# 2017–18 Al-Ahli Saudi FC season

The 2017–18 season was Al-Ahli's 42nd consecutive season in the top flight of Saudi football and 80th year in existence as a football club. They entered this season looking to rebound from a disappointing 2016–17 campaign, when they finished as runners-up in both the league and King Cup. Al-Ahli also participated in the King Cup, and both the 2017 and 2018 edition of the AFC Champions League. The season covered the period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.

## Players
### Squad information

    As of 25 January 2018
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | KSA | Yasser Al-Mosailem (vice-captain) |
| 2 | DF | KSA | Ali Al-Zubaidi |
| 4 | MF | KSA | Waleed Bakshween |
| 5 | MF | AUS | Mark Milligan |
| 6 | DF | KSA | Mohammed Al Fatil |
| 7 | MF | KSA | Salman Al-Moasher |
| 8 | MF | KSA | Taisir Al-Jassim (Captain) |
| 9 | FW | SYR | Omar Al Soma |
| 10 | MF | GRE | Giannis Fetfatzidis |
| 11 | MF | KSA | Housain Al-Mogahwi |
| 14 | FW | KSA | Muhannad Assiri |
| 15 | MF | KSA | Saleh Al-Amri |
| 17 | MF | KSA | Ayman Al-Khulaif |
| 18 | MF | KSA | Ali Al-Asmari |
| 19 | MF | BRA | Claudemir |
| 20 | MF | TUN | Mohamed Ben Amor (on loan from Étoile du Sahel) |
| 21 | DF | KSA | Ageel Balghaith |
| 23 | DF | KSA | Saeed Al-Mowalad |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 24 | MF | KSA | Ali Awagi |
| 25 | DF | KSA | Motaz Hawsawi (4th captain) |
| 26 | MF | KSA | Abdulmohsen Al-Subhi |
| 27 | MF | KSA | Hamdan Al-Shamrani |
| 29 | FW | KSA | Abdulrahman Ghareeb |
| 31 | DF | KSA | Mansoor Al-Harbi (3rd captain) |
| 32 | DF | KSA | Faisal Darisi |
| 33 | GK | KSA | Mohammed Al-Owais |
| 35 | MF | KSA | Yousef Al-Harbi |
| 36 | GK | KSA | Raghid Al-Najjar |
| 37 | DF | KSA | Abdullah Hassoun |
| 41 | FW | KSA | Mansour Al-Muwallad |
| 42 | MF | BRA | Leonardo |
| 45 | MF | KSA | Abdulfattah Asiri |
| 50 | MF | KSA | Abdullah Majrashi |
| 66 | GK | KSA | Basem Atallah |
| 77 | DF | KSA | Amiri Kurdi |
| 88 | MF | EGY | Moamen Zakaria (on loan from Al Ahly) |

### AFC Champions League squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | KSA | Yasser Al Mosailem (vice-captain) |
| 4 | MF | KSA | Waleed Bakshween |
| 5 | MF | AUS | Mark Milligan |
| 6 | DF | KSA | Mohammed Al Fatil |
| 7 | MF | KSA | Salman Al-Moasher |
| 8 | MF | KSA | Taisir Al-Jassim (Captain) |
| 9 | FW | SYR | Omar Al Soma |
| 10 | MF | GRE | Giannis Fetfatzidis |
| 11 | MF | KSA | Housain Al-Mogahwi |
| 14 | FW | KSA | Muhannad Assiri |
| 15 | MF | KSA | Saleh Al-Amri |
| 18 | MF | KSA | Ali Al-Asmari |
| 19 | MF | BRA | Claudemir |
| 21 | DF | KSA | Ageel Balghaith |
| 23 | DF | KSA | Saeed Al-Mowalad |
| 24 | MF | KSA | Ali Awagi |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 25 | DF | KSA | Motaz Hawsawi (4th captain) |
| 27 | MF | KSA | Hamdan Al-Shamrani |
| 29 | FW | KSA | Abdulrahman Ghareeb |
| 31 | DF | KSA | Mansoor Al-Harbi (3rd captain) |
| 32 | DF | KSA | Faisal Darisi |
| 33 | GK | KSA | Mohammed Al-Owais |
| 35 | MF | KSA | Yousef Al-Harbi |
| 36 | GK | KSA | Raghid Al-Najjar |
| 37 | DF | KSA | Abdullah Hassoun |
| 45 | MF | KSA | Abdulfattah Asiri |
| 50 | MF | KSA | Abdullah Majrashi |
| 66 | GK | KSA | Basem Atallah |
| 77 | DF | KSA | Amiri Kurdi |
| 88 | MF | EGY | Moamen Zakaria (on loan from Al Ahly) |
Source: 2018 AFC Champions League squad

