Al Ittihad Football Club: Jeddah, Their Squad, Titles and African Kick Off Times

Al Ittihad are a football club from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, founded in 1927 and regarded as the country's oldest club. They play at King Abdullah Sports City, and they won the AFC Champions League in 2004 and again in 2005. So, if Karim Benzema or N'Golo Kanté made you curious about Saudi football, their spells in Jeddah offer an African connection to explore. South African readers who follow soccer can trace those same connections through the club's history.

Explore the club's founding and home ground below, then follow its Asian triumphs into the rivalries that shape its identity. The live panels carry fixtures, results, squad and news. You will also find out which Al Ittihad this is, because Egypt and Libya each have one, and how to turn a Jeddah kick off into WAT, EAT, SAST and GMT. Getting the hour right helps viewers in Lagos arrange a viewing centre visit and supporters elsewhere plan their evening.

Who Are Al Ittihad FC of Jeddah?

Al Ittihad FC are the Jeddah club of the Saudi Pro League. Most records put the founding on 26 December 1927, which is why the club is regarded as the oldest in Saudi Arabia. The club's strongest era came in the 1990s and 2000s, and the Saudi Pro League title of 2022-23 showed it back at the summit. For a Nigerian reader, think of the club a whole city measures itself by, the side whose shirt you see on the street the morning after a big win.

Where Is the Latest Al Ittihad News, and Who Is the Coach Now?

The latest Al Ittihad news, including the name of the current head coach, sits in the live news panel, because coaching appointments and transfer stories in Saudi football can change faster than any written line. That panel carries the current coach, confirmed signings and confirmed departures. So, when a Lagos group chat shouts 'done deal', you can check the claim against a dated report from a news outlet instead of a rumour. It matters at this club more than most, since 2023 brought Benzema from Real Madrid and Kanté from Chelsea in a single year. Read the publication date before treating a transfer headline as fresh news.

How Do You Follow Al Ittihad Fixtures, Results and the Table From Africa?

Al Ittihad's fixture listings provide the schedule, while the results panel records completed games and the Saudi Pro League table shows their effect on the standings. Open Al Ittihad fixtures and select the clock for your viewing location: WAT for Nigeria, EAT for viewers in Kenya or Uganda, SAST for South Africa, or GMT for Ghana. In the table, also called the log by South African readers, compare points first and consult the competition's tiebreak rules when clubs are level. The upper places also carry Asian qualification, which is why a race just below the title can matter almost as much as first place.

How Is the Al Ittihad Squad Set Out?

Use the squad panel to browse Al Ittihad's players by position and check their shirt numbers or nationalities, including any African internationals. The Al Ittihad players most African readers remember came in 2023: Karim Benzema, French and of Algerian descent, and N'Golo Kanté, French born and of Malian descent. Benzema left Al Ittihad in early 2026, according to reports. Kanté joined Fenerbahçe in 2026, so check the squad panel for the players representing the club this season.

What Have Al Ittihad Won?

Al Ittihad's biggest honours are the AFC Champions League titles of 2004 and 2005, won back to back, and third place at the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup. Retaining the Asian crown in 2005 made that period a defining chapter in the club's history. For African readers, those continental titles help explain why Al Ittihad's reputation extends beyond domestic football.

At home, Al Ittihad were Saudi Pro League champions in 2022-23, the title that came just before Benzema and Kanté arrived in Jeddah. Older league and cup wins fill out the cabinet, though record books disagree on the exact number of league crowns, with some listing nine or ten and others more, depending on how the older competitions are counted. So, rather than print a total that might be wrong, the records panel carries the current count, and that is the figure to quote when the argument starts.

From 1927 to King Abdullah Sports City: The History in Brief

Al Ittihad were founded in Jeddah in 1927, with most sources giving 26 December, and that date is why the club is regarded as Saudi Arabia's oldest. Jeddah is the great Red Sea port of the country, and an old club in a port city tends to belong to the whole waterfront rather than one district, much as the oldest names in Lagos football belong to everybody. The club's most successful period came in the 1990s and 2000s, including the Asian titles of 2004 and 2005.

Where do Al Ittihad play? Their home is King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, a stadium of about 62,000. A bowl of that size explains why a big Jeddah match sounds so loud even through a phone speaker in Accra or Kampala. For viewers across Africa, the useful starting point is the stadium's Saudi clock: it matches EAT, with SAST an hour behind, WAT two hours behind and GMT three hours behind.

Why Does Al Ittihad Matter to African Fans?

Al Ittihad matter to African fans because, from 2023, the club became home to some of the best known players of African heritage in world football. Kanté, whose family roots are in Mali, was already loved across West Africa from his Chelsea years, and his move to Jeddah took that following with him. Benzema, of Algerian descent, brought North African viewers and plenty of Nigerian Real Madrid fans along too. Their arrival in 2023 gave African viewers familiar players to follow in Jeddah.

The wider Saudi league story helped as well. Saudi Pro League matches have a following in South Africa, where viewers can get to know Al Ittihad through meetings with other Saudi clubs. It works the same way a Kaizer Chiefs supporter ends up knowing every Orlando Pirates player by name.

The useful question for Super Eagles fans is whether a Nigerian has signed. Check the nationalities in the squad panel for that answer, or to find players representing Ghana, Kenya and Uganda. Benzema's Algerian heritage and Kanté's Malian roots remain part of Al Ittihad's African connection through their arrivals in 2023.

Which Al Ittihad Is This? Jeddah, Alexandria and Tripoli Explained

This is Al Ittihad of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the Asian champions of 2004 and 2005. Benzema and Kanté joined this club in 2023. Egypt has Al Ittihad Alexandria, a club from the Mediterranean city that plays in the Egyptian Premier League, and Libya has Al Ittihad Tripoli, a leading name in Libyan football. If you are searching for the Egyptian or Libyan side, the competition name beside any result is the quickest way to tell the three apart.

Which Al Ittihad Games Matter Most, and What Time Do They Kick Off?

The Jeddah derby pairs Al Ittihad with Al Ahli, giving supporters a rivalry within their own city. Meetings with Al Hilal are also major occasions in Saudi club football. Al Nassr provide another prominent opponent for African viewers exploring the competition. The Al Hilal fixture offers a useful starting point for following Al Ittihad's rivalries.

For a Jeddah start listed at 21:00, viewers in Nigeria should read 19:00 WAT; Kenya and Uganda keep 21:00 EAT; South Africa gets 20:00 SAST; Ghana gets 18:00 GMT. Each fixture includes the converted hour, so check that listing when planning to watch. Broadcast arrangements vary between countries and rights deals, making the viewing details beside the fixture the place to check availability. If watching by phone, open the stream early enough to check the connection.