Edouard Mendy eyes Saudi Pro League title with Al-Ahli

Senegal national team goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has maintained his focus is to help Al-Ahli Saudi FC claim the Saudi Pro League title at the end of the season.

Al-Ahli are currently sitting third on the 18-team league table with 65 points, five fewer than leaders Al Nassr, who are led by Cristiano Ronaldo. Al-Ahli have the same number of points as second-placed Al-Hilal.

 

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Despite the five-point gap, the former Chelsea goalkeeper insists they still have what it takes to be crowned champions at the end of the season.

“Now it’s the final sprint, so we knew we had to take the points because we dropped some in Al Qadsiah for the first time for a while. So, we knew that was very important for the three points,” Mendy said as quoted by ESPN.

‘We want to stay very close’

“You can see the way we started was very good with a lot of intensity, a lot of good combinations with the ball. Also, without the ball, we pressed them high. We dominated the whole game.

“And you can see we have a lot of injuries, but we’re still fighting. We stick together and you can see, no matter who plays, we perform. This is the most important.”

After their 3-0 win against Damac, Al-Ahli will return to action on Wednesday against Al-Fayha Club at King Salman Sport City Stadium.

According to Mendy, his desire is to keep a clean sheet in the game.

“Yeah, it’s good. It’s good for the team; it’s good for myself, obviously,” said Mendy.

“We know that if we don’t concede, we have a higher chance to win the game. So, for us, it’s really important to not concede goals, to keep the goal closed. So [doing so against Damac] is good – and we have to just keep on going.”

Al-Ahli has won nine Saudi Professional Leagues, 13 Kings Cups, 6 Crown Prince Cups, 2 Super Cups and 5 Federations Cups.

In international club football, they have won 1 AFC Champions League Elite, a record equal of three GCC Champions League and one Arab Club Championship.

Al-Ahli was the first Saudi club to win the league and the King’s Cup in the same season, and has done so twice – in 1978 and 2016.