The title holder falls and an Ahly star shines: what happened on the night of the Joy League's return? | Goal.com
The Joy Elite League for players under 21 is back in the spotlight, and this round threw up a series of striking results. Chief among them was the surprise fall of holders Al-Hazm to Al-Jabalain by two goals to one. Al-Ahli beat Al-Feiha 3-1, while Al-Taawoun eased past Al-Najma by two goals to nil.
Al-Hazm arrived as champions of the first edition, held last season, having claimed the title for the first time in their history. Their defence began with an early stumble against Al-Jabalain, a result that confirms this season's competition will be anything but easy.
Omar Al-Hatami put Al-Hazm ahead in the 42nd minute, and they went into the break a goal to the good and seemingly on course for the win. Al-Jabalain had other ideas after the interval.
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Cabiro Saliso levelled for Al-Jabalain in the 55th minute. Then, in the 85th, Osama Al-Shahri landed the knockout blow, striking the winner that handed his side three precious points and toppled the champions at the very start of their campaign.
Al-Ahli, by contrast, made a strong start with their 3-1 win over Al-Feiha. The credit belonged to Ziyad Aba, who scored all three goals in the 28th, 58th and 79th minutes to announce himself early as one of the round's standout stars.
Malik Al-Abdulmonem pulled one back for Al-Feiha in the 39th minute, but Al-Ahli kept their composure and settled the tie after the break. The victory marked them out as genuine title contenders.
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Elsewhere, Al-Taawoun beat Al-Najma by two goals to nil. Youssef Al-Salem left the biggest mark, scoring both his side's goals in the 19th and 60th minutes to lead Al-Taawoun to a winning start in the Joy Elite League.
Between the fall of the champions, Al-Ahli's brilliance and Al-Taawoun's launch, the round opened the door to all possibilities. The holders of the first edition ran straight into their first difficult test, while other clubs began sending early signals of their intent to fight for the title this season.
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