RIYADH: A President Penalty by former Belgium international and Al-Shabab FC star Yannick Carrasco could not save Ilyas Elmaliki’s Ultra Chmicha from a second defeat in a row in last night’s Matchday 7 games in Kings League MENA Split 1.
Saudi club DR7’s 8-4 win over the Moroccan side allowed Fwaz’s FWZ to go clear at the top of the table in another night of intense action at Riyadh’s Cool Arena.
Ultra Chmicha dropped the bombshell on Thursday that Carrasco — now playing with Al-Shabab in the Saudi Pro League — was joining the team as vice-president.
Speaking to Kings League last night, the former Atletico Madrid star said his familiarity with league founder Gerard Pique, from his playing days in Spain, had encouraged him to join: “You know Gerard, I played a lot of years against him, and he has made a great tournament that is worldwide, and that’s why I’m here tonight for Kings League in Riyadh. I’m living here and playing here, and I’m very happy to be part of this.”
However, Carrasco’s expertly-taken President Penalty in the 28th minute was not enough to help Ultra Chmicha stop a resurgent DR7, who have now won five matches in a row, after losing their two opening games of the split. The victory was secured by Abdullah Al-Aqeeli’s goal in Matchball Mode, the decisive period of Kings League matches after the 36th minute.
Kuwait’s FWZ took the lead in the standings with a hard-fought victory over Morocco’s Bakhira FC in an intense match that went down to the wire. FWZ showed impressive determination after losing key defender Everton “Chiclete” Araujo to a red card after just five minutes. Team President Fwaz helped by converting his President Penalty and Mehdi Gacem found the net during Matchball Mode to bring Bakhira FC level at 4-4, before Mohamed Bencherif scored the winning goal to seal FWZ’s victory.
Matchday 7 opened with a Saudi derby as RA2 FC, led by Team President Raed, defeated Rising Peaks 8-3, with Abdulrahman Al-Shehri’s side falling short. Both teams entered the match on the back of victories in Matchday 6, with RA2having ended Ultra Chmicha’s five-match winning streak in a major upset. RA2carried that momentum forward, securing their third win of the season. Spanish midfielder Mark Sorroche — who has played three seasons in Kings League Spain — was instrumental in the victory, scoring four goals, including a Secret Card penalty. President penalties added to the drama, with Raed converting for RA2, while Rising Peaks’ president Abdulrahman Al-Shehri was unlucky to miss his opportunity.
Jordan’s 3BS, led by Team President Absi, secured a dramatic victory over Qatar’s ABO FC, led by AboFlah, after a 4-4 draw took the match to a penalty shootout. Both teams converted their President Penalties, with Ahmed Al-Khatib scoring for ABO FC before Absi equalized with a well-taken spot-kick. The first round of the shootout ended 2–2, forcing a second round to decide the winner, where goalkeeper JMK scored the decisive goal to seal 3BS’s third win of the round-robin league stage.
Egypt’s Turbo defeated Jordan’s Red Zone 7-6 to claim their third win of the season, moving to sixth in the standings with three wins and four defeats. Red Zone, meanwhile, suffered their fourth loss. Turbo Team President Tarboun converted his President Penalty, and with the score level at 6-6 in Matchball Mode, goalkeeper Eslam Ahmed scored the winning goal to secure victory for his side.
Kings League MENA this week saw notable additions to team leadership, with well-known football figures and digital creators joining teams, bringing new profiles and further strengthening the connection between football and digital entertainment. As well as Carrasco at Ultra Chmicha, DR7 welcomed Saudi national team player Khalid Al-Ghanam, FWZ appointed content creator Hanody Awesome as co-president, and Rising Peaks welcomed content creator Abdullah Al-Drees.
Two rounds remain in the league stage, with Round 8 scheduled for Oct. 16, and Round 9 for Oct. 23. The quarterfinals will take place on Oct. 26, followed by the Final Four on Oct. 30.