## Transfers
### In
#### Summer

| No. | Pos | Player | Transferred From | Fee | Date |
| 49 | LM | Ahmed Al-Zain | Al-Taawoun | Undisclosed | 21 June 2017 |
| 19 | DM | Claudemir | Club Brugge | €2,700,000 | 18 July 2017 |
| 28 | CB | Godfrey Oboabona | Çaykur Rizespor | Free | 21 July 2017 |
| 33 | GK | Mohammed Al-Owais | Al-Shabab | Free | 26 July 2017 |
| 42 | LM | Leonardo | Partizan | €4,200,000 | 3 August 2017 |

#### Winter

| No. | Pos | Player | Transferred From | Fee | Date | Source |
| 5 | DM | Mark Milligan | Melbourne Victory | Undisclosed | 28 January 2018 | |
| | AM | Ahmed Basaeed | Unattached | Free | 2 February 2018 | |

### Out
#### Summer

| No. | Pos | Player | Transferred To | Fee | Date |
| 26 | CB | Mohammed Aman | Al-Fateh | Free | 5 July 2017 |
| 34 | ST | Sumayhan Al-Nabit | Ohod | Free | 17 July 2017 |
| 28 | LB | Abdulelah Bokhari | Al-Ettifaq | Free | 30 July 2017 |
| 55 | DM | Saad Abdul-Amir | Al-Shabab | Free | 9 August 2017 |
| | ST | Mostafa Al-Musawi | Al-Khaleej | Free | 19 August 2017 |
| 5 | DM | Fahad Hamad | Al-Faisaly | Free | 25 August 2017 |
| | CM | Omar Al-Zayni | Hajer | Free | 25 August 2017 |

#### Winter

| No. | Pos | Player | Transferred To | Fee | Date | Source |
| | AM | Yasser Al-Fahmi | Al-Batin | Free | 16 January 2018 | |
| 28 | CB | Godfrey Oboabona | Released | Free | 2 February 2018 | |

### Loan in
#### Winter

| No. | Pos | Player | Loaned From | Start | End | Source |
| 88 | AM | Moamen Zakaria | Al Ahly | 4 January 2017 | 30 June 2018 | |
| 20 | DM | Mohamed Ben Amor | Étoile du Sahel | 25 January 2017 | 30 June 2018 | |

### Loan out
#### Summer

| No. | Pos | Player | Loaned To | Start | End |
| 80 | DM | Ryan Al-Mousa | Al-Taawoun | 9 July 2017 | 30 June 2018 |
| 22 | GK | Ahmed Al-Rehaili | Al-Raed | 12 July 2017 | 30 June 2018 |
| 30 | CB | Saeed Al-Robeai | Al-Faisaly | 1 August 2017 | 30 June 2018 |
| | CB | Abdullah Al-Khateeb | Al-Khaleej | 6 August 2017 | 30 June 2018 |
| 35 | DM | Rayan Al-Harbi | Al-Tai | 8 August 2017 | 30 June 2018 |
| | CB | Hamed Al-Sherif | Hajer | 16 August 2017 | 30 June 2018 |
| 20 | RM | Islam Seraj | Al-Faisaly | 23 August 2017 | 30 June 2018 |
| 40 | RM | Raed Al-Ghamdi | Ohod | 8 September 2017 | 30 June 2018 |

