August 12, (THEWILL) – Brazilian forward, Roberto Firmino, made an instant impact on his Saudi Pro League debut, scoring a hat-trick to lead Al-Ahli to a 3-1 win over Al-Hazem on Friday.
The former Liverpool star found the back of the net in the 6th, 10th and 72nd minutes, as the newly promoted club started their season on a high note. The 31-year-old was named captain after joining Al-Ahli in the summer, following eight seasons at Liverpool. During his time at Anfield, Firmino scored 111 goals in 362 appearances and won the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League and Club World Cup titles.
Al-Ahli have assembled a star-studded squad in hopes of challenging for the Saudi league title. In addition to Firmino, they have signed Riyad Mahrez, Allan Saint-Maximin, Frank Kessie and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The team is considered one of the favorites along with Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and defending champions, Al-Ittihad.
Backed by the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, the Saudi Pro League has attracted several big names from top European leagues through lucrative contract offers. Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr in January, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante have also made the switch to the Gulf state.
Paragraph 5: The influx of global stars has extended to the dugout as well, with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard taking over as manager of Al-Ettifaq. The league aims to establish itself as an attractive destination for elite talent.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
