AL MAJMA’AH, Saudi Arabia, October 15, 2026: Alexandre Mendy finally gave Al Faisaly the victory they had been chasing all season, completing a hat trick with an 85th-minute winner to beat Al Kholood 3-2 in a remarkable Saudi Pro League encounter on Thursday. The hosts had entered Matchweek 9 without a victory from seven league games, but their striker delivered three goals at Al Majma’ah Sports City Stadium to secure a desperately needed three points.
Al Kholood had every reason to believe they could win. Shaquille Pinas and Julien Domingues overturned Mendy’s early opener to establish a 2-1 lead, only for the Al Faisaly striker to equalize before halftime. The visitors then missed a penalty through Domingues in the 70th minute while the score remained 2-2. Fifteen minutes later, Mendy completed his hat trick, transforming a potential defeat into Al Faisaly’s first league victory of the 2026-27 campaign.
Al Faisaly 3-2 Al Kholood: Five Goals, a Missed Penalty and a First Victory
The contest contained three lead changes in the scoring sequence and a penalty miss that became more consequential with every passing minute.
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | Saudi Pro League 2026-27 |
| Matchweek | 9 |
| Date | October 15, 2026 |
| Venue | Al Majma’ah Sports City Stadium |
| Result | Al Faisaly 3-2 Al Kholood |
| Halftime | 2-2 |
| Al Faisaly goals | Alexandre Mendy 7′, 45+4′, 85′ |
| Al Kholood goals | Shaquille Pinas 19′, Julien Domingues 45′ |
| Missed penalty | Julien Domingues, 70′ |
| Decisive goal | Mendy, 85′ |
The Saudi Pro League’s official match center identifies the fixture as part of Matchweek 9 at Al Majma’ah Sports City Stadium.
How Did Alexandre Mendy Score His Hat Trick Against Al Kholood?
A Seventh-Minute Goal Gives Al Faisaly the Start They Needed
Mendy opened the scoring after only seven minutes, giving Al Faisaly an early advantage against opponents who had enjoyed a far more productive beginning to the season.
For the home side, scoring first carried particular importance. Their previous league performances had demonstrated an ability to stay competitive, but victories had remained elusive.
In August, Al Faisaly recovered against Al Fateh to secure a 1-1 draw despite finishing with 10 men. Fernando Pacheco’s goalkeeping helped protect that result after Christian Bassogog had equalized.
Another draw followed against Al Ettifaq, where the team survived significant attacking pressure but failed to score.
Those performances had produced points without solving the central problem: how to turn competitive matches into victories.
Mendy’s early goal gave the hosts an opportunity to change that pattern.
Pinas and Domingues Turn the First Half Against Al Faisaly
Al Kholood answered quickly. Shaquille Pinas equalized in the 19th minute, erasing Mendy’s opener and forcing Al Faisaly to begin again.
The visitors then completed their comeback when Julien Domingues scored in the 45th minute, with Ramzi Solan credited with the assist.
At 2-1, Al Kholood had reversed the match in less than 40 minutes.
The timing of Domingues’ goal was particularly damaging for the hosts. Conceding immediately before halftime often leaves little opportunity to respond before the teams return to the dressing rooms.
Al Faisaly, however, found that opportunity.
Mendy Strikes in Stoppage Time to Restore Equality
Mendy scored again in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, converting an opportunity created by Flávio to make it 2-2.
His second goal changed the halftime conversation considerably.
Al Kholood had gone from trailing to leading, but their advantage lasted only a few minutes. Al Faisaly entered the interval level despite having surrendered the initial lead.
The two goals also highlighted the importance of Mendy’s contribution to his struggling team.
Al Faisaly had previously suffered a 3-1 defeat against Al Ittihad, when Youssef En-Nesyri scored twice to punish the hosts’ defensive weaknesses.
Against Al Kholood, Al Faisaly finally possessed a player capable of answering the opposition’s goals with comparable efficiency.
