Al-Shamrani Warns Al-Hilal of Serious Problems Despite Win
Nasser Al-Shamrani did not join the celebrations.
While Al-Hilal opened their Roshn League campaign with a 4-2 win over Al-Faisaly, the club legend cut straight through the scoreline, warning that the result had disguised serious problems inside Simone Inzaghi’s team.
Speaking on the “Dawrina Ghair” programme, Al-Shamrani argued that “the Boss” fell well short of the standard their star-studded squad should be setting. The same errors that have marked recent performances, he said, were still there on opening day, leaving Inzaghi and his staff with a heavy tactical workload.
Bono praised, Koulibaly under the spotlight
If Al-Hilal walked away with three points, Al-Shamrani was clear about who made that possible: Yassine Bono.
The Moroccan goalkeeper, he stressed, played a decisive role in keeping Al-Faisaly from dragging themselves fully back into the contest. His saves, his presence, his timing – all of it helped mask structural flaws that again surfaced in front of him.
“Bono’s beauties are too much for Inzaghi,” Al-Shamrani said, pointing to the way the keeper repeatedly pulled Al-Hilal out of trouble. With a goalkeeper of that calibre, he suggested, the team enjoys a bigger margin for error than it deserves right now.
Attention then turned to Kalidou Koulibaly. For Al-Shamrani, the Senegalese centre-back sits at the heart of Inzaghi’s system, and his level has a direct impact on the entire side. This is not just about one defender’s individual display; it is about the foundation of a team that wants to chase every trophy available.
Defensive stability, he underlined, is non-negotiable for a club with Al-Hilal’s ambitions. When Koulibaly is exposed or uncertain, the whole structure feels it.
Same result, same mistakes
The four goals against Al-Faisaly might suggest Al-Hilal arrived in the new season with fresh ideas and a sharper edge. Al-Shamrani saw something different.
For him, the performance offered nothing new from a technical standpoint. The same lapses, the same vulnerabilities, the same patterns that have followed Inzaghi’s side in recent weeks were visible again. The win, he warned, must not become a shield that blocks out honest analysis.
He was blunt about the stakes. The Roshn League will be unforgiving this season. Stronger opponents than Al-Faisaly will punish these recurring mistakes, no matter how often Al-Hilal manage to outscore teams for now.
That leaves Inzaghi facing an early examination of his ideas and authority. The club has the start it wanted in terms of points, but the message from one of its greats is unmistakable: the badge, the budget, and the dressing room talent demand more than entertaining scorelines.
For Al-Hilal, the question is no longer whether they can win. It is whether they can reach a level of control and consistency that truly matches the scale of their ambitions.
