Al-Ahly Youths Stumble in Super West Asia Basketball Opener Against Al-Ittihad Jeddah

Al Ahli Youth basketball team let a winnable game slip away, losing 88-94 to visiting Saudi Arabia's Ittihad Jeddah in the opening match of Group 1 in the fourth edition of the West Asia Super League's Gulf region competition.

Al Ahli Youth started strong, finishing the first quarter ahead 28-23. But Ittihad Jeddah found their rhythm in the second quarter, using aggressive defense to slowly take control of the game. They outscored their hosts in the remaining three quarters with margins of 17-16, 25-23, and 30-21.

The loss puts Al Ahli Youth in a tough spot early in the group stage. They'll need to bounce back quickly when they face Bahrain's Al Manama on November 3rd at home. Meanwhile, Ittihad Jeddah will look to build on this momentum when they host Kuwait's Kazma on October 27th.

This West Asia Super League serves as a key regional competition, bringing together top basketball clubs from Gulf countries. The tournament format gives teams multiple chances to advance, but early losses like this one make the path more difficult. Al Ahli Youth showed they can compete with strong Saudi teams, but they'll need better execution in crucial moments to succeed in this competition.