Why Was Julien Domingues’ Missed Penalty So Important?
The pivotal second-half incident arrived in the 70th minute.
Al Kholood were awarded a penalty after a VAR-related sequence, giving Domingues the opportunity to restore his team’s lead.
He failed to convert.
At that moment, the match remained 2-2. The visitors had surrendered their first-half advantage but still possessed a clear opportunity to move ahead again.
The missed penalty left Al Faisaly within one goal of a victory that had previously appeared increasingly difficult to secure.
Domingues had already influenced the contest significantly. His first-half goal put Al Kholood ahead, and another successful finish could have strengthened their position entering the closing stages.
Instead, the opportunity disappeared.
From Al Fayha’s Late Equalizer to Al Faisaly’s Missed Opportunity
There was an interesting reversal in Domingues’ contribution compared with an earlier Al Kholood encounter.
On September 3, the forward scored an 89th-minute equalizer as Al Kholood recovered to draw 2-2 with Al Fayha.
That goal preserved the club’s unbeaten start to the Saudi Pro League season.
Against Al Faisaly, Domingues again found the net, but his most consequential second-half opportunity ended without a goal.
The contrast illustrates how quickly an individual player’s role in a result can change. Against Al Fayha, Domingues rescued a point late in the contest. Against Al Faisaly, his missed penalty preceded a defeat.
The miss did not independently determine the outcome. Al Kholood still had time to attack, while Al Faisaly needed another goal to win. But it removed a valuable scoring opportunity at a stage when the visitors could have taken control of the scoreboard.
Mendy Completes His Hat Trick in the 85th Minute
Al Faisaly’s decisive intervention came five minutes before the end of regulation time.
Abdullah Al-Mogren, who had entered as a substitute in the 61st minute, supplied the assist for Mendy’s third goal.
The striker converted to put the hosts 3-2 ahead.
It completed a hat trick that contained three distinct contributions: an early opener, a response to Al Kholood’s first-half comeback and a late winner after the visitors had missed their chance from the penalty spot.
The third goal also demonstrated the value of Al Faisaly’s second-half substitution. Al-Mogren’s introduction ultimately produced the assist that separated the teams.
The hosts had spent seven previous league fixtures trying to collect three points from a single match. Mendy delivered all three of their goals when that opportunity finally arrived.
What Do the Statistics Reveal About Al Faisaly’s Victory?
The available match figures point toward a closely contested encounter rather than overwhelming dominance by either team.
| Statistic | Al Faisaly | Al Kholood |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Possession | 49% | 51% |
| Corners | 4 | 2 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 1 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Offsides | 1 | 1 |
Al Kholood held a narrow possession advantage, but the difference was too small to establish that the visitors controlled the entire contest.
Al Faisaly won more corners and, most importantly, converted three scoring opportunities through the same player.
The pattern is particularly revealing because the hosts did not require prolonged territorial superiority to win.
They needed to respond when the visitors scored, survive a dangerous second-half moment and capitalize on the opportunity that followed.
Mendy’s hat trick supplied the finishing that had been missing from several of their earlier performances.
Why Does This Victory Matter So Much for Al Faisaly?
Before Thursday’s match, Al Faisaly had collected only three points from seven Saudi Pro League games, recording three draws and four defeats.
The victory takes their total to six points from eight completed fixtures, according to that pre-match record and Thursday’s result.
The three points are important, but the circumstances provide additional value.
Al Faisaly conceded twice, lost a first-half lead and faced a penalty in the closing half hour. Earlier matches had demonstrated their difficulty in scoring enough to overcome such problems.
Against Al Kholood, they found an answer.
Manager Giovanni Solinas will still have defensive concerns. Allowing two goals at home and needing a late winner does not suggest that every weakness has disappeared.
However, the result provides evidence that Al Faisaly can recover from setbacks within a match and finish strongly enough to win.
