Pitso Mosimane’s Abha missed the chance to move out of the relegation zone in the Saudi Pro League after a 5-1 thumping by Al-Ahli on Saturday evening.
In the continued quest to beat the chop, the visitors were up against a star-studded Al Ahli side, who boasted the likes of Edouard Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Franck Kessie.
Mosiimane was pivotal to Ahli’s rise to the big league from the lower division last season, but his current troops came unstuck against the heavy hitters.
The visiting side got off to a slow start and trailed on eight minutes through Feras Albrikan's finish.
The host extended the lead on the brink of halftime when Ziyad Aljohani applied a clever finish from a smart angle too and beat Cyprian Tatarusanu easily.
Al Ahli were still in control after the break, with neither team opting to make substitutions before resumption of the second half but kept the personnel.
Given the deficit, Abha remained hopeful but made just substitution which came around the final quarter when Nasser Al-Omran for Grzegorz Krychowiak.
It didn’t make any impact as the big-spending hosts still enjoyed complete control and grabbed the third goal through Sumayhan Al-Nabit.
Al Ahli added another goal with five minutes to play after former Manchester City winger Mahrez dispatched Franck Kessie’s delivery.
The roles were reversed in added time when Mahrez played in Kessie to take aim and nestle the back of the net from poor bit of defending.
Abha did get a consolation goal in fortuitous circumstances as Mendy arrowed in the back of his own net, as the clash concluded.
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