LONDON: On Tuesday Al-Hilal strode into the AFC Champions League final with a 6-2 aggregate thrashing of Iran titans Persepolis. While the excitement felt by the many passionate Al-Hilal fans is easy to understand, the fact is every Saudi should jump for joy that the team from Riyadh went through as, along with World Cup qualification, it signals that football in the Kingdom is back at the top table.
On the eve of the 2006 World Cup, a high-ranking member of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation told this writer that when Saudi Arabia are strong then Asian football is strong. That is debatable but for all that has happened in 2017, this will be remembered as the year the country took back its position as the premier West Asian Arabian football nation from the UAE. A welcome change from most of the past decade or so, when Saudi football was stuck on the substitutes bench — never shining on the best stage.
Recently it has been the UAE who have been have been the poster boys for West Asia, with Omar Abdulrahman their shining star. The silkiest of playmakers, ironically born in Riyadh, has a supporting cast that includes the devastating strike force of Ahmed Khalil and Ali Mabkhout. If it was thrilling to watch the Whites play, it was almost as exciting to watch the team slowly develop.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia lurched from defeat to crisis after a highly successful period. Having failed to make the 1990 World Cup, the last, and first, time the UAE made it, the Green Falcons took to the competition with American relish in 1994, becoming the first Asian team since North Korea in 1966 to reach the knockout stage. Saeed Al-Owairan’s slalom run against Belgium secured a place in the last 16 and gave the tournament one of its greatest goals.
There then came three more appearances and by the end of 2007, the team had reached every Asian Cup final since 1984, with the exception of 2004. It then all started to go wrong.
The 2010 World Cup was narrowly missed but decline was confirmed when the team did not even reach the final round of qualification for Brazil, crashing out along with the likes of Tajikistan and Singapore.
Sandwiched between were the disasters of the 2011 and 2015 Asian Cups and their early exits. The Saudi football national team had reached a low point.
Club football was better but not at previous heights. A decade ago, Al-Ittihad of Jeddah were the benchmark for all of Asia. The Tigers’ success in winning the AFC Champions League in 2004 and 2005 still marks the only back-to-back wins in the tournament’s history.
Riyadh rivals Al-Hilal made the final in 2014, losing to Western Sydney Wanderers, but the UAE’s Arabian Gulf League was doing better. Over the next two years, Al-Ahli and Al-Ain reached the same stage to lose narrowly to stronger teams than Sydney in Guangzhou Evergrande and Jeonbuk Motors.
Now though, the tide is turning. As proved by their victory over Persepolis, Al-Hilal are exciting. There is a strong spine running through the side with goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Owaishir, captain Osama Hawsafi and talented playmaker Nawaf Al-Abed surrounded by talented foreign players.
They will be confident of taking the continental title back to the Kingdom for the first time since 2005. It would be a boost for the national team ahead of the World Cup and there is no reason why they too cannot achieve success.
At the same time, the UAE’s failure to qualify for next year’s World Cup, and, apart from that win in Japan last year, never really getting close, means that the so-called golden generation is at risk of never appearing on the world stage.
For Saudi Arabia even Bert Van Marwijk’s departure as boss after he guided the Green Falcons to Russia cannot remove the current feel-good factor. The Dutchman has already been replaced by Edgardo Bauza. There are many who feel Van Marwijk should have stayed as manager — the pragmatic Dutchman offered experience, of both the country’s football scene and the World Cup after taking his homeland to the 2010 final.
Despite that, there is a spring in the step of Saudi supporters at the moment. For the first time in 12 years, fans can look forward to a World Cup. With Japan, South Korea and Iran also preparing for Russia, Asia is sending its four traditional powerhouses once more. Back on top of the West Asian pile, it is time for Saudi Arabia to show how strong they really are.
Saudi football is ready to shine again
Saudi football is ready to shine again
Benzema puts Al-Ittihad within touching distance of SPL title
- The Tigers are now nine points clear of Al-Hilal in second with three games remaining
JEDDAH: Karim Benzema fired Al-Ittihad to a 3-0 win over Al-Fayah on Sunday to put his team within touching distance of the Saudi Pro League (SPL) title.
The Tigers are now nine points clear of Al-Hilal in second with three games remaining. If Hilal lose their game in hand against Al-Orubah on Monday then it will virtually be all over.
Just when a little frustration was starting to creep in at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, Benzema showed his attacking ability in the 24th minute.
The former Real Madrid marksman swapped passes with Unai Hernandez on the left corner of the area but there was still a lot of work to do. Surrounded by defenders, the Frenchman made a little space for himself and then fired a low shot into the opposite bottom corner for league goal number 20.
Number 21 came nine minutes after the restart. Abdulrahman Al-Oboud slipped the ball into Benzema on the edge of the area and the Frenchman side-footed coolly home, the goal of a striker confident and in form.
