In just a few hours, Al Nassr will be taking on Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final. The stakes as well as the anticipation remain high for the impending clash, as either side will be looking to book their place in the finals. However, more than his own side, Luis Castro is rather observant of the referees. Emphasizing the importance of fair officiating, Castro echoes the sentiments of his star player Cristiano Ronaldo, stating, “We hope that the referees’ performance will be good.” 

These claims were made during the pre-match press conference. It somehow indicates that the Knights of the Najd have fear in their minds that the officials of the match will be biased toward Al Hilal. The apprehension comes from past instances where the Blue Waves have been favored by officials. In fact, days ago, Ronaldo also took a subtle dig at referees being partial to their arch-rivals. 

During Al Hilal’s 3-1 triumph over Al Riyadh, Aleksandar Mitrovic’s attempted strike was interrupted by an opposing defender, leading to both players tumbling to the ground. Despite minimal contact, the referee awarded a penalty and issued a yellow card to the defender. This led Ronaldo to ridicule the call, responding with nine laughing emojis on a video depicting the incident. That’s not all, as Al Hilal’s recent match with Al Shabab, which they won 3-4, also had a turning point. 

Kalidou Koulibaly made a challenge on Ivan Rakitic inside the box. Instead of a penalty, the official awarded a goal kick to Al Hilal, forcing Rakitic to candidly take a dig at the decision. Certainly, Al Nassr would be hoping to not become a subject of such incidents. However, with two experienced referees designated for tomorrow’s clash, Castro and Co. might get a respite. 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. will be officiated by two experienced referees against Al Hilal

Monday’s Super Cup clash between the top two teams in the SPL will see local referees, Mohammed Al Hoaish and Khaled Al Turais, officiating the match. Despite clubs previously having the option to choose foreign referees, this decision comes as a surprise. Al Hoaish, aged 37 and with extensive experience including 10 years as a FIFA coach and 104 Saudi Pro League games, is expected to lead as the more experienced referee.

Al Nassr, who won both matches officiated by Al Hoaish this season, may not oppose his appointment. On the other hand, Al-Turais has been an international referee since 2016. Although he has slightly less experience with 88 games, the 36-year-old also officiated two of Al Nassr’s victories this season. Perhaps the presence of such familiar as well as experienced officials would be a sigh of relief for Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. 

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Who do you think will win the Saudi Super Cup between Al Nassr and Al Hilal? Let us know in the comments.