Historic foes clash in 'The Old Derby'

When the new Roshn Saudi League calendar is announced, eyes often turn to the likes of the Riyadh Derby between Al Hilal and Al Nassr, the Jeddah Derby between Al Ittihad and Al Ahli, or the Saudi Clasico pitting Al Hilal against Al Ittihad.

But as the wheels of the 2024-25 RSL season have resumed turning after the September international break, a derby of a different type will take centre stage, one that has come to be known as "The Old Derby".

As Saudi domestic competitions took their first steps nearly 70 years ago, it was two sides from the Hijaz region battling it out for supremacy. Every one of the first four finals of the King’s Cup – between 1957 and 1960 - thrust together Al Ittihad and Al Wehda. The Meccans emerged 4-0 winners in the inaugural showpiece, but the men in black and yellow bounced back in style - they won the next three finals.

There were two more titles for Al Ittihad and one more for Al Wehda in the 1960s and the two opponents, set to meet in the RSL on Sunday, established themselves as the dominant forces in Saudi football. In the six decades since, both teams have lived through years of glory and others in the doldrums, but through it all, their rivalry carried on strong.

One point of contention, fuelling the fire between the two fan bases, is entrenched in narratives around their respective histories and the early beginnings of football in Saudi Arabia. Al Ittihad’s iconic logo, shaped like the No.1, is inspired by the club’s official founding date in 1927, which makes it the oldest existing club in the Kingdom.

They were established in Jeddah a few years before the unification of the nation under the name of "the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". That unification, incidentally, was announced from the Al Hamidiya Palace in Mecca, not far from where Al Wehda Club is based today.

The side from Mecca were officially established in 1946, but supporters of the red and white claim to have the oldest history in the country, with their side tracing roots to predecessor clubs in the holy city set up as early as 1916 - as the first recorded history of organised football on these shores.

A proud history for both clubs makes the fixture dubbed "The Old Derby" one of the most fascinating in the RSL season. And, while Al Ittihad have dominated in recent years, it hasn’t always been easy. The most recent league encounter had Al Wehda leading going into the final five minutes thanks to an Odion Ighalo goal, but a late brace from current Al Shabab man Abderrazak Hamdallah turned it around for Al Ittihad.

With that in mind, Al Wehda will be aiming for a first win in this fixture since 2019. Perhaps crucially, they have been augmented during the summer transfer window by an array of attacking talents, including former Birmingham City midfielder Juninho Bacuna and Iraqi international Youssef Amyn. The pair complement existing firepower in Ighalo and Socceroos forward Craig Goodwin.

At the other end, there could be debuts for Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn and former Paris Saint-Germain defender-stroke-defensive-midfielder Danilo Pereira, while Karim Benzema will be eager to make amends after missing a penalty in the same fixture last season.

Make sure to tune in, then, as the newest chapter gets written in "The Old Derby".