Wissing's Bold Move: En-Nesyri Leads Al-Ittihad, Ilenikhena Axed

Jens Wissing wasted no time stamping his authority on Al-Ittihad’s season.

For the club’s opening Roshn Saudi League fixture against Al-Khaleej at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah, the German coach built his first domestic starting XI firmly around Youssef En-Nesyri – and brutally cut Nigerian striker George Ilenikhena from the squad altogether.

No bench. No late cameo. Nowhere.

The decision comes just days after Ilenikhena featured as a substitute in Al-Ittihad’s 4-1 win over Al-Jazira of the UAE in the AFC Champions League Elite play-off qualifier. That outing hinted at a possible role for the young forward in Wissing’s plans. The team sheet for the league opener told a very different story.

En-Nesyri was handed the central striker role, the focal point of an attack designed to feed him early and often. On either side, Wissing turned to raw pace and directness, with Moussa Diaby operating from one flank and Steven Bergwijn from the other. It was a front line built to stretch Al-Khaleej and isolate the Moroccan in scoring positions.

The shake-up did not stop in attack. Serbian defender Jan-Carlo Simić, who started the Al-Jazira match, also vanished from the matchday list. Wissing instead restored Ahmed Al-Julaidan at right-back, a move that reshaped the back four.

Al-Julaidan returned to the side on the right, with Faris Abdi holding the left-back slot. Between them, Danilo Pereira and Stefan Keller formed the central defensive pairing tasked with providing the platform for a more aggressive attacking setup.

If the back line changed, the middle of the pitch remained untouched. Wissing kept faith with the same midfield trio that controlled the qualifier: Farha Al-Shamrani, Dion Lopy and Houssem Aouar all retained their places. That continuity suggested the coach liked the balance and rhythm they offered, choosing to tinker around them rather than through them.

Al-Ittihad’s line-up, then, carried a clear message. En-Nesyri is the reference point. Diaby and Bergwijn are the runners. The midfield stays trusted. And for now, Ilenikhena and Simić are on the outside looking in as Wissing draws the first hard lines of his tenure.