Waleed Al-Farraj Critiques Federation Before Al-Ahli vs Sundowns Final

On the eve of a final that pitches Asia’s new power against Africa’s reigning champions, the loudest noise did not come from the dressing rooms or the training pitches. It came from a television studio.

Waleed Al-Farraj, one of Saudi Arabia’s most influential sports broadcasters, used his programme “Rotana Sport with Waleed” to deliver a pointed message: this Intercontinental Cup for Clubs final is bigger than one club, and those in charge should act like it.

A shot at the federation president

Al-Farraj went straight for the top. He openly criticised Saudi Arabian Football Federation president Yasser Al-Misehal for not making it a clear priority to be alongside Al-Ahli in their showdown with Sundowns.

He framed it as a matter of leadership and presence.

“If I were the president of the football federation in Al-Ruzaiza's place, I would be present with Al-Ahli in the Intercontinental Cup final,” he declared.

No hedging. No softening. The implication was obvious: when a Saudi team carries the country’s flag into a global-stage final against the African champions, the federation’s highest figure should be visible, shoulder to shoulder with the players and staff.

For Al-Farraj, this is not a routine away game. It is a statement occasion. Al-Ahli arrive as the AFC Champions League Elite winners, representing Saudi football as the champion of Asia against the champion of Africa. In his eyes, that demands maximum institutional backing, not a half-hearted show of support from afar.

A rallying cry for Al-Ahli

Once he had fired his shot at the federation, Al-Farraj shifted the focus firmly onto the team. The criticism cleared, he turned into a cheerleader.

“I hope Al-Ahli return with the cup. Some do not want that, but I hope it will be Al-Ahli's,” he said.

It was more than a polite wish. It sounded like a challenge to those he believes are indifferent, or even hostile, to the club’s success. The message to Al-Ahli’s players and fans was clear: not everyone is behind you, but I am.

The timing of his words mattered. Hours before kick-off, with tension rising and the spotlight fixed on the clash with Sundowns, he injected a sense of siege mentality around the Saudi side. Champion of Asia, walking into the lion’s den to face the champion of Africa on their own turf, carrying the weight of a footballing nation that has grown used to winning and expects more.

Fuel on an already blazing occasion

The final itself already carried intrigue: Al-Ahli, fresh from continental glory, eyeing another major title; Sundowns, African champions on home soil, determined to defend their territory and underline their status.

Al-Farraj’s intervention added another layer. It turned a football match into a test of unity inside Saudi football.

Between his attack on the absent official and his emphatic public backing of Al-Ahli, he sharpened the narrative around the game. This was no longer just Asia vs Africa, club vs club. It became a question of who truly stands behind Saudi representatives when the stakes rise and the cameras roll.

As the teams walked out to contest the Intercontinental Cup for Clubs, Al-Ahli did so knowing that, back home, one of the country’s most powerful media voices had thrown his full weight behind them—and had called out anyone he felt had not.