Al-Hilal have lost two finals already this year in the FIFA Club World Cup and the Asian Champions League and came within moments of losing a third on Friday in Jeddah. A goal down to Al-Wehda with 98 minutes on the clock in the King’s Cup final, Ali Al-Bulaihi sent the game into extra-time and then the Riyadh giants triumphed 7-6 in a penalty shootout with goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf making the vital saves before stepping up to convert the final kick. For the latest updates, follow us on Twitter @ArabNewsSport Nothing, though, should be taken away from Al-Wehda, who came within minutes of taking the trophy back to Mecca for the first time since 1966. The Red Giants shocked Al-Nassr in the semi-final and were certainly not scared of the men in blue either, attacking whenever the opportunity presented itself and they almost took an early lead with a fierce shot from Anselmo that hit the top of the bar. On the 20th minute mark, Alaa Hejji received the ball near the penalty spot but his shot was weak and right into the arms of a grateful Abdullah Al-Mayouf. Soon after Karim Yoda fired just wide from the right side of Al-Hilal’s area. Ten minutes before the break, the French midfielder gave the Reds a deserved lead to send their thousands of fans at King Abdullah Sports City wild with delight. He picked up the ball in a similar location, a little further out, and then bent a shot into the corner of the net with Al-Mayouf rooted to the spot. It was a fine goal. Al-Hilal had barely been in the game in an attacking sense, with an early header from Luciano Vietto tipped over by Munir Mohamedi the closest they came but the four-time Asian champions still have the talent to make things happen. Just before the break, Michael twisted and turned in the left side of the area and his low shot came back off the opposite post. There was a greater sense of urgency from Al-Hilal after the break and it was not a surprise to see Odion Ighalo come off the bench. This more aggressive approach limited the chances that Al-Wehda created but there was still a lack of clear opportunities for the men in blue. As the half progressed, the game became more stretched. Al-Wehda had a shot cleared off the line and the Riyadh club went up the other end and Vietto had a shot pushed away for a corner. From that set piece, Al-Bulaihi bundled the ball over the line from close range only for the goal to be ruled out for a Marega foul. Then Al-Wehda should have extended their lead. Yoda had a shot blocked in the area but the ball fell to Yahya Naji and while the substitute had plenty of goal to aim at, he shot wide and sank to his knees knowing that he had missed a great chance to add four more fingers to the hand that the men from Mecca had on the trophy. Al-Wehda were certainly not happy when the fourth official held up a board informing the stadium that there would be a minimum of 11 minutes added time. It gave Al-Hilal added hope but their opponents Al-Wehda worked incredibly hard to ensure that the frantic favourites did not get a clear sight of goal. So they were devastated after 99 minutes when Al-Bulaihi steered Nasser Al-Dawsari’s low ball from the left into the opposite corner, in what could only be described as a striker’s finish. Six minutes into extra-time, Al-Hilal should have taken the lead from the spot but Musab Al-Juwayr sent his kick just wide of the post with the goalkeeper nowhere. Both teams had chances to win it and prevent a shootout but penalties came. Each team scored just one of their first three with Ighalo and Andre Carrillo missing for Al-Hilal though Al-Juwayr had the nerve to take a second kick and this time, the youngster made no mistake as both sides found their groove. The scoreline had reached 6-6 when Al-Mayouf saved from Hazzaa Ahmed Al-Ghamdi and then the goalkeeper stepped up to fire an unstoppable shot into the net to ensure that Al-Hilal avoid a third final defeat in 2023 to end a busy season with some silverware while the heartbroken Al-Wehda will always wonder what might have been.