Nigerian striker George Ilenikhena scored the decisive goal as 10-man Al Ittihad secured a hard-fought 1-0 away victory over Al Qadsiah to claim their first win of the season.
Ilenikhena grabbed the only goal of the encounter in the 45th minute, firing a well-struck left-footed effort into the net following a clever corner-kick routine involving winger Steven Bergwijn. The strike was Ilenikhena’s first goal of the season.
Al Ittihad were forced to play almost the entire second half with 10 men after midfielder Dion Lopy was shown a second yellow card and subsequently sent off in the 47th minute, a decision that sparked strong protests from his teammates and the coaching crew.
Despite being a man down, Al Ittihad held firm defensively to protect their slender advantage and secure all three points.
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The club had also finished their opening league game against Al Kholood with 10 men, meaning they have now received a red card in each of their first two matches of the season.
For Ilenikhena, the match-winning strike provides an encouraging start to his goalscoring campaign.
The Nigerian forward will be hoping to build on the performance, establish himself as a key attacking option for Al Ittihad and add more goals as the season progresses.
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