The broader significance becomes clearer when compared with TSE’s earlier examination of Saudi Pro League Matchweek 5, when Al Faisaly remained winless after drawing 0-0 with Al Hazem.
Nearly six weeks later, that search for a league victory has ended.
Readers can follow the club’s updated record and position through the official Al Faisaly Saudi Pro League profile.
How Did Al Kholood Go From an Unbeaten Start to Consecutive Defeats?
Al Kholood’s frustration extends beyond Thursday’s missed penalty.
The team began the season strongly, taking points from Al Ittihad, Al Taawoun, Diriyah, Al Ahli and Al Fayha across its first five league matches.
Those results included a 3-1 victory over Al Ahli, a significant early-season upset that later featured in TSE’s analysis of Al Ahli’s recovery against Al Hazem.
Al Kholood also demonstrated resilience when they drew 1-1 with Diriyah after temporarily taking the lead.
Those performances suggested that Des Buckingham’s side were capable of competing against opponents with considerable attacking resources.
The recent results present a different picture.
Al Kholood lost 5-0 to Al Qadsiah on October 9, a defeat that also influenced the championship conversation examined in TSE’s coverage of Al Nassr and Al Qadsiah’s tightening title race.
Thursday’s 3-2 defeat means Al Kholood have now conceded eight goals across their last two league matches.
That total is a much more substantial warning than the missed penalty alone.
The visitors still demonstrated attacking quality by scoring twice and creating the penalty opportunity. Their difficulty was turning those contributions into a result while preventing Al Faisaly from repeatedly responding.
Buckingham’s challenge is therefore to restore the defensive reliability that supported Al Kholood’s promising beginning to the campaign.
What Comes Next for Al Faisaly and Al Kholood?
Both clubs have another league assignment scheduled for Monday, October 19.
Al Faisaly are due to visit Al Shabab, where they will have the opportunity to build on their first victory against opponents who have experienced difficulties of their own.
Al Kholood are scheduled to face Abha away from home, another important fixture as they attempt to arrest their recent losing run.
The official Al Kholood fixtures and results page provides the club’s upcoming Saudi Pro League schedule.
For Al Faisaly, the immediate question is whether Mendy’s performance represents the beginning of a more productive attacking period or an exceptional individual display.
For Al Kholood, the next test is whether their earlier defensive organization can return after conceding eight goals in two matches.
Thursday supplied a result that both teams needed to interpret carefully.
Al Faisaly have finally won, but their defensive problems remain relevant. Al Kholood have lost again, yet their two goals and missed penalty show that attacking opportunities were available.
The clearest individual difference was Mendy. When the match presented its final decisive opportunity, he converted it.
Al Faisaly vs Al Kholood: Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Al Faisaly vs Al Kholood on October 15, 2026?
Al Faisaly defeated Al Kholood 3-2 in Saudi Pro League Matchweek 9 at Al Majma’ah Sports City Stadium.
Who scored the hat trick for Al Faisaly?
Alexandre Mendy scored all three goals for Al Faisaly in the seventh, 45+4th and 85th minutes.
Who scored Al Kholood’s two goals?
Shaquille Pinas scored in the 19th minute and Julien Domingues scored in the 45th minute.
Who missed the penalty for Al Kholood?
Julien Domingues missed a penalty in the 70th minute with the score level at 2-2.
Who assisted Mendy’s winning goal?
Abdullah Al-Mogren was credited with the assist for Mendy’s 85th-minute winner.
Was this Al Faisaly’s first Saudi Pro League win of the season?
Yes. Al Faisaly had entered the match with three draws and four defeats from their first seven league fixtures.
How many points do Al Faisaly have after beating Al Kholood?
The result increases Al Faisaly’s points total from three to six, based on their pre-match league record.
When do Al Faisaly and Al Kholood play next?
Al Faisaly are scheduled to visit Al Shabab on October 19, while Al Kholood are due to play away against Abha on the same date.