Soon after, the 37-year-old went off with an injury but he had already done the damage to take the team towards a vital win.
The points were sealed with 14 minutes remaining. Mohammed Al-Baqawi tried to get to a cross before Al-Oboud only to shoot past his own goalkeeper into his own net.
Earlier in the day, Al-Qadsiah moved into third place with a 1-0 win at Al-Taawoun. An own goal from Andrei Girotto was enough to seal the win for the visitors.
The newly-promoted club went above the newly-crowned Asian champions. Al-Ahli lost 3-1 at Al-Shabab. The star of the show was Abderrazak Hamdallah who scored twice –goals number 149 and 150 in the SPL to take him within four of the record holder Omar Al-Somah-- and 20 and 21 this season.
The Moroccan was then sent off for a second yellow card with 13 minutes remaining but the real headlines belonged to Karim Benzema.
Jeddah to host World Pool Championship and Snooker Masters this summer
- The tournaments are part of a landmark ten-year strategic partnership between the Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation and Matchroom
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s sporting calendar continues to expand with the announcement that Jeddah will host two major cue sports events in July and August 2025, the World Pool Championship and the Snooker Masters.
The tournaments are part of a landmark ten-year strategic partnership between the Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation and Matchroom, in collaboration with the World Nineball Tour (WNT) and the World Snooker Tour (WST).
The events are being organized under the supervision of the Saudi Ministry of Sports and are set to feature top international players from around the world.
Returning to the Kingdom for the second consecutive year, the World Pool Championship will take place from July 21 to 26, 2025, at the Green Halls in Jeddah.
The tournament will gather the world’s top 100 players competing for a total prize pool of $1 million.
Among the headline names are current world champion Fedor Gorst of Russia, 2023 champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz of Spain, and five-time US Open winner Shane Van Boening of the United States.
Following shortly after, the Snooker Masters will run from August 8 to 16, bringing together 128 of the world’s top professionals alongside 16 emerging Saudi talents, who will participate via special wild card invitations.
With a total prize pot of £2 million ($2.66 million), the tournament ranks as the second most lucrative event on the 2025 World Snooker Tour calendar and is widely regarded as the fourth most prestigious event in the sport.
Commenting on the announcement, Nasser Al-Jaweeni, President of the Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation, said: “We are pleased to launch this partnership that places the Kingdom at the heart of global billiards and snooker, reflecting international confidence in Saudi Arabia’s organizational capabilities and offering an opportunity to develop local talent and nurture a new generation of Saudi players.”
Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom Sport, praised the Kingdom’s efforts.
“We are proud to return to the Kingdom as part of this inspiring partnership. Last year, we witnessed outstanding organization and an exceptional experience for the players, which raised professional standards and opened doors for the next generation of talent,” she said.
Steve Dawson, Chairman of the World Snooker Tour, described the hosting of the Snooker Masters as a landmark moment.
“Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Snooker Masters marks a significant milestone in the sport’s history. The impact was evident from the very first edition, and we’re all excited to see Saudi players rise through the ranks in the years ahead,” he said.
Newcastle go third with 2-0 win over 10-man Chelsea
- The win leaves Newcastle in third spot on 66 points, three ahead of Chelsea
NEWCASTLE: An early goal from Sandro Tonali and a late Bruno Guimaraes effort gave Newcastle United a 2-0 home win over Chelsea on Sunday that moves the Magpies a step closer to Champions League football next season, with Blues striker Nicholas Jackson denting his side’s hopes by being sent off in the first half.
The win leaves Newcastle in third spot on 66 points, three ahead of Chelsea, who hold the fifth and final Champions League spot with two games to play.
Aston Villa are level with Chelsea on points, with Nottingham Forest, who face already-relegated Leicester City later on Sunday, two points further back.
Newcastle were good value for their win but it was Jackson’s moment of madness that decided the game, robbing Chelsea of their best goal-scoring option in a game the Conference League finalists could not afford to lose if they wanted to be at Europe’s top table next season.
The Blues got off to a bad start when midfielder Tonali ghosted in at the far post to steer home a pass from Jacob Murphy in the second minute, delighting the home crowd as they basked in the bright sunshine.
Newcastle’s task appeared to get easier when Jackson had his initial yellow card upgraded to a red in the 35th minute after a long VAR review, with the replay showing that the Senegalese striker had looked in the direction of Newcastle’s Dan Burn before leading with his elbow toward the
defender’s face.
Despite going down to 10 men, Chelsea dominated for much of the second half, forcing Eddie Howe to make a number of changes to bolster the home side’s defense and, after withstanding Chelsea’s onslaught, Guimaraes finally sealed the three points with a deflected shot from outside the box in the 90th minute.
