2019–20 Prince Mohammad bin Salman League


The 2019–20 Prince Mohammad bin Salman League is the 3rd season of the Prince Mohammad bin Salman League under its current name, and 43rd season of the Saudi First Division since its establishment in 1976. The season started on 20 August 2019 and will conclude on 27 May 2020. Fixtures for the 2019–20 season were announced on 14 July 2019.
On 7 March 2020, the Ministry of Sports announced that all matches would be played behind closed doors until further notice. On 14 March 2020, the Ministry suspended all sports competitions indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. On 11 June 2020, the Ministry of Sports announced the resumption of sports activities with training starting on 21 June and games starting after 4 August 2020 and played behind closed doors. On 1 July 2020, the schedule for the remaining matches was released. It was announced that the league would resume on 4 August 2020 and end on 20 September 2020.

Overview

Rule changes

On 9 June 2019, the SAFF announced that the numbers of foreign players were decreased from 7 players to 4 players.

Teams

A total of 20 teams are contesting the league, including 13 sides from the 2018–19 season, 4 promoted teams from the Second Division and the three relegated sides from the Pro League.
The first team to be relegated to the MS League was Ohod, ending a 2-year stay in the Pro League following a 3–1 home defeat to Al-Fayha on 12 April 2019. The second team to be relegated was Al-Batin, ending a 3-year stay in the Pro League following a 1–0 home defeat to an already relegated Ohod side on 11 May 2019. The third and final team to be relegated was Al-Qadsiah, who were relegated on the final matchday following a 2–2 home draw with Al-Hazem. Al-Qadsiah were relegated after 4 consecutive seasons in the Pro League.
The first club to be promoted was Al-Bukayriyah who were promoted following a 1–1 away draw against Al-Jandal on 16 March 2019. The second club to be promoted was Hetten following a 2–0 home win against Afif on 29 March 2019. The third club to be promoted was Al-Thoqbah who were promoted following a 3–1 home win against Arar on 29 March 2019. The fourth and final club to be promoted was Al-Taqadom who were promoted on the final matchday following a 3–0 home win against Al-Muzahimiyyah.
Hetten were promoted as the winners of the Second Division and Al-Bukayriyah were promoted as the runners-up. Al-Thoqbah defeated Al-Taqadom in the third-place playoffs.
Al-Bukayriyah, Al-Taqadom, and Al-Thoqbah will play in the Prince Mohammad bin Salman League for the first time in their history. Hetten will play in their 8th overall season in the MS League. This will be their first season in the MS League following their relegation in the 2014–15 season.

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2019–20 season.

To MS League

Promoted from Second Division
Relegated from Pro League
Promoted to Pro League
Relegated to Second Division


TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
Al-AinAl-AtawilahKing Saud Sport City Stadium
Al-AnsarMedinaAl-Ansar Club Stadium
Al-BatinHafar Al-BatinAl-Batin Club Stadium
Al-BukayriyahAl BukayriyahAl-Bukayriyah Club Stadium
Al-JabalainHa'ilPrince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium
Al-JeelAl-HasaPrince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium
Al-KawkabAl-KharjAl-Shoulla Club Stadium
Al-KhaleejSaihatAl-Khaleej Club Stadium
Al-MujazzalAl-Majma'ahAl-Majma'ah City Stadium
Al-NahdaDammamPrince Fahd bin Salman Stadium
Al-NojoomAl-HasaPrince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium
Al-QadsiahKhobarPrince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium
Al-ShoullaAl-KharjAl-Shoulla Club Stadium
Al-TaiHa'ilPrince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium
Al-TaqadomAl MithnabAl-Najma Club Stadium
Al-ThoqbahKhobarPrince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium
HettenSamtahKing Faisal Sport City Stadium
JeddahJeddahReserve Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City
NajranNajranNajran Sport City Stadium
OhodMedinaPrince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Stadium

1: Al-Jeel and Al-Nojoom also use Al-Fateh Club Stadium as a home stadium.
2: Al-Nahda, Al-Qadsiah and Al-Thoqbah also use Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium as a home stadium.

Foreign players

The number of foreign players is limited to 4 per team.
Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Former Players
Al-Ain Soualio Ouattara Aboubacar Sylla Haythem Jouini Youssef Fouzai Yassine Lakhal
Peter Nworah
Al-Ansar Hamza Aït Ouamar Baraka Ricardinho Richard Baffour David Ochieng
'

Saith Sakala
Al-Batin Lassina Diaby Mehdi Ressaissi Seddik Majeri
Al-Bukayriyah Martial Yao Ousmane Barry Mahmoud Ben Salah Paul Onobi
Al-Jabalain Carlão Diego Miranda Pitty António Filipe Hacène El Okbi
Zurab Tsiskaridze
Al-Jeel Francisco Pereira Morotó Houssem Tabboubi Yassine Boufalgha Douglas Caé
Al-Kawkab Emmanuel Banahene Chaker Rguiî Chiheb Jebali Youness Lachab Sergio Moreno
'
Al-Khaleej Zakaria Haddouche Ulrich Kapolongo Latif Amadu Samuel Sarfo Victor Golas
Bessam
Al-Mujazzal Hocine El Orfi Hossin Lagoun Jefferson Baiano Ronald Ngah Alexander Christovão
Abuda
Cléber Prado
Mamadou Konaté
Chris Gadi
Al-Nahda Cheibane Traoré Alaeddine Abbès Hachem Abbès Lassaâd Jaziri
Al-Nojoom Wesley Motuca Tafsir Chérif Franco Güity Ousmane Faye '
Gugu Vieira
Wesley Santos
Al-Qadsiah Jack Duncan Rhys Williams Mahdi Al-Humaidan Stanley Ohawuchi Andy Keogh
Al-Shoulla Mamadou Soro Sylla Daouda Abdulwahab Annan Isah Aliyu Amine Mhadhebi
Khaled Gharsellaoui
Al-Tai Kheireddine Boussouf Dudu Patrick Mevoungou Eddie Hernández Pitty
Jorge Silva
Al-Taqadom ' Shehab El-Din Ahmed Lester Peltier Alain Zoe
'
Ousmane Diabaté
Al-Thoqbah Lucas Michel Ichaka Diarra Amir Omrani Oussema Amdouni Moïse Zongo
Boubacar Cissokho
'
Hetten Jurica Buljat Ishmael Yartey Macauley Chrisantus Abdoulaye Ba Pingo
Houssem Tabboubi
Mossaâb Sassi
Slim Bacha
Jeddah Ibrahim Sory Helton Johann Lengoualama Modou Jobe Hassan Wasswa
Najran Carlos Batista Carlos Coppetti ' Gbolahan Salami Patrick Vieira
Boubacar Diarra
'
Ohod Abderaouf Natèche Hacène El Okbi Chiheb Zoghlami Houssem Eddine Sdiri
Baha' Abdel-Rahman
Muhamed Keita
Hichem Essifi

League table

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled but added to the full round they were played immediately afterward.

Results

Season progress

Statistics

Scoring

Top scorers

Hat-tricks

PlayerForAgainstResultDate
Bader Al-KhameesAl-ThoqbahHetten5–2 25 09 2019
Peter NworahAl-AinAl-Nahda6–1 23 10 2019
Islam SerajAl-ShoullaAl-Tai5–0 12 11 2019
DuduAl-TaiHetten5–0 26 11 2019
Abdullah Al-HadhritiAl-QadsiahAl-Ansar6–0 15 01 2020
Ibrahim SoryJeddahHetten5–2 03 03 2020

;Note
– Home; – Away

Clean sheets

Number of teams by region