William Troost-Ekong was instrumental in Al Kholood’s thrilling 3-2 win over Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
The Nigerian international provided a game-winning assist late into stoppage time, propelling his team out of the relegation zone in an exciting match.
The game unfolded drastically.
Al Kholood took the lead in the 26th minute when Jackson Muleka coolly converted a penalty. Al Ettifaq, which includes Moussa Dembélé and Georginio Wijnaldum and is coached by Liverpool icon Gerrard, answered almost immediately.
On the hour mark, the hosts equalised through Wijnaldum, who finished from close range following Dembélé’s brilliant pass. The second half included more fireworks.
Myziane Maolida regained Al Kholood’s lead in the 54th minute, but the home team fought back once more. Dembélé tied the game at 2-2 with a penalty in the 96th minute, potentially saving a point for Al Ettifaq. However, in the tenth minute of added time, Troost-Ekong came up with the game-changing moment.
The 31-year-old centre-back, who had performed admirably defensively, played a superbly weighted long ball to Maolida, who lifted the winning goal over the goalie from outside the box to secure a crucial victory for Al Kholood.
Troost-Ekong, the Super Eagles captain, will be particularly impressed by his all-round performance for Noureddine Zekri’s team. He was rock-solid on defense, recording five clearances, one blocked shot, and one interception.
The former Watford defender also won two ground duels and an aerial challenge, demonstrating his dependability under pressure. Offensively, Troost-Ekong made his imprint with the game-winning assist, demonstrating his ability to impact games from both ends of the field.
The win moves Al Kholood to 13th in the league with 13 points from 14 games, one point ahead of the relegation zone.
With 16 games remaining, the battle for survival is still fierce, with teams from eighth place on down in jeopardy. Al Kholood will look to keep this momentum going when they host Al Ahli in their next league game on Wednesday.