According to The National, England forward Ivan Toney opened the scoring in the fifth minute by capitalizing on a through ball from new signing Eduard Spertsyan. He doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 13th minute after Galeno was brought down in the box. Francisco Trincao added a spectacular long-range goal early in the second half before assisting Toney for the fourth strike of the evening.
ESPN reported that the hat-trick came in Toney’s second appearance since the 2026 World Cup, where he had featured for England under Thomas Tuchel. The forward converted his first chance clinically and showed composure from 12 yards for the second. His third goal arrived after Trincao played him in, capping an impressive individual display that underscored his value since joining from Brentford.
Africa Soccer data places Toney level with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema on six Saudi Pro League hat-tricks, with only Abderrazak Hamdallah on 11 and Omar Al Somah on nine ahead of him in the all-time list. The 30-year-old has now registered 58 goals in 64 league appearances for Al Ahli. His latest treble followed a season-opening 1-0 win over Al Diriyah in which he also started.
A Saudi Pro League update showed the result lifted Al Ahli to six points from two wins, placing the side level at the top of the table alongside Al Hilal, Al Nassr and others. Abha stayed rooted to the bottom without a point after successive defeats. The victory also extended Al Ahli’s strong home form at Al Inma Stadium.
In other second-round fixtures, Al Kholood came from behind to defeat Al Taawoun 3-2 while Al Ettifaq secured a 1-0 win at Al Fateh thanks to a goal by Scottish defender Jack Hendry. Al Khaleej played out a goalless draw with Al Shabab. These outcomes highlighted the competitive balance across the expanded league campaign.
Club records indicate Toney’s first Al Ahli hat-trick arrived in a 3-2 victory over Al Hilal in February 2025, with further trebles registered against multiple opponents last term. The forward was withdrawn shortly after completing his latest three-goal haul. Al Ahli will aim to build on the momentum when they host Al Khaleej on Tuesday.
