Ghanaian midfielder Bernard Mensah emerged as the hero for Al-Tai in a thrilling encounter against Al-Raed in the Saudi Pro League on Friday. The rollercoaster match concluded with a jaw-dropping 4-3 victory for Al-Tai, overcoming an initial 2-0 setback within the first 30 minutes.
Mensah’s stellar performance stole the spotlight, as he notched up a memorable brace and provided a crucial assist, directly influencing three of Al-Tai’s four goals at the Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa’ed Stadium. Facing adversity early on, Mensah’s resilience and impact played a pivotal role in steering Al-Tai to a sensational comeback.
The action-packed saga began with Al-Raed taking the lead in the 12th minute courtesy of a goal from Júlio Tavares, followed by Yahya Sunbul finding the net in the 27th minute. Unfazed, Al-Tai rallied back, with Mensah converting a penalty in the 45th minute and narrowly missing another goal due to an offside call in the 60th minute.
Despite Karim El Berkaoui extending Al-Raed’s lead to 3-1, Al-Tai refused to back down. The tide turned with Abdullah Al-Fahad’s own goal, sparking a late resurgence. Mensah sealed his brace with a stoppage-time penalty, and his influence continued as he played a part in Dutch international Virgil Misidjan’s winning goal in the 100th minute.
Mensah’s season statistics now boast an impressive tally of 8 goals and 1 assist. While his goal-scoring prowess stands out, it falls just short of Cristiano Ronaldo’s remarkable 15 goals, accompanied by 7 assists.
