Al Ahli will play Al-Ettifaq on Wednesday in their final pre-season fixture before the 2026-27 campaign, with the Saudi club still without a permanent head coach following Matthias Jaissle’s departure.
The club confirmed the fixture on Tuesday through its official account on X. The match will be played under interim manager Rui Santos, who is temporarily overseeing the first team while Al Ahli search for a successor to Jaissle.
Jaissle resigned from his position last Thursday in order to take charge of English club Newcastle United. Al Ahli have not yet appointed a new permanent manager, meaning Santos will lead the side into the final stage of their preparations for the new season.
Wednesday’s meeting with Al-Ettifaq has been arranged as a replacement for the friendly against Abha that had been scheduled for Thursday. That match was cancelled after the Saudi Pro League fixture schedule placed Al Ahli and Abha together in the second round of the league season on 22 August.
The Al-Ettifaq game will be Al Ahli’s seventh pre-season match. The club have already played six fixtures during training camps in Austria and Portugal over the past month, but have recorded only one victory.
That success came in an 8-0 win against Austrian side Saalfelden. Al Ahli also suffered three defeats, losing to Germany’s Holstein Kiel, Portugal’s Vitoria Guimaraes and Portimonense.
Their other two matches ended in draws. They shared the points with Portuguese club Rio Ave and English side Fulham.
Al Ahli will officially begin the 2026-27 season on 13 August, when they face Al-Diriyah in the opening round of the Saudi Pro League. The club’s final friendly against Al-Ettifaq will therefore provide their last opportunity to assess the squad before competitive football begins.
The club are aiming to challenge for the Saudi league title, which has not been in their trophy cabinet since 2016. They will also seek to retain the AFC Champions League Elite title, having won the competition in each of the past two seasons.
The managerial uncertainty comes as Al Ahli prepare for a campaign in which they will be expected to compete on both domestic and continental fronts. For now, Santos will remain in temporary control, with the club yet to announce the permanent appointment that will follow Jaissle’s resignation.
