The Red Devils, who collected just four points in their first three matches, were held to a surprising goalless draw by nine-man Arab Contractors on Saturday.

The stuttering form alerted Ahli that their quest to win a fifth consecutive league title may not be as smooth as it used to be over the last few years.

“Losing points gives hopes to our competitors that they can mount a serious title challenge,” Badri told the post-match press conference.

“It is no good to stutter in the early stages of the season, but I’m sure the players can bounce back quickly.”

Wasted Chances

Al-Badri rued Ahli’s inability to convert their chances against Contractors, who fought hard to earn a precious draw.

“It is weird that we completely dominated the game but failed to score against nine men.”

“The players hastily pushed forward to score the winner; they did not concentrate on how to finish off their attacks.”