LONDON: After Peru beat New Zealand 2-0 to secure the last place in next summer’s World Cup finals the challenge that the four Arab teams will face in Russia was clear for all to see.
The 32 teams are now known and the coaches and officials of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia can start preparing for their stab at showpiece success.
Here Arab News takes a look at the teams who’ll be battling it out for the World Cup trophy and what the four Arab representatives are up against.
THE GIANTS
Lionel Messi knows the teams he fears most at the 2018 World Cup: Champions Germany, Brazil, France and Spain.
“I think that at the moment, they’re the strongest teams who look the best, are playing the best, with the best individuals,” Messi told TyC Sports, an Argentine TV channel.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner identified the key things that will spearhead their challenges: Strong squads, star players, a team identity and looking the part.
The five giants have won 13 of the last 16 World Cups between them. Spain and Germany both qualified without losing, while Brazil sealed first place in the South American group with four rounds to play.
France won their group but, as in the Euros last year, were alternately terrific and toothless, such as in a shocking 0-0 draw at home to Luxembourg.
Argentina sneaked through by winning their last game, away to Ecuador, and inevitably it was Messi who hit a hat-trick to save his country when staring into the abyss of elimination.
Yet form can be misleading, as Spain and Brazil’s crushing losses to the Netherlands and Germany four years ago illustrated.
England won in 1966, but since then the nation that invented the sport and boasts the richest league in the world has reached just one semifinal. Gareth Southgate, the England manager, has been blooding youngsters from the successful youth teams and there is reason for optimism in England, but 2018 will likely come too soon.
According to FIFA, Mexico has the third highest number of registered footballers — behind only Brazil and Germany — among World Cup finalists, yet in 15 finals appearances they have never gone past the last eight.
With 142 million people, Russia have the biggest population of any of the finalists, but if the hosts were to get much beyond the second round it would be a shock.
TEAMS TO FEAR
With a population of just over three million and two World Cup titles, Uruguay are again following their own successful template. They have produced enough top-end talent, led by Luis Suarez, Diego Godin and Edinson Cavani, to give them a chance of beating anyone.
Croatia have Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic, which is good, but they finished second to Iceland in their qualifying group, which is not.
Portugal have Cristiano Ronaldo, but their greatest success — winning the 2016 Euros — came despite playing without the world player of the year for three-quarters of the final.
Belgium are enjoying a golden generation, but Switzerland and Denmark have only silver and bronze ones. Poland, not such a small nation in population terms, have the prolific Robert Lewandowski, the top scorer in global qualifying with 16 goals.
NOT TO BE UNDERESTIMATED
In 2002, as joint hosts, Japan and South Korea ran deep into the knockout rounds. This time, along with Australia, they lack world-class talent but bring a work ethic that makes them teams to avoid.
Colombia, Senegal and Nigeria bring skill, pace and power and a bad habit of agonizing exits caused by careless errors or bad luck.
Serbia and Morocco both qualified impressively but lack the star man who can make a difference.
That cannot be said of Egypt, who with Mohamed Salah (pictured left) in the team have the star quality and X-factor many sides lack. With him in the side the Pharaohs’ poor World Cup record should be irrelevant.
Peru, once regulars, had not qualified since 1982 until they beat New Zealand. They prepare for Russia ranked an unlikely 10th in the world.
Dour Sweden, former finalists, smothered Italy in a playoff but if the smell of glory draws Zlatan Ibrahimovic out of retirement, a blunt instrument would acquire a sharp edge.
LIKELY TO BE CLASSED AS MINNOWS
Costa Rica reached the last eight in 2014 and are ranked 22nd but alongside Iran and Tunisia will still be the teams in the third pot everyone wants to draw.
Tunisia and Saudi Arabia both won games in the first of their four finals appearances but neither has won since and their last points came when they drew 2-2 in Stuttgart in 2006.
Panama may already have used up their miracle, scoring two minutes from the end of their qualifying campaign to beat Costa Rica, eliminate the US and qualify for their first finals.
World Cup celebrations to be replaced by hard work
World Cup celebrations to be replaced by hard work
Former AC Milan coach fined 10,000 euros for ref rant
Fonseca was sacked in December after just six months in charge with compatriot Sergio Conceicao taking over
ROME: Former AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca was fined 10,000 euros ($10,466) by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Thursday for a post-match rant against the referee last year.
“During interviews after the match against Atalanta, the former AC Milan coach expressed judgments detrimental to the reputation of the referee and the arbitration institution as a whole,” the FIGC said.
AC Milan were fined 5,000 euros.
At the end of the Italian league match which AC Milan lost 2-1 in Bergamo last month, Fonseca said that the result had been “determined” by referee Federico La Penna.
“The referee decided the result of this match, and it is not the first time,” insisted the Portuguese coach.
