Al-Ahli's Marino Pusic Sacked After 6–1 Loss to Al-Shabab
The night Al-Ahli were torn apart 6–1 by Al-Shabab in Riyadh did more than dent a title push. It ended a tenure — and, remarkably, it ended before the final whistle.
At SHG Arena, in the twelfth round of the Roshn League, Al-Shabab dismantled Al-Ahli in a mini-clasico that quickly turned into a crisis. As the goals piled up, so did the consequences. According to Saudi daily “Al-Maidan”, Al-Ahli’s hierarchy made the decision to sack Dutch coach Marino Pusic while the game was still in progress.
Not after a post-match inquest. Not in the early hours after a restless night. During the match.
For a club of Al-Ahli’s stature, the manner of the defeat and the timing of the call underline just how brutal the pressure has become. Pusic, appointed at the start of the current season to replace German coach Matthias Jaissle, leaves having overseen 17 matches in all competitions: 11 wins, five defeats, one draw. Respectable numbers on paper. But the 6–1 scoreline in Riyadh rewrote the mood around his work in a single, chaotic evening.
Board Moves Quickly on Successor
The decision to dismiss Pusic was only the first act. “Al-Maidan” reports that Al-Ahli’s board immediately turned to the question of succession, wasting no time in sounding out options.
One name surfaced from within the boardroom almost instantly: Noureddine Ben Zekri. The Algerian coach, a familiar figure in Saudi football and a former Al-Shabab boss, was pushed forward by at least one board member as a serious candidate to steady the side.
That idea did not stay theoretical for long. The newspaper reveals that Al-Ahli made direct contact with Ben Zekri, who responded positively and gave an initial approval to the proposal. He is now waiting for more detailed negotiations in the coming period, aware that this could be one of the most high-profile benches in the Roshn League.
Ben Zekri’s profile fits the current market. His name has already been linked with several league clubs, with Abha mentioned as the most prominent suitor. Now, Al-Ahli’s sudden vacancy threatens to reshape that landscape and pull him toward Jeddah instead.
Conceicao Also on the Table
Ben Zekri is not the only coach in the frame. The same report names Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao, the former Al-Ittihad head coach, as another candidate being discussed inside Al-Ahli.
His experience in Saudi Arabia and his reputation as a demanding, hard-edged tactician make him an intriguing option for a squad expected to compete at the very top. At this stage, though, “Al-Maidan” is clear: Al-Ahli have not yet taken concrete steps to secure Conceicao, and there has been no official contact with him so far.
For now, his name sits on the list — powerful, tempting, but still untouched.
A Brutal End to a Short Era
Pusic’s stint always carried the weight of expectation. Taking over from Jaissle at the start of the season, he inherited a club with ambition, resources, and scrutiny to match. Eleven wins from 17 matches suggested a team capable of building something, even if the five defeats hinted at vulnerabilities.
The collapse against Al-Shabab exposed those weaknesses in the harshest possible light. Six goals conceded in a mini-clasico, in the capital, with the season’s narrative still taking shape. It was the kind of result that forces a club to decide what it really wants to be.
Al-Ahli have answered that question with ruthless clarity. The coach is gone, the search is active, and two distinct paths lie ahead: the Algerian who has already nodded his initial approval, and the Portuguese tactician whose name carries weight but no official approach yet.
The next appointment will not just replace Marino Pusic. It will define how Al-Ahli respond to one of the most jarring nights of their Roshn League campaign — and how quickly they can turn a 6–1 humiliation into nothing more than a turning point.
