Karim Benzema dribbles the ball during the King’s Cup semifinals match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Shabab.

JEDDAH, April 2: Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia secured its place in the King’s Cup final after a dramatic 3-2 victory over Al-Shabab at King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah.

The match started with Al-Ittihad taking the lead in the 14th minute through a penalty kick converted by Brazilian Fabinho Tavares. However, Al-Shabab responded strongly, with Argentine Cristian Guanca equalizing in the 64th minute, before adding a second goal just three minutes later.

As the match seemed to be slipping away from Al-Ittihad, they found an equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time when Portuguese midfielder Danilo Pereira scored. Then, in the ninth minute of stoppage time, Pereira netted his second goal to seal the win and send Al-Ittihad into the final.

Al-Shabab expressed its frustration with the match’s officiating. The club issued a statement on its official X platform account, voicing its disappointment with what it described as “blatant refereeing injustice” that it believed contributed directly to its elimination from the tournament.

The statement read: "Al-Shabab Club expresses its deep dissatisfaction with the blatant refereeing injustice the team suffered in its match against Al-Ittihad in the semi-finals of the, which directly contributed to its elimination from the tournament, a tournament it was competing for with distinction."

It further continued, “The club has exerted great effort throughout the season in its pursuit of this precious title. The team demonstrated outstanding technical performances, deserving of fair treatment from the referee on the field. This, unfortunately, did not happen in the Al-Ittihad match, due to refereeing decisions that directly impacted the course and outcome of the match.”

Al-Shabab management confirmed that it had previously contacted the head of the referees’ committee to request the appointment of an elite referee for this high-stakes match. However, it was informed that no elite referees were available, which the management considered an official acknowledgment that the match did not receive the appropriate level of officiating.