MMA night comes to end as Paul Hughes finishes opponent in less than a minute
- Lewis McGrillen continues surge to bantamweight superstardom with emphatic win in co-main event against Alan Philpott
Belfast: A blistering performance by hometown hero Paul “Big News” Hughes, who needed just 42 seconds to dispatch Bruno “Robusto” Miranda in the main event, brought the curtain down on the PFL Europe card at the SSE Arena in Belfast.
The crowd erupted as Hughes entered the SmartCage, escorted by a live performance from Irish singer Foy Vance. He made good on his pre-fight promise, catching Miranda’s kick and countering with a perfectly-timed left hook that ended the contest instantly and sent the Belfast crowd into raptures.
In the co-main event, reigning PFL Europe bantamweight champion Lewis “The McGrizzla” McGrillen solidified his status as the division’s hottest prospect. The Manchester fighter overwhelmed veteran Alan “Super Ali” Philpott with aggressive striking before securing a slick rear naked choke in the second round — the first submission victory of his career.
The card also featured the opening round of the 2025 PFL Europe Lightweight Tournament, with four fighters advancing to the semifinals. Connor Hughes delivered a statement win over Sebastian Di Franco, knocking out the 2024 finalist in the second round with a clean right hand. Spain’s Gino Van Steenis advanced via unanimous decision over Decky McAleenan and will now meet Hughes in the semifinals.
Latvia’s Alex Chizov stunned Mark Ewen with a dominant first-round stoppage, overwhelming his opponent with a barrage of left hands. He moves on to face Italy’s Claudio Pacella, who earned a gritty decision victory over Gavin Hughes in a bruising three-round encounter.
Elsewhere on the card, Haider “Darth” Khan extended his winning streak to six with a unanimous decision over Sean McCormac in a catchweight bout. Eoin Sheridan electrified the local crowd with a first-round KO against Malichi Edwards, while Corey McLaughlin picked up his first professional win with a unanimous decision over Nahom Wedi.
In the women’s flyweight division, Gemma Auld — balancing a full-time teaching career — submitted Sammy-Jo Luxton in the second round with a textbook rear naked choke, showing grit and composure in a back-and-forth battle.
Zahabi sends UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo into retirement after beating him at UFC 315
- The fight was originally scheduled to be disputed at the bantamweight division, but was changed to featherweight on Friday after both fighters checked in above the weight limit
- Canadian Mike Malott (12-2-1) won his fight with American Charles Radtke (10-5) by knockout 26 seconds into the second round of their welterweight bout
- In the women’s flyweight division, Canadian Jasmine Jasudavicius (14-3) took down Brazilian Jessia Andrade (26-14) by submission
MONTREAL: Aiemann Zahabi shocked UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo in a featherweight main card fight at UFC 315 on Saturday night, after which Aldo announced his retirement.
Zahabi (13-2) won by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) and the Canadian has now won six straight fights.
The fight was originally scheduled to be disputed at the bantamweight division, but was changed to featherweight on Friday after both fighters checked in above the weight limit.
Aldo (32-10), of Brazil, announced his retirement from MMA fighting after a 21-year career.
The card is headlined by welterweight title bout pitting Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena and a women’s flyweight title matchup between Valentina Shevchenko and Manon Fiorot.
Saturday’s card was the first in Canada since Donald Trump was re-elected US president in November. It comes amid growing political tensions between Canada and the US, as Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st US state, and some of that tension spilled over.
Canadian Mike Malott (12-2-1) won his fight with American Charles Radtke (10-5) by knockout 26 seconds into the second round of their welterweight bout. Malott took down Radtke with a clean left hook and would not let up, striking his opponent with repeated followup blows to seal the knockout.
Radtke was met with jeers and curses from fans throughout the fight in response to comments he made to Canadian fans at a pre-fight news conference on Wednesday and the booing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Canadian sporting events in recent months.
Radtke said “when you all boo the national anthem, somebody’s gonna have to pay for that.”
In the women’s flyweight division, Canadian Jasmine Jasudavicius (14-3) took down Brazilian Jessia Andrade (26-14) by submission just over halfway through the first round.
“When I was preparing for this fight, I kept on thinking about it being a quick finish,” said Jasudavicius. “I kept on telling myself to be ready for 15 hard minutes and everything.”
Marc-Andre Barriault (17-9) also knocked out opponent Bruno Silva (23-13) 1:27 into the opening round of their middleweight bout with an elbow struck to the side of Silva’s head. Silva left the octagon on a stretcher.
Benoit Saint Denis (14-3) beat Kyle Prepolec (12-8) by submission in the opening main card fight. The Frenchman took down the Canadian with an arm-triangle choke midway through the second round.
Prepolec only found out less than two weeks ago he would be fighting in Montreal. The 35-year-old was called in to replace Joel Alvarez, who has a hand injury.
