KUWAIT CITY (Interstat) — Al Qadisiya scored three unanswered goals to beat Fortis 3-0 on Saturday, turning a tight match into a decisive home victory behind Hamza Khabba’s goal and two assists.

Al Qadisiya broke through in the 71st minute when Ayoub Lkhdar scored, ending a scoreless stretch that carried through the first half. Abdalla Ahmed added another goal in the 90th minute, closing the scoring and sealing the result. Khabba’s goal and two assists paced Al Qadisiya’s attack, with Lkhdar and Ahmed providing the late finishing touches. The home side controlled the final stretch after Fortis had kept the match scoreless into the second half, and Al Qadisiya finished with three goals total while Fortis finished with none.

Fortis’s best chance to disrupt the match came through a yellow card issued to Jallow E. in the 52nd minute, a booking that underscored the visitors’ growing defensive pressure. Fortis made its first change in the 65th minute when Ibrahim M. came on. Al Qadisiya then made a series of substitutions, beginning with Al Dhafiri M. and Al Rashedi E. in the 68th minute, followed by Al Rawahi N. in the 72nd. Fortis brought on Akada N. in the 78th, and Al Qadisiya made two more changes in the 81st minute with Al Mutar J. and Al Fadhli K. entering. Fortis completed its substitutions in stoppage time with Hossain M. and Chukwude S. coming on in the 90th minute plus one. The changes helped Al Qadisiya manage the closing stages and protect its lead.

Khabba was Al Qadisiya’s top star, with a 90-minute statline that included one goal and two assists. Lkhdar’s 22-minute statline included one goal, and Abdalla Ahmed’s nine-minute statline included one goal. The three attacking contributions accounted for Al Qadisiya’s scoring output and helped the home side pull away after a scoreless first half. Fortis could not find a response and was held without a goal. Jallow E.’s yellow card was the only booking of the match.

The result moved Al Qadisiya to 1-0 in this competition and 2-0-1 across all competitions. Fortis fell to 0-1 in the competition and is 2-1-3 across all competitions. Fortis had entered after a 6-0 win at Brothers Union, a 3-3 draw with City Club, 1-1 draws with Fakirerpool Young Men’s Club and Fakirerpool YMC, and a 6-0 win over Chattogram. Al Qadisiya had won 2-0 at Al Tadamon SC in its previous outing. Al Qadisiya is scheduled to host Al Sahel SC in the KUW Premier League next on Saturday.

Fortis pressed for an equalizer before Al Qadisiya’s late goals put the match out of reach. The visitors’ defensive effort was tested repeatedly after the restart, and the yellow card to Jallow E. in the 52nd minute marked a physical stretch. Al Qadisiya’s substitutions in the second half added fresh legs to the attack, and the home side capitalized with goals from Lkhdar and Abdalla Ahmed. Fortis finished with no goals and could not convert its chances into a comeback. The win gave Al Qadisiya another positive result in a season that now includes two wins and one draw across all competitions. Fortis’s competition loss followed a strong result in its previous match. Al Qadisiya protected its lead over the final minutes and closed out the shutout.

Before the match, Interstat’s game simulator projected Fortis 3, Al Qadisiya 2. Interstat’s ELO system gave Al Qadisiya a 61.5 percent probability to win. Al Qadisiya was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.75. The total score of 3 went over the over/under line of 3.5.