2018–19 Prince Mohammad bin Salman League explained

Season:2018–19
Dates:28 August 2018 – 15 May 2019
Matches:380
Total Goals:875
League Topscorer:Carolus Andria
(22 goals)
Biggest Home Win:
Biggest Away Win:




Highest Scoring:
Updated:15 May 2019

The 2018–19 Prince Mohammad bin Salman League was the second season of the Prince Mohammad bin Salman League under its current name, and 42nd season of the Saudi First Division since its establishment in 1976. The season started on 28 August 2018 and concluded on 15 May 2019.[1] Fixtures for the 2018–19 season were announced on 25 July 2018.

The first team to be promoted was Abha, following their 2–2 draw away to Al-Nojoom on 30 April 2019.[2] Despite losing to Al-Qaisumah, Abha were crowned champions on 11 May 2019 following Damac's 1–1 draw with Al-Ain.[3] The second team to be promoted was Damac, in spite of their 1–0 defeat away to Al-Tai, on 5 May 2019.[4] The third and final team to be promoted was Al-Adalah, who were promoted on the final matchday following their 2–0 win at home against Damac on 15 May 2019.[5]

Overview

First Division rebranding

On 7 March 2018, the Saudi FF announced that the league would be increased from 16 teams to 20 teams.[6] The competition will be known as the Prince Mohammad bin Salman League for the second season.[7]

Rule changes

On 7 March 2018, the SAFF announced that the numbers of foreign players were increased from 3 players to 7 players. They also increased the prize money to SAR 10 million.[8]

Teams

A total of 20 teams are contesting the league, including 9 sides from the 2017–18 season, 6 promoted teams from the Second Division, the two playoff losers from the 2017–18 Pro League playoffs, and three winners from the 2017–18 relegation playoffs.

No teams were relegated from the Pro League. Due to an increase in the number of teams, the Saudi FF announced that the relegation was canceled and in its place was a relegation play-off.[6] Both Pro League teams, Al-Raed and Ohod, won the playoffs and secured their top-flight status.

Al-Washm were promoted as the winners of the Second Division and Al-Jabalain were promoted as the runners-up. Al-Jeel defeated Al-Ansar in the third place playoffs. Both teams were promoted after the increase of teams. The 4 teams were joined by the third-placed teams of both groups, Al-Adalah and Al-Ain. Abha defeated Al-Watani in the relegation playoffs and became the only Second Division side to win their relegation playoff match.

Al-Washm and Al-Ain will play in the Prince Mohammad bin Salman League for the first time in their history. Al-Jabalain return to the MS League for the first time since the 2007–08 season. Abha return to the MS League for the first time since the 2014–15 season. Al-Ansar return to the MS League for the first time since the 2013–14 season. Al-Adalah and Al-Jeel return to the MS League after only a season's absence.

On 4 May 2018 Al-Watani became the only club to be relegated to the Second Division following their 1–0 defeat to Abha.[9]

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2017–18 season.

To Prince Mohammad bin Salman League

Promoted from Second Division

From Prince Mohammad bin Salman League

Promoted to Pro League

Relegated to Second Division

Stadia and locations

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
[10]
[11]
King Saud Sport City Stadium (Al Bahah) [12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]
[22]
[23]
1: Najran will play at Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium due to the ongoing war in Yemen
2: Al-Adalah, Al-Jeel, Al-Nojoom and Hajer also use Al-Fateh Club Stadium (7,000 seats) as a home stadium.

Foreign players

The number of foreign players is limited to 7 per team.[24]

Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.

ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Player 5Player 6Player 7Former Players
Abha Gilles Ngomo Ibrahima Camara Ousmane Pato Souleymane Demba Marouane Fakhr Mohamed Houssem Slimène Houssem Tabboubi Cédric Tchoumbé
Daouda Camarra
Al-Adalah Selemani Ndikumana Carolus Andria Martial Yao Moctar Fall Bilel Souissi Yassine Boufalgha Youssef Fouzai Leo Alves
Al-Ain Bruno Silva Diego Assis Soualio Ouattara Moctar Cissé Moses Ogbu Faiz Al-Rushaidi Rennan Oliveira
Masahudu Alhassan
Azeez Shobola
Sy Ass Mandaw
Hichem Essifi
Al-Ansar Ley Matampi Dieudonné Nkoume Mohamed Awal Abdallah Deeb David Ifeanyi Abdelrazaq Al-Hussain
Al-Jabalain Sedjro Counou Yuri Messias Senosi Al Hadi Peter Nworah Hugo López José Galán Mahmoud Al-Youssef Harmony Ikande
Isah Eliakwu
Alfred Sankoh
Al-Jeel Gugu Vieira José Anderson Kadu Fernandes Valdinei Jean Zirignon Leandro Tanaka
Al-Kawkab Mohamed Koffi Torric Jebrin Jose Fajardo Emmanuel Gomis Mignane Diouf Ali Ayari Rafael Donato
Chiheb Jebali
Al-Khaleej Bernardo Souza Alsény Bangoura Daouda Bangoura Lassina Diaby Abdullah Al-Zubi Alioune Ndiaye
Al-Mujazzal Ailton Machado Allan Machado João Paulo Shassiri Nahimana Dmitri Stajila Miloš Krstić Nicholas Dillon David Batista
Carlos Ross
Draško Đorđević
Lester Peltier
Al-Nahda Fodé Camara Yamodou Touré Hortalin Zadi Idrissa Coulibaly Cheibane Traoré Alaeddine Abbès Zied Ziadi Michaïlou Dramé
Jean Zirignon
Abdou Traoré
Al-Nojoom Gabriel Macedo Aboubacar Sawadogo Hermann Kouao Mohammad Al-Dmeiri
Saith Sakala
Al-Orobah Eydison Felipe Félix Jefinho Elhadji Ndoye Mohamed Daf Daneil Cyrus Lester Peltier Dija Baiano
Pedro Rosa

Maxime Feudjou

Ousmane Barry
Al-Qaisumah Ali Lakroum Mohamed Hammouche Youcef Chibane Arthur Silva Mamut Saine Gbolahan Salami Montassar Khemir Diego Barboza
Ante Hrakac
Kofi Boakye
Souleymane Demba
Nikola Ašćerić
Al-Shoulla Tarabai Cheick Moukoro Sylla Daouda Emmanuel Banahene Piqueti Wilson Akakpo Anye Fru
Julien Ebah
Béranger Itoua
Mahmoud Shika
Al-Tai Dudu Christopher Mendouga Aboubacar Sylla Mamadou Barry Moussa Sarr Saith Sakala Said Al-Ruzaiqi
Bouba Sall
Malick Sambou
Kemo Soumare
Al-Washm Hamza Aït Ouamar Ahmed Khaled Kafoumba Touré Ugonna Uzochukwu Vasco Coelho Nidhal Saïed Rodolfo Mol
Razak Nuhu
Mohamed Diabagate
Damac Hacène Ogbi Abdel Fadel Suanon Aubin Kouakou Gbagbo Junior Magbi Ahmed Al Ahmed Khaled Haj Othman Mahmoud Ben Salah Harouna Samake
Alegbe Victor
Christian Pyagbara
Hajer Diego Barboza Rayllan Bruno Noor Sabri Alassane Diop Gege Soriola Łukasz Gikiewicz Robert Ghansah
Ahmed Hosni
Jeddah Felipe Nunes Thiago Furtuoso Oumarou Kaina Alain Zoe Patrick Gbala Okiemute Odah Abami Giovani
Reda El-Weshi
Gilles N'Guessan
Najran Guy Toindouba Mohammad Zureiqat Marco Tagbajumi Reuben Gabriel Omar Zekri Wassim Naouara Esquerdinha
Felipe Almeida
Mosquito
Moïse Zongo
Mohamed Doumouya

League table

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled but added to the full round they were played immediately afterward.

Results

Season progress

Statistics

Scoring

Top scorers

[25]

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Carolus AndriaAl-Adalah22
2 José FajardoAl-Kawkab18
3 Saleh Al AbbasNajran17
4 Hermann KouaoAl-Nojoom15
5 Saith SakalaAl-Taialign=center rowspan=414
Lester PeltierAl-Orobah
Cheibane TraoréAl-Nahda
Ousmane PatoAbha
9 Emmanuel BanaheneAl-Shoulla13
10 Yousef OmarAl-Jeelalign=center rowspan=212
Faisel Al-JamaanHajer

Hat-tricks

Player For Against Result Date
4–0 (H) [26]
3–2 (H) [27]
5–1 (A) [28]
4–2 (H) [29]
3–1 (A) [30]
3–2 (H)

