Al-Ahli's clash with Al-Khaleej was never just a match that ended in a comprehensive win. It carried plenty of amusing moments off the pitch too, ones that started before the opening whistle. English striker Ivan Toney found himself the target of mockery, answered emphatically on the grass, then picked his words carefully when asked about the whole affair.
It all began when Toney sat out Al-Ahli's previous game against Al-Fayha with a hip joint injury. Al-Khaleej's official TikTok account pounced on that absence, posting an AI-generated clip designed to mock the striker and stir controversy ahead of the anticipated meeting.
In the video, Toney appears to learn that Al-Khaleej are Al-Ahli's next opponents, then leaps up and sprints away as two Al-Khaleej players laugh, the gag suggesting the Englishman was scared to face them.
The pitch told a very different story. Toney returned from injury to feature against Al-Khaleej in the eleventh round of the Saudi Roshn Pro League, and he drove Al-Ahli to a 4-1 win with two goals that underlined his worth.
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His brace took him to 13 goals for the season and sole lead of the Roshn League scoring charts. Mocked before kick-off, he turned his comeback into a night to remember and replied in the best way possible: in front of goal.
At full time, Toney faced a question about the Al-Khaleej video. He refused to be dragged into a media spat or fire back, closing the subject diplomatically instead.
Asked about the clip by reporters, Toney said: "I will not comment on that, because if I comment then all the clubs will do the same thing, and then I will of course be subjected to annoyance".
That line denied the incident any more oxygen than it deserved. The comprehensive win and his brace did the talking, sealing three points for Al-Ahli as Toney keeps chasing the numbers in the top scorers' race.