MOKNINE, Tunisia (Interstat) — Visiting Ksour Essef scored twice late in the first half and made the burst stand up in a 2-1 victory over Moknine in a global football game at Stade Mongi-Slim in Moknine Tuesday. Ksour Essef struck in quick succession before halftime and then protected its advantage through the second half as the home side tried to respond. The result gave Ksour Essef its third win in the competition and left Moknine still without a victory. The match was played at Stade Mongi-Slim in Moknine, where the home side was seeking its first win of the competition.

Mohamed Belguith put Ksour Essef ahead in the 40th minute. Raid Najjar doubled the lead in the 43rd minute, giving the visitors a two-goal cushion before the break. Both players were on the field for the full 90 minutes and each finished with one goal. Belguith and Najjar were the key attacking figures for Ksour Essef, whose first-half pressure produced the decisive margin. Belguith’s goal opened the scoring at the 40-minute mark, and Najjar’s finish three minutes later gave Ksour Essef a cushion it did not surrender. The pair accounted for both Ksour Essef goals, and their full-match involvement meant they were part of the defensive effort after the break as well.

Moknine scored once, but the home side could not find an equalizer after Ksour Essef’s early surge. The hosts remained within one goal and kept the match competitive, but the visitors managed the closing stages well enough to secure the win. Moknine’s season record in this competition is now 0 wins, four losses and one draw, and its record across all competitions is the same. Ksour Essef’s season record in this competition is now 3 wins, no losses and one draw, and its record across all competitions is also identical. Ksour Essef has not lost in four competition matches, while Moknine has one draw from five competition matches.

Ksour Essef entered the match after a scoreless draw against Ariana, a 1-0 win at JS Kairouan and a 1-0 home win over CO Medenine. Moknine had lost to Kalaa, fallen to Jendouba Sport and drawn at Stade Gabesien before the defeat to Ksour Essef. Moknine also had a 3-0 home loss to Redeyef earlier in its competition schedule. Those results left Ksour Essef unbeaten in the competition and Moknine still searching for its first win. The match at Stade Mongi-Slim was decided by the two-goal burst from Belguith and Najjar, with Moknine’s single goal not enough to change the outcome.

Ksour Essef’s back line held after the interval, and Moknine could not turn its pursuit into a second goal. The visitors saw out the final stages without conceding again, preserving a win that kept their unbeaten record intact. Moknine remained without a win in the competition and continued to look for a breakthrough. The match finished with Ksour Essef taking the win and Moknine left to regroup. The second half produced no further goals for Ksour Essef, but the visitors had already built the margin they needed. Moknine’s single goal left the home side short, and Ksour Essef closed out the match with its unbeaten record intact. The final whistle confirmed Ksour Essef’s third win of the competition season and Moknine’s fourth loss. The visitors’ two-goal lead from the first half proved to be the difference in the final result.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Ksour Essef 2, Moknine 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Ksour Essef with a 50.4 percent probability to win. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.25.