KUWAIT CITY, April 9: Kuwait Club surged to the top of the Zain Premier League standings after a commanding 3-1 victory over Al-Salmiya, marking the end of the third round of championship stage competitions.

With this win, "Al-Abyad" propelled their tally to 50 points, securing the top position, leading by three points over runner-up Al-Arabi and four points ahead of third-placed Al-Qadisiya. Meanwhile, Al-Salmiya dropped to fifth place with 25 points.

Kuwait Club capitalized on the draw between rivals Al-Qadisiya and Al-Arabi, leveraging their "disrupted" match to claim sole leadership in the standings. However, they anticipate tough challenges ahead as the league resumes on April 27th, facing Al-Qadisiya in the fourth round before concluding the first part of the competition against Al-Arabi.

League fixtures will temporarily halt after this round to accommodate the participation of the national Olympic team in the AFC U-23 Cup, a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics, set to commence in the Qatari capital next week.

In the showdown between "Al-Abyad" and "Al-Samawi," Kuwait Club displayed an assertive performance, applying pressure from the outset. Mohamed Dahham opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a penalty, swiftly followed by Youssef Nasser's goal just four minutes later.

Although Al-Salmiya rallied in the second half, Youssef Nasser secured his brace with Kuwait's third goal in the 68th minute, earning him the accolade of the round's best player. Substitute Isaka managed to net Al-Salmiya's solitary goal in the 71st minute.

In another fixture, Al-Fahaheel triumphed over Al-Nassr with a 3-1 scoreline. Al-Fahaheel's victory propelled them to 27 points, securing fourth place, while Al-Nassr remained at 24 points in sixth position.

Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff