DAMMAM (Interstat) — Al-Ittifaq defeated Al Thaid 1-0 on Friday in a home match that turned on an 18th-minute goal by Kays Benyoub. Benyoub played the full 90 minutes and supplied the only scoring strike of the contest. Al Thaid could not find an equalizer despite searching for a response after the break. The result moved Al-Ittifaq to 1-0 in this competition and 1-0 across all competitions. Al Thaid dropped to 0-1 in the competition and 1-2 overall. Al Thaid arrived after splitting earlier results, beating Al Hamriyah and falling to Al Arabi. Al-Ittifaq protected its narrow lead through the closing stages and finished with the shutout. Benyoub’s goal stood as the difference as the home side collected the win. Al Thaid’s record in the competition remains without a victory, while Al-Ittifaq opened its campaign with a victory. The home side’s defense held firm to preserve the clean sheet and secure the victory.