Dordrecht vs Al Khaleej Saihat

The opening half-hour was a tight, cagey affair with few clear chances. Al Khaleej — managed by newly-appointed José Gomes (via OneFootball) — created the first real opportunity when Miguel Crespo, the former Fenerbahçe midfielder, fired a rebound over from close range after Kelvin Rat had saved the initial effort.

Dordrecht grew into the contest and took the lead against the run of play in the 39th minute. Al Khaleej goalkeeper Abdulateef Al-Nemer played a risky pass out from the back, and the home side pounced — Sneevuts (full name unconfirmed by provider) converting the gift to make it 1-0.

Al Khaleej responded almost immediately. A fine through ball from Nawaf Elsadi carved open the Dordrecht defence, and Joshua King — the former Bournemouth, Manchester United and Norway international with over 200 Premier League appearances — finished clinically to make it 1-1 in the 43rd minute.

Dordrecht took control after the interval and looked the sharper side for long spells. The turning point arrived in the 79th minute when Nick Venema stepped up to a free-kick from a central position and curled it over the wall and into the net — his second free-kick goal in as many pre-season games after also scoring from a dead ball against Borussia Dortmund II on 14 July (via RTV Dordrecht).

Just as the home side appeared to have secured a hard-fought win, controversy struck in the 90th minute. A cross from the right found Mansur Hamzi, who rose to head home the equaliser. Dordrecht right-back Jurre van Aken had gone down in the build-up and appeared to have been fouled, but referee Clay Rupert waved play on and the goal stood.

• Nick Venema (Dordrecht) — The forward's dead-ball prowess is becoming a genuine weapon. His 79th-minute free-kick was his second in two games, and he looks a key threat ahead of the Keuken Kampioen Divisie season starting on 7 August.
• Joshua King (Al Khaleej) — The Norwegian veteran showed his class with a calm first-half finish and his movement troubled Dordrecht's backline throughout. His experience at the highest level was evident.
• Kelvin Rat (Dordrecht) — Made several important saves, including denying Crespo's rebound in the first half, and could do little about either Al Khaleej goal.

The provider payload recorded four goals and zero cards — a clean friendly befitting the pre-season tempo. With no possession or shot data published by the official source, the match narrative from the RTV Dordrecht highlights suggests a contest of two halves: Al Khaleej edged the first 45 minutes with better chances, while Dordrecht dominated the second period after tactical adjustments at the break. The fact that both goals conceded by Dordrecht came from set-piece situations (a through ball and a cross) will give head coach things to review before the competitive season begins.

This was the penultimate friendly of Dordrecht's pre-season programme (via fcdordrecht.nl). Their final warm-up match is against RSCA Futures on 1 August at the M-Scores Stadion, six days before the Keuken Kampioen Divisie 2026/27 campaign kicks off. Dordrecht's pre-season record now reads: three wins, one draw, two losses from six friendlies.

For Al Khaleej, this was part of their European pre-season tour under new manager José Gomes. The Saudi side finished 12th in the 2025-26 Roshn Saudi League and will be aiming to build on that under the Portuguese coach.

A pre-season friendly that delivered more entertainment than the opening hour suggested. Venema's free-kick was the standout moment of quality, but Al Khaleej's refusal to accept defeat — and Joshua King's enduring class — meant the spoils were shared. The draw was a fair reflection of a match that swung one way then the other.

Match details: Club Friendly, 25 July 2026, M-Scores Stadion, Dordrecht. Referee: Clay Rupert. Goals: Sneevuts 39' (Dordrecht), Joshua King 43' (Al Khaleej), Nick Venema 79' (Dordrecht), Mansur Hamzi 90' (Al Khaleej).