Clean sheets

RankPlayerClubClean sheets
1 Khaled Haj OthmanDamacalign=center rowspan=314
Hortalin ZadiAl-Nahda
Bilel SouissiAl-Adalah
4 Mahmoud Al-YoussefAl-Jabalain13
5 Okemute OdahJeddahalign=center rowspan=312
Dmitri StajilaAl-Mujazzal
Francisco PereiraAl-Jeel
8 Noor SabriHajeralign=center rowspan=211
Abdullah Al-ZubiAl-Khaleej
10 Ley MatampiAl-Ansar10

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: المسابقات تعلن عن جدول دوري الأمير محمد بن سلمان. 25 July 2018. 11 September 2018.
  2. Web site: أبها يعود إلى دوري المحترفين بعد غياب 10 أعوام. 30 April 2019.
  3. Web site: أبها بطلا لدوري الأمير محمد بن سلمان للدرجة الأولى . 11 May 2019.
  4. Web site: Damk promoted to MBS League for Professionals . 2019-06-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190601013335/http://www.saff.com.sa/News/Prince-Mohamed-Bin-Salman-League/5-5-matches-day1 . 2019-06-01 . dead .
  5. Web site: العدالة يكمل عقد المتأهلين إلى دوري المحترفين .. والخليج يتأهل للملحق. صحيفة سبق الالكترونية. 31 March 2023.
  6. Web site: تنفيذاً لقرار مجلس ادارة الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم بزيادة عدد الأندية في الموسم المقبل. Arabic. SAFF. 7 March 2018. 7 March 2018.
  7. Web site: Twitter.com . إطلاق اسم سيدي ولي العهد على دوري الدرجة الأولى ليصبح. gsa . 9 February 2018.
  8. Web site: 10 ملايين و7 أجانب في دوري الأمير محمد بن سلمان. 24 February 2018 . 11 September 2018.
  9. Web site: فريق أبها يصعد لدوري الأمير محمد بن سلمان. 4 May 2018 . 11 September 2018.
  10. Web site: استاد مدينة الأمير سلطان بن عبدالعزيز الرياضية (المحالة). kooora.com. 18 September 2018.
  11. Web site: www.slstat.com/spl2016-2017en/stadium.php?id=7. slstat.com. 18 September 2018.
  12. Web site: استاد مدينة الملك سعود الرياضية. kooora.com. 18 September 2018.
  13. Web site: ملعب نادي الأنصار. kooora.com. 18 September 2018.
  14. Web site: استاد الأمير عبدالعزيز بن مساعد بن جلوي. kooora.com. 18 September 2018.
  15. Web site: www.slstat.com/spl2014-2015en/stadium.php?id=19. slstat.com. 18 September 2018.
  16. Web site: كووورة: الموقع العربي الرياضي الأول.
  17. Web site: www.slstat.com/spl2016-2017en/stadium.php?id=11. slstat.com. 18 September 2018.
  18. Web site: استاد الأمير محمد بن فهد. kooora.com. 18 September 2018.
  19. Web site: www.slstat.com/spl2013-2014en/stadium.php?id=20. slstat.com. 18 September 2018.
  20. Web site: www.slstat.com/spl2016-2017en/stadium.php?id=25. slstat.com. 18 September 2018.
  21. Web site: ملعب نادي الوشم. kooora.com. 18 September 2018.
  22. Web site: بالصور.. عبدالله بن مساعد يفتتح منشأة نادي ضمك بتكلفة ٦٥ مليون ريال. صحيفة سبق الالكترونية. 31 March 2023.
  23. Web site: www.slstat.com/spl2015-2016en/stadium.php?id=24. slstat.com. 18 September 2018.
  24. Web site: Total of Foreign Players. 18 May 2018. Prince Mohammad bin Salman League. 18 May 2018.
  25. Web site: ترتيب هدافو #دوري_الأمير_محمد_بن_سلمان للدرجة الأولى بعد ختام منافسات الدوري .
  26. Web site: دوري الأولى: 3 انتصارات في ختام الجولة السابعة .
  27. Web site: هداف الدوري البنمي جوزيه نيلسون لاعب نادي #الكوكب وكرة الهاتريك .
  28. Web site: لاعب نادي #النجوم مع كرة الهاتريك .
  29. Web site: المدغشقري تشارلز أندريا لاعب نادي #العدالة مع كرة الهاتريك .
  30. Web site: رياضي / العدالة يفوز بثلاثية على نجران في الجولة الـ 35 من دوري الأمير محمد بن سلمان لأندية الأولى وكالة الأنباء السعودية. www.spa.gov.sa. 31 March 2023.