all day
Successful dribbles: 23. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad17 Aug 2026
Óscar in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Al-Diriyah this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Boardroom17 Aug 2026
Graduation day at Al-Diriyah
4 boys move up, and somewhere in the building the people who coached them at twelve are quietly having the best morning of their working year. Nothing about this shows up in a result and it is why the academy exists.
Squad17 Aug 2026
Óscar gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match15 Aug 2026
A bad afternoon for Al-Diriyah against Damac
0‑2 to Damac, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Market17 Aug 2026
Al-Njoom join the queue for Abdulelah Al-Jaafari
Add another name to the list: Al-Njoom have asked the question everybody in the game has been asking about Abdulelah Al-Jaafari. The answer from Al-Diriyah has not changed — yet.
Market17 Aug 2026
Sultan Al-Sheikh steps up from the Al-Diriyah academy
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Sultan Al-Sheikh has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Market17 Aug 2026
One of our own: Sultan Al-Hassan joins the Al-Diriyah first team
Clubs spend fortunes looking for players and occasionally find one down the corridor. Sultan Al-Hassan is that, and the reception he gets on his first appearance will be different in kind from the one any signing receives.
Market17 Aug 2026
One of our own: Nasser Al-Nemer joins the Al-Diriyah first team
Clubs spend fortunes looking for players and occasionally find one down the corridor. Nasser Al-Nemer is that, and the reception he gets on his first appearance will be different in kind from the one any signing receives.
In brief
- Squad Sultan Farhan falls out with a teammate over standards
- Squad The manager has not finished forgetting Óscar's mistake
- Boardroom Al-Diriyah spend it where nobody looks