In a match that had to be halted for more than 20 minutes because of floodlight failure, Al Shehri broke the deadlock with a fine individual effort in the 64^thminute when he went past three defenders before firing a low shot past goalkeeper Deniss Romanovs.

Romanovs did brilliantly to keep the Saudi side at bay for much of the game but he could do little to stop Al Sulim’s curling effort deep into stoppage time.

Arema rarely threatened and the Indonesian Premier League now face an uphill task in the return game in Dammam next Tuesday.

With Al Ettifaq feeling the effects of their exhausting 20-hour journey from the Middle East and the home side playing their first competitive match in more than two months, it was not surprising that both teams struggled to find their rhythm in the opening half.

Yousef Al Salem nearly capitalised on a misplaced header by Arema defender Fariz Bagus Dhinata in the 20^th minute but an alert Romanovs spotted the danger and came off his line to stop the striker’s attempt to loop the ball over him.

Al Ettifaq’s best chance of the first half came just before the break when the ball was slipped through the Arema defence to Junior Xuxa but Romanovs once again did superbly to cut down the angle and blocked the Brazilian’s effort with his legs.

The visitors could have opened the scoring just 30 seconds after the restart as Sultan Al Bargan controlled the ball on the edge of the box before firing a low shot on the turn that Romanovs did brilliantly to turn aside for a corner.

The match was finally beginning to heat up but it had to be halted when the floodlights failed in the 51^st minute.

When the action resumed after a 22-minute delay, Junior Xuxa fashioned an opportunity for himself when he chipped the ball past Diego Michiels but Romanovs once again spotted the danger and bravely came out to smother the Brazilian’s shot.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 64^th minute after a concerted spell of Al Ettifaq pressure which ended with Junior Xuxa laying the ball off on the edge of the box for Al Shehri, who twisted his way past three defenders before firing an unstoppable low effort past a static Romanovs.

Arema had a great chance to equalise shortly afterwards when Roman Chmelo floated in a free-kick from the right for Andrew Barisic but the Australian forward mistimed his header which went into the grateful arms of Al Subaie.

Al Salem could have extended the advantage for the visitors with 10 minutes left when Junior Xuxa’s corner with a header that bounced off the ground and looped just over the crossbar.

As the game entered its closing stages, Talaohu Abdul Musafri got on the end of a deep cross from the right but he wasn’t able to get enough power on his header that bounced harmlessly to Al Subaie.

Arema pressed for an equaliser with little success and were caught on the counter-attack in stoppage time when Al Sulim received the ball just outside the Arema box and curled a superb effort into the top right corner of Romanov’s net.