JEDDAH, 25 January 2003 — Al-Ittihad were held goalless by Olympic of Libya here yesterday in the first match of the second phase group round robin and will need to get back to their winning ways in the next two matches if they hope to advance to the last four knockout stage in the Arab League Soccer Tournament for Prince Faisal Cup.

Earlier, Al-Malab of Tunisia overcame a game Al-Qadisiya of Kuwait in a veritable goalfest that ended 5-3 in the Tunisian outfit’s favor. The exciting match left Al-Malab as front-runners to qualify from the group after being the only team to record a win in the group’s opening ties.

Malab took the lead in the fourth minute when a header by Sabri Jaballah proved right on the mark. Stunned by the quick reverse the Kuwaiti tried to force the pace but the Malab defense proved more than up to the task of stemming the Kuwaiti raids.

But in the 31st minute, Qadisiya were not to be denied and Musaed Al-Unazi came in from the right flank to convert clinically at point blank range. His run down the right saw him leave the defenders groping in his wake before essaying past the Malab keeper.

Malab did not have to wait long to increase the lead when in the 33rd minute Muhammad Al-Sulitti latched onto a cross from the left and cut into the box to come face-to-face with the Qadisiya goalkeeper. With not much of a challenge, he took his time to effect a sure placement to the right.

Osama Al-Salami then netted Malab’s third when he broke through the offside trap to connect a high center, lobbing the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper in one of the most beautiful strikes of the game.

Qadisiya came on strongly in the second half and in the 56th minute Rashid Amran, after a super solo effort, pulled one back for Qadisiya with a thundering shot. The game gained new impetus with this goal, and Qadisiya increased the pressure on Malab. Khaled Al-Saleh in the 73rd minute finally brought Qadisiya on parity at 3-3, and the game was suddenly seemingly slipping out of Malab’s grasp.

But the effort of wiping out the two-goal deficit finally told on Qadisiya with Malab coming roaring back in the 86th minute with a Bassem Daasi header putting the Tunisian side ahead again. Then in a counter attack during injury time, Abdul Andai struck to take the wind out of Qadisiya’s sails.

Ittihad, after their thumping victories, were expected to run up a big tally again. But in Olympic they ran into a tough and organized defense, which in the end stonewalled them in the day’s second match.

The teams, for the first 30 minute, fought out a pedantic midfield battle for superiority with no clear chance coming the teams’ way during this period. Ittihad, however, moved in dangerously in the 34th minute with Muhammad Nur’s high center finding Hamza Idrees, who knocked down the ball onto a charging Sergio’s path, only to see Sergio’s effort, with the goal staring at him, balloon over.

Though Ittihad held sway, it was the Libyan outfit’s swift counters that occasionally ruffled the Jeddah team. But the teams went to the break stalemated at 0-0. Ittihad again dominated the second session with Sergio coming close in the 58th and 68th minutes. Though Ittihad’s attacks gained the extra nip as time wore on, the Olympic defense, however, held out.

Today, Al-Fasi of Morocco will play Al-Afriqi of Tunisia, while Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia will take on Al-Ahli of Bahrain.