AL FARWANIYAH, Kuwait (Interstat) — Nejmeh SC overcame an early deficit and beat Al Arabi SC in a match at Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah Stadium in Al Farwaniyah (Ardiyah). Al Arabi SC scored first, but Nejmeh SC answered before halftime and added two more goals after the break. The visitors controlled the latter stages and closed out the match after withstanding pressure from the home side. The result continued a difficult run for Al Arabi SC and gave Nejmeh SC another win in the competition.

Walid Ould Chikh put Al Arabi SC ahead in the 39th minute, finishing a move that gave the home side a short-lived advantage. Ould Chikh played the full 90 minutes and scored once. The lead lasted until first-half stoppage time, when Mohamad Kassas scored in the 45th minute plus the third minute of added time to level the match. Kassas played 82 minutes and scored once. The equalizer shifted momentum and forced Al Arabi SC to chase the game after the interval. A yellow card was issued to Al Arabi SC’s Souyad B. in the 40th minute.

Mohamad Haydar gave Nejmeh SC the lead in the 58th minute, completing the visitors’ turnaround. Haydar played 74 minutes and scored once. The goal gave the visitors their first lead of the match. Al Arabi SC tried to respond, but Nejmeh SC managed the closing stages well and protected its advantage before adding another goal late. Nejmeh SC’s Jaafar H. received a yellow card in the 63rd minute, and Salifu M. was booked in the 78th.

Ali Fadel, who played 16 minutes, scored in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to seal the win. Hassan Kourani recorded an assist for Nejmeh SC and played 74 minutes. Ali Al Doukhi, who played 46 minutes, supplied an assist for Al Arabi SC. Al Arabi SC pushed numbers forward in search of an equalizer, but Nejmeh SC held firm before Fadel scored late. Al Arabi SC’s Al Harbi H. was shown a yellow card in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.

Al Arabi SC made three changes at halftime, introducing Ali Al Doukhi, A. Porusaniei and A. Al Shammari. The home side made two more changes in the 70th minute involving Ammar Abdullah and Souyad B. Nejmeh SC made substitutions involving Mohamad Haydar and Hassan Kourani in the 74th minute, Mohamad Kassas in the 82nd minute and A. Kneni in the 88th minute. The substitutions gave both sides fresh legs for the final stretch, but Nejmeh SC maintained its shape and limited Al Arabi SC’s chances after taking the lead. Al Arabi SC could not find a second goal. The match featured four yellow cards and nine substitutions overall.

Nejmeh SC’s record in the competition is now two wins and one loss. Al Arabi SC is now zero wins and three losses in the competition. Across all competitions, Nejmeh SC stands at three wins, one loss and one draw, while Al Arabi SC is at zero wins, three losses and two draws. The home side remained without a win in the competition and continued a run that has included several draws across all competitions. Nejmeh SC added another result to a campaign that has produced three wins overall. Nejmeh SC has now won three matches across all competitions this season, while Al Arabi SC remains in search of its first victory. The result left the home side still seeking its first win in the competition.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Al Arabi SC two, Nejmeh SC one. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Al Arabi SC with an 89.2 percent probability to win. Nejmeh SC had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 0.5. The total score of four went under the over/under line of 2.5.