#### Winter

| No. | Pos | Player | Loaned To | Start | End |
| 13 | LB | Mohamed Abdel-Shafy | Al-Fateh | 4 January 2018 | 30 June 2018 |
| 47 | RM | Mustafa Bassas | Ohod | 22 January 2018 | 30 June 2018 |
| 49 | LM | Ahmed Al-Zain | Al-Fayha | 29 January 2018 | 30 June 2018 |

## Competitions
### Overview

| Competition | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Started round | Final position / round | First match | Last match |
| Competition | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | Started round | Final position / round | First match | Last match |
| Professional League | 26 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 59 | 26 | +33 | 061.54 | — | 2nd | 11 August 2017 | 12 April 2018 |
| King Cup | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 050.00 | Round of 32 | Semi-finals | 6 January 2018 | 30 March 2018 |
| 2017 Champions League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 000.00 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | 22 August 2017 | 12 September 2017 |
| 2018 Champions League | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 050.00 | Group stage | Round of 16 | 12 February 2018 | 14 May 2018 |
| Total | 40 | 22 | 12 | 6 | 84 | 41 | +43 | 055.00 |
Updated to match played 14 May 2018 Source: Competitions

### Pro League
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Al-Hilal (C) | 26 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 47 | 23 | +24 | 56 | Qualification to AFC Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Al-Ahli | 26 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 59 | 26 | +33 | 55 | Qualification to AFC Champions League group stage |
| 3 | Al-Nassr | 26 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 44 | Qualification to AFC Champions League play-off round |
| 4 | Al-Ettifaq | 26 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 37 | 46 | −9 | 36 | |
| 5 | Al-Fateh | 26 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 34 | 39 | −5 | 36 | |
* 1 2 Al-Ettifaq finished ahead of Al-Fateh on head-to-head points: Al-Ettifaq 2–1 Al-Fateh, Al-Fateh 1–1 Al-Ettifaq

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 12 April 2018. Source: Competitive matches

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Ground | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H |
| Result | L | W | D | W | W | W | W | W | D | D | W | L | D | W | W | L | W | W | W | D | W | D | W | W | D | W |
| Position | 8 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |

#### Matches

All times are local, AST (UTC+3).
Win  Draw  Loss  Postponed

### King Cup

Al-Ahli entered the 2018 King Cup in the Round of 32 and were drawn away to Al-Shoulla. In the next round, Al-Ahli faced Al-Orobah at home. They progressed to the Quarter-finals after beating them 6–0. The Quarter-finals saw Al-Ahli defeat Al-Fayha on penalties away from home. In the Semi-finals, Al-Ahli lost to Al-Faisaly in controversial manner.
All times are local, AST (UTC+3).

### Crown Prince Cup

Al-Ahli will enter the Crown Prince Cup in the Round of 16 alongside the other Pro League teams. On 19 September 2017, it was announced that the tournament was cancelled.

### AFC Champions League
#### 2018 AFC Champions League
##### Group stage

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AHL | JAZ | GHA | TRA |
| 1 | Al-Ahli | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 14 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 |
| 2 | Al-Jazira | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 8 | Advance to knockout stage | 1–2 | — | 3–2 | 0–0 |
| 3 | Al-Gharafa | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 8 | | 1–1 | 2–3 | — | 3–0 |
| 4 | Tractor Sazi | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 2 | | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | — |
* 1 2 Head-to-head results: Al-Jazira 3–2 Al-Gharafa, Al-Gharafa 2–3 Al-Jazira.

#### Knockout phase
##### Round of 16
## Statistics
### Appearances

    Last updated on 14 May 2018.
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Pro League | Pro League | King Cup | King Cup | 2017 Champions League | 2017 Champions League | 2018 Champions League | 2018 Champions League |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||||||
| 1 | GK | KSA | Yasser Al Mosailem | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 33 | GK | KSA | Mohammed Al-Owais | 29 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 36 | GK | KSA | Raghid Al-Najjar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 66 | GK | KSA | Basem Atallah | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defenders ||||||||||||||
| 2 | DF | KSA | Ali Al-Zubaidi | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | AUS | Mark Milligan | 17 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6+1 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | KSA | Mohammed Al-Fatil | 11 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | DF | KSA | Ageel Balghaith | 25 | 1 | 13+3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 23 | DF | KSA | Saeed Al-Mowalad | 33 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | KSA | Motaz Hawsawi | 33 | 4 | 22+1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5+2 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | KSA | Hamdan Al-Shamrani | 10 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 |
| 31 | DF | KSA | Mansoor Al-Harbi | 30 | 1 | 21+1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 32 | DF | KSA | Faisal Darisi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 37 | DF | KSA | Abdullah Hassoun | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 77 | DF | KSA | Amiri Kurdi | 12 | 0 | 5+4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| Midfielders ||||||||||||||
| 4 | MF | KSA | Waleed Bakshween | 27 | 0 | 13+3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | KSA | Salman Al-Moasher | 22 | 7 | 6+7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | KSA | Taisir Al-Jassim | 18 | 2 | 8+3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 10 | MF | GRE | Giannis Fetfatzidis | 32 | 11 | 25+1 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | KSA | Housain Al-Mogahwi | 35 | 6 | 21+3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 3+3 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | KSA | Saleh Al-Amri | 19 | 4 | 3+5 | 1 | 2+1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4+2 | 1 |
| 17 | MF | KSA | Ayman Al-Khulaif | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | KSA | Ali Al-Asmari | 6 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | BRA | Claudemir | 30 | 3 | 20 | 2 | 0+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5+2 | 1 |
| 20 | MF | TUN | Mohamed Ben Amor | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | KSA | Ali Awagi | 3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | MF | KSA | Abdulmohsen Al-Subhi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | MF | KSA | Yousef Al-Harbi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | MF | BRA | Leonardo | 23 | 11 | 16+3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | MF | KSA | Abdulfattah Asiri | 25 | 2 | 8+10 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 50 | MF | KSA | Abdullah Majrashi | 14 | 1 | 1+7 | 1 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 88 | MF | EGY | Moamen Zakaria | 17 | 6 | 2+4 | 1 | 2+1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4+4 | 3 |
| Forwards ||||||||||||||
| 9 | ST | SYR | Omar Al Soma | 17 | 12 | 13+1 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | ST | KSA | Muhannad Assiri | 25 | 13 | 9+6 | 8 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 6+1 | 5 |
| 29 | ST | KSA | Abdulrahman Ghareeb | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 41 | ST | KSA | Mansour Al-Muwallad | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players sent out on loan this season ||||||||||||||
| 13 | DF | EGY | Mohamed Abdel-Shafy | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | MF | KSA | Ahmed Al-Zain | 3 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player who made an appearance this season but have left the club ||||||||||||||
| 28 | DF | NGA | Godfrey Oboabona | 10 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Goalscorers

| Rank | No. | Pos | Nat | Name | Pro League | King Cup | 2017 Champions League | 2018 Champions League | Total |
| 1 | 14 | FW | | Muhannad Assiri | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 |
| 2 | 9 | FW | | Omar Al Somah | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| 3 | 10 | MF | | Giannis Fetfatzidis | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 3 | 42 | MF | | Leonardo | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | 7 | MF | | Salman Al-Moasher | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 6 | 11 | MF | | Housain Al-Mogahwi | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 6 | 88 | MF | | Moamen Zakaria | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 8 | 15 | MF | | Saleh Al-Amri | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | 19 | MF | | Claudemir | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | 25 | DF | | Motaz Hawsawi | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | 8 | MF | | Taisir Al-Jassim | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | 45 | MF | | Abdulfattah Asiri | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | 21 | DF | | Ageel Balghaith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | 31 | DF | | Mansoor Al-Harbi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | 50 | MF | | Abdullah Majrashi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Own goal | Own goal | Own goal | Own goal | Own goal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 59 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 84 |
Last Updated: 14 May 2018

### Clean sheets

| Rank | No. | Pos | Nat | Name | Pro League | King Cup | 2017 Champions League | 2018 Champions League | Total |
| 1 | 33 | GK | | Mohammed Al-Owais | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | 1 | GK | | Yasser Al Mosailem | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 |
Last Updated: 17 April 2018