ADDIS ABABA (Interstat) — Negele Arsi Ketema scored once in each half and held off a late Sheger Ketema rally to claim a 2-1 victory on Friday in the global football match. The visiting side opened the scoring in the 40th minute through Habib Kemal, then doubled its advantage in the 65th minute when Collins Kudjoe found the net. Sheger Ketema answered in the 73rd minute with a goal from Cassau D., but the home side could not produce an equalizer. Negele Arsi Ketema took a one-goal lead into halftime after Kemal’s opener and added to it after the break when Kudjoe finished. Sheger Ketema’s response arrived eight minutes later, but the hosts could not build on it.

Negele Arsi Ketema controlled the key moments of the match, turning its chances into a two-goal lead before Sheger Ketema cut the deficit. Kemal’s 40th-minute goal set the tone, and Kudjoe’s 65th-minute finish gave the visitors breathing room. Sheger Ketema’s response arrived through Cassau D. in the 73rd minute, raising hopes of a comeback, but Negele Arsi Ketema managed the closing stretch and protected its advantage. Both Kemal and Kudjoe completed the match and scored once, while Cassau D. accounted for Sheger Ketema’s goal. The scoring sequence left Negele Arsi Ketema ahead after the first goal and in control after the second.

The match grew more difficult for Negele Arsi Ketema in stoppage time when a red card was issued to the visiting side in the first minute of added time. Negele Arsi Ketema still saw out the result, securing the win despite finishing the match with a reduced lineup. The red card came after the visitors had already established their lead and were protecting it in the final moments. Sheger Ketema could not take advantage of the late numerical change before the final whistle. The final whistle confirmed the visitors’ win after a tense closing period.

The result moved Negele Arsi Ketema to 3 wins, no losses and 2 draws in the competition, a record identical to its mark across all competitions. Sheger Ketema now stands at 1 win, 2 losses and 2 draws in the competition, also matching its all-competitions record. Negele Arsi Ketema remained unbeaten in the competition and across all competitions, while Sheger Ketema’s competition and overall records stayed level. The win gave Negele Arsi Ketema its third victory in five competition matches and kept its overall record unchanged from its competition mark. Sheger Ketema, meanwhile, has one win in five competition matches. The records reflected those outcomes after the match.

Negele Arsi Ketema’s previous results this season included a 1-0 home win over Adama City, a 3-0 win at Ethiopia Bunna SC, a scoreless draw at Ethio Electric SC and a 1-1 draw at St. George. Sheger Ketema had entered the match after a 2-2 draw at St. George, a 1-0 loss at Ethio Electric SC, a scoreless draw at Adama City and a 1-0 win at Ethiopia Bunna SC. Negele Arsi Ketema had won two of its previous four matches and drawn two others, while Sheger Ketema had one win, one loss and two draws in that stretch. Those results left Negele Arsi Ketema unbeaten before Friday and Sheger Ketema seeking a second win of the competition season.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Negele Arsi Ketema 1, Sheger Ketema 0. Interstat’s ELO system had given Sheger Ketema a 60.6 percent probability to win. Negele Arsi Ketema had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 1.5.