AL MAJMA’AH, Saudi Arabia (Interstat) — Sultan Mandash scored in the fourth minute Thursday to give Al Hilal a 1-0 victory over Al Fayha in the Saudi Pro League season opener at Al Majma’ah Sport City.

Mandash’s left-footed goal proved decisive. Al Hilal’s defense held firm, blocking Al Fayha’s attempts to equalize. The visitors improved to 1-0 in league play and across all competitions, while Al Fayha fell to 0-1 in both. The match featured two yellow cards: Jason in the 71st minute and Makhir Saleh in the 74th. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Al Fayha with a 68 percent probability to win, but Al Hilal prevailed with a clean sheet.

The early strike set the tone as Al Hilal controlled the tempo. Al Fayha pressed for an equalizer but could not break through.