After a relatively sedate start to life in the Saudi Pro League, it is safe to say that Ivan Toney has found his goalscoring groove for Al Ahli.
The £40 million summer signing from English Premier League side Brentford notched his first SPL hat-trick in stunning fashion on Friday.
Toney had scored twice in six minutes to put Al Ahli 2-0 up at Al Hilal – the first a clinical finish past Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, the second a tap-in following fine work down the right by Brazilian winger Galeno.
But the reigning champions were not about to give up without a fight and after Salem Al Dawsari had pulled one back, Marcos Leonardo’s 83rd-minute penalty looked to have secured Jorge Jesus' side at least a point.
Toney, though, was to have the final word with three minutes to go. Gabri Veiga, who had supplied the assist for Ahli's opener, hooked a hopeful ball back over his head which was brought down in style by Toney who then blasted home a brilliant winner.
“We dug it out and the boys worked very hard,” said Toney afterwards. “And especially to get a hat-trick; especially because it’s my son’s birthday tomorrow, so a present for him when I get home.”
The treble means Toney has scored 12 in seven games and was the seventh successive match he had found the target, dating back to his double against Al Riyadh in January.
It was also Al Ahli’s first win against Al Hilal in eight SPL attempts and leaves them fifth in the table, four points behind the second-placed Riyadh club who are in turn six shy of leaders Al Ittihad.
“It means a lot,” added Toney. “I think we owed them; it’s been a long time since we beat them. We worked hard, it was back-to-back games, we had a game three days ago, and were tired.
“But it shows the spirit we have in the changing room and the players coming on did well also.”
Toney, 28, has now registered 16 goals in 22 SPL games for Ahli putting him in the most esteemed of company at the top of the scoring charts – level with Ittihad's Karim Benzema and one behind Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.
“Hopefully I can score more,” Toney said back in October. “But I’m competing with myself; I don’t watch what other people are doing. [Ronaldo] is a top player, [but] I’ll concentrate on myself.”
Toney has notched 22 goals across competitions including five in the AFC Champions League which helped Ahli secure their spot in the last-16 after finishing second in the West Region table behind Al Hilal only on goal difference.
Next up is a trip to Qatari side Al Rayyan in the last 16, with the first leg taking place on Tuesday, and Toney looking to maintain his hot streak and help propel his team into the quarter-finals.
And he will be hoping his prolific club form might have caught the attention of new England manager Thomas Tuchel, who will soon name his first squad ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia at Wembley Stadium in March.
Toney has not played for England since making an 89th-minute substitute appearance in the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain with interim manager Lee Carsley opting to go with other attacking options in the six games he took charge of.
“We had a brief conversation, but there’s a squad of more than one player that he has to focus on so, we had a brief chat and that was it,” Toney told FourFourTwo when asked about whether he had spoken to Carsley. “He’s got plenty of other players to focus on, and the squad at the time that he chose.”
Captain Harry Kane's relentless scoring form for Bayern Munich – the 31-year-old tops the Bundesliga goal chart with 21 in 22 games – means England's record goalscorer will not be relinquishing his starting spot any time soon.
But the role of Kane's understudy is up for grabs. Cole Palmer is the top English scorer in the Premier League with 14 but prefers not to lead the attacking line.
Ollie Watkins has 12 league goals for Aston Villa despite not yet hitting the heights of previous campaigns, while Spurs striker Dominic Solanke has seven goals but is currently out injured.
Liam Delap has been impressive scoring 10 times for relegation-candidates Ipswich Town but the 22-year-old has yet to win a senior cap.
The likes of James Maddison (nine), Jarrod Bowen (seven) and Morgan Rogers (seven) have been in the goals but are also not out-and-out strikers, while Marcus Rashford is still finding his feet on loan at Aston Villa and is unlikely to add to his 60 caps any time soon.
Toney has made it clear that he has not given up on an England recall while also hitting back at critics who question the standard of Saudi football.
“This league is a tough league,” Toney, who was banned for eight months in 2023 for breaking English Football Association betting rules, added in his interview with FourFourTwo. “Everyone has their opinion, it doesn’t mean it’s factual, I’m here to focus on myself and what will be, will be.
“If I was to get back involved on the international stage, I’m ready for it. But if not, then it is what it is.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The specs
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Key Points
- Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
- Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
