Al Nejmeh SC produced a composed and clinical away performance to beat Al-Arabi SC (Kuwait) 3-1 in the AFC Challenge League on Friday night. The Lebanese side absorbed pressure, struck at key moments and finished strongly to take all three points from a contest that had been finely balanced for more than an hour.

Match overview

Al-Arabi started brightly in front of their home support, dominating possession and pushing Al Nejmeh back into a compact defensive block. The Kuwaiti side moved the ball well from side to side but struggled to find a way through a disciplined back line. Against the run of play, Al Nejmeh took the lead in the 31st minute when Mahdi Zein latched onto a loose ball at the edge of the box and drove a low shot into the corner.

Al-Arabi responded with renewed urgency after the break and equalised in the 58th minute. Yousef Al-Sulaiman found space between the lines and finished neatly after a quick exchange on the edge of the area. For a while, the home side looked the more likely to score again, but Al Nejmeh regained the lead in the 74th minute through Hussein Awada, who headed home from a well-delivered free-kick. The visitors sealed the result in the 89th minute when Ali Hamam broke clear on the counter and finished calmly past the goalkeeper.

Key moments

• 31’ — Al Nejmeh lead: Mahdi Zein punishes a half-cleared ball with a low strike from the edge of the box.
• 58’ — Al-Arabi equalise: Yousef Al-Sulaiman finishes a neat move to bring the home crowd back into the game.
• 74’ — Al Nejmeh restore advantage: Hussein Awada heads in from a set-piece.
• 89’ — Late clincher: Ali Hamam converts a counter-attack to settle the match.

Tactical story

Al-Arabi controlled the ball for long periods but lacked penetration in the final third. Their midfield circulated possession neatly, yet the final pass was often delayed or played into crowded areas. Al Nejmeh, by contrast, were content to defend in a mid-to-low block and attack through quick transitions. That approach worked perfectly: their first and third goals came from moments when Al-Arabi committed too many players forward, while the second arrived from a set-piece that exposed the home side’s marking. Al-Arabi’s full-backs pushed high in search of an equaliser, and that left space behind for Al Nejmeh to exploit.

Standout performers

Zein was the engine of Al Nejmeh’s performance, combining energy in midfield with the composure to score the opening goal. Awada’s header was the decisive moment of the second half, and Hamam’s late finish showed the value of his movement off the bench. For Al-Arabi, Al-Sulaiman was the brightest attacking threat and took his goal well, while goalkeeper Fahad Al-Rashidi made two important first-half saves. The home side’s captain, Ali Al-Mutairi, tried to drive the team forward but could not prevent the late collapse.

What the result means

The victory gives Al Nejmeh SC a strong platform in the AFC Challenge League group stage and boosts their hopes of progressing. For Al-Arabi SC (Kuwait), the defeat is a setback that leaves little margin for error in the remaining fixtures. The Kuwaiti side showed enough in possession to suggest they can respond, but they must find a sharper edge in the final third and defend transitions far better if they are to turn their campaign around.