Al-Hilal suffered their first defeat in over five months on Tuesday with a 1-0 defeat to Chemal FC in Mauritania's top division Super D1. Chemal midfielder Mohamed Lamine Hawbott's tame long range effort snuck under the hands of Hilal goalkeeper Mohamed Kidiaba in the 68th minute for the only goal of the match at the Stade Ould Cheikha Boïdiya in Nouakchott.
Chemal defended with a deep defensive line and looked to strike on the break against Hilal who controlled possession and focused on breaking down the Chemal defense. Brave goalkeeping from Chemal goalkeeper Khalidou Ba and a lack of precise finishing from the Hilal attack kept the match scoreless by halftime.
After the break, Chemal gained confidence and produced a brief spell of possession before rattling the crossbar in the 67th minute. Thirty seconds later the decisive moment arrived when an attack on the left wing resulted in a loose ball falling to Lamine Hawbott. His shot from twenty yards was quite weak but Kidiaba made an absolute mess on his save attempt, allowing the ball to roll under his gloves.
Video: Mohamed Lamine Hawbott's shot sneaks in under the gloves of Hilal goalkeeper Mohamed Kidiaba (Video Credit: FFRIM YouTube)
It is the first competitive defeat in over five months for the Sudanese club. The last loss for Hilal came in the semifinals of the CECAFA Kagame Cup in July when they fell to Rwandan club APR FC in a penalty shootout after playing to a 0-0 draw. Prior to that, Hilal's last defeat in a ninety minute match came in March in the 2023-24 CAF Champions League when they concluded Group C play with a 1-0 defeat at Espérance ST in Tunisia.
Despite suffering their first defeat since participating in Mauritania's top division for the 2024-25 season, Hilal are still in a strong position on the league table and currently lead Group A in the CAF Champions League where they have won all their matches.
Super D1 Table (Top-5)
Games Played | Points | |
| 11 | 21 |
| 9 | 20 |
| 11 | 19 |
| 9 | 18 |
| 11 | 17 |
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