William Troost-Ekong played a pivotal role in Al Kholood’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League on Friday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Nigerian international delivered a game-winning assist deep into stoppage time, helping his side move out of the relegation zone in a thrilling encounter.
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The match unfolded dramatically.
Al Kholood took the lead in the 26th minute when Jackson Muleka coolly converted from the penalty spot.
Al Ettifaq, featuring stars like Moussa Dembélé and Georginio Wijnaldum and coached by Liverpool legend Gerrard responded almost immediately.
The hosts equalised on the hour mark, with Wijnaldum finishing from close range after Dembélé's clever assist.
The second half brought more fireworks.
Myziane Maolida restored Al Kholood’s lead in the 54th minute, but the home side fought back yet again. Dembélé levelled the score at 2-2 with a 96th-minute penalty, seemingly salvaging a point for Al Ettifaq.
However, in the 10th minute of added time, Troost-Ekong stepped up to provide the decisive moment.
The 31-year-old centre-back, who had been impressive with his defensive duties, delivered a perfectly weighted long ball to Maolida, who lifted the winning goal over the goalkeeper from outside the box to secure a vital victory for Al Kholood.
Super Eagles captain Troost-Ekong will be particularly impressed with his all-round display in the encounter for Noureddine Zekri’s side.
Defensively, he was rock-solid, completing five clearances, one blocked shot, and one interception.
The former Watford defender also won two ground duels and one aerial contest, while showing his reliability under pressure.
Offensively, Troost-Ekong made his mark with the assist that decided the match, further underlining his ability to impact games at both ends of the pitch.
2025 BLOOD DEY HOT+3 pic.twitter.com/lybfrLcyMd
— William Troost-Ekong (M.O.N) (@WTroostEkong) January 10, 2025
After the game, Troost-Ekong took to his social media account to share a video highlighting his performances in the match, with the caption, “2025 blood dey hot +3″
The victory lifts Al Kholood to 13th in the league with 13 points from 14 matches, one point clear of the relegation zone.
With 16 games left to play, the battle for survival remains fierce, as teams from eighth place downward are still in danger.
Al Kholood will aim to maintain this momentum when they host Al Ahli in their next league game on Wednesday.
