Al-Nassr's Goalkeeping Crisis: Bento Under Fire After Fekir's Free Kick
Al‑Nassr may have left with three points, but their goalkeeper walked away with a storm on his shoulders.
Bento, already under the microscope since his arrival in the summer of 2024, slipped back into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in Wednesday night’s 2-1 win over Abha in the sixth round of the Roshn League. One moment, Al‑Nassr were cruising towards a routine victory. The next, their Brazilian keeper was picking the ball out of his net, and the debate around his future had burst back into life.
A Free Kick, A Glare, A New Crisis
The turning point came in the 75th minute. Abha won a direct free kick, and Nabil Fekir stood over the ball with the quiet assurance of a man who has seen this picture many times before.
His strike was clever rather than thunderous, deceptive more than spectacular. But it was enough. Bento misread it, failed to deal with the flight, and watched in disbelief as the ball nestled into his net. The reaction in the stands and on screens was instant: astonishment first, anger right behind it.
Al‑Nassr had been leading and largely in control, managing the game with the confidence of a side that expects to close these nights out. Fekir’s goal did not just halve the deficit; it ripped open an old wound.
For Abha, that goal carried its own significance. It was their first direct free-kick strike in the Pro League since Saad Baqir scored against Al‑Shabab in October 2023. A rare weapon, finally unsheathed again. For Bento, it was another entry on a growing charge sheet.
From Isolated Error To Ongoing Problem
Inside Al‑Nassr’s fanbase, the issue no longer feels like an isolated mistake or a bad night. Since Bento’s arrival, a series of errors has chipped away at trust in a position where doubt is fatal. Every misjudged cross, every soft goal, has fed the same question: is he the right man to guard the posts for a team that expects to compete for every trophy?
The Fekir incident didn’t just concede a goal. It reignited that entire conversation.
On “X”, the criticism escalated quickly. Many supporters pinned the blame squarely on Bento, calling for him to be taken out of the firing line and dropped to the bench. The name on their lips as a replacement was familiar: Nawaf Al‑Aqidi.
And this is not an abstract demand. Al‑Aqidi has already earned the trust of Ange Postecoglou in recent weeks, starting multiple matches despite Bento being available. The hierarchy in goal is no longer fixed. It is a live contest.
A Battle For The Gloves
That competition now feels wide open. On one side, Bento, the imported signing whose margin for error is shrinking with every slip. On the other, Al‑Aqidi, the Saudi international option, already trusted by his coach and backed by a growing section of the fanbase.
This is no longer just about one free kick against Abha. It is about long-term confidence, about whether Al‑Nassr can head into the decisive stages of the season with a goalkeeper whose form and authority are questioned every week.
Al‑Nassr are still winning. Results, for now, paper over some cracks. But goalkeeping is a ruthless position. Repeated individual errors in such a sensitive role have a habit of catching up with even the strongest teams when the pressure rises, when knockout ties and title deciders leave no room for soft concessions.
Bento still holds the gloves. He still has the chance to answer everything where it matters most: on the pitch. Yet the weight on his next performance has grown heavier since Fekir’s free kick slipped past him, especially with a ready-made domestic alternative waiting, watching, and preparing for his moment.