Fonseca was sacked in December after just six months in charge with compatriot Sergio Conceicao taking over.
“I have always respected the work of referees, but there are so many mistakes every weekend, always at the expense of the same clubs. The way the referee officiated during this match is a lack of respect toward Milan,” he added.
AC Milan won the Italian Super Cup at the beginning of January under Conceicao but remain stuck in eighth place in Serie A — 19 points behind leaders Napoli.
Barcelona sold the farm for Lewandowski, Raphinha and Koundé
- The excellent play of the trio, as well as their teammates, has seen Barcelona take second place in the Champions League standings
- Lewandowski is having one of his best seasons at age 36, and Koundé is excelling both in defense and attack from his position of right back
BARCELONA: Barcelona took a big bet 2 1/2 years ago that they could mortgage their future for the quick cash that the indebted club desperately needed to sign some major names.
They took a chunk of the money they received from selling off future television rights and other assets and paid a combined 160 million euros (then $163 million) to bring in top striker Robert Lewandowski, Brazil forward Raphinha, and versatile defender Jules Koundé.
While Lewandowski has consistently found the net, there was never a stretch in which all three players performed up to their billing.
Until now.
The excellent play of the trio, as well as their teammates, has seen Barcelona take second place in the Champions League standings and remain in contention both in the Spanish league and Copa del Rey.
Lewandowski is having one of his best seasons at age 36, and Koundé is excelling both in defense and attack from his position of right back.
But it is the 28-year-old Raphinha who has undergone a transformation into a clutch scorer, team leader, and play-from-any position wild card for new coach Hansi Flick.
The breakout of Raphinha
Raphinha arrived in Spain from Leeds as a speedy, hard-working right winger.
But coach Xavi Hernández ended up preferring Ousmane Dembele in that position and Raphinha was not a key player during the 2022 La Liga title run. Then, after Dembele left, Raphinha saw teen phenom Lamine Yamal explode and again push him to the bench.
Instead of sulking, Raphinha reinvented himself as a left-side winger and a creative midfielder and immediately convinced Flick that he had to be in his starting 11.
He has since become the most improved player for a top team in Spain this season, scoring 22 goals across all competitions. He had managed 10 goals in each of his first two campaigns with the club.
And those goals have been big ones. He scored three goals in two lopsided wins over Real Madrid, and he netted a brace, including an incredible solo breakaway goal, to stun Benfica 5-4 in the Champions League earlier this week.
Lewandowski remains as good as ever
When Lewandowski arrived from Bayern Munich in 2022, many thought that Barcelona would be lucky to get a couple of good seasons from the Poland star before he entered the twilight of his career.
But Lewandowski is on a romp with a whopping 28 goals in 29 games overall, including a Champions League leading nine goals. Raphinha is next with eight.
Patience pays off for Koundé and Xavi
Koundé arrived at Barcelona after impressing as a central defender with Sevilla. Xavi, however, needed to play him at right back and out of his comfort zone.
Now Koundé has fully adapted to that position and displays a sense of command both while marking top forward like Vinícius Júnior or going into attack behind Yamal on the flank. He has delivered two goals and three assists while playing the most minutes of any Barcelona player this season.
Barcelona are in third place in La Liga before hosting relegation-threatened Valencia on Sunday. Flick’s team will be aiming to bounce back from a 1-1 draw at Getafe last weekend.
Leader Real Madrid visit bottom-side Valladolid on Saturday, two points ahead of Atletico Madrid before they play Villarreal.
Sinner to meet Zverev in Australian Open final after Djokovic exit
- Top-ranked Italian will face the German second seed, who went through to Sunday’s final when Novak Djokovic retired injured
- 37-year-old Serbian Novak Djokovic hinted that he may have played his last Australian Open
MELBOURNE: Defending champion Jannik Sinner blew past Ben Shelton 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2 in the Australian Open semifinals on Friday to set up a showdown with Alexander Zverev for the title.
The top-ranked Italian will face the German second seed, who went through to Sunday’s final when Novak Djokovic retired injured from their last-four clash.
Sinner had to save two set points in a tight opening act, but once he took it on a tiebreak he raced past the 22-year-old in 2hr 36min on Rod Laver Arena, despite cramping late in the match.
The center court crowd had been disappointed earlier when Djokovic called it a day after losing a grueling first set against Zverev, leaving his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam crown in tatters.
The 37-year-old Serbian great’s upper left leg was heavily taped and, after he shook hands, he departed to some boos after going down 7-6 (7/5).
Djokovic hinted that he may have played his last Australian Open.
“There is a chance. Who knows?” Djokovic said when asked if he may have graced the Melbourne Park courts for a last time.
“I normally like to come to Australia to play. I’ve had the biggest success in my career here. So if I’m fit, healthy, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come,” he added.
Djokovic has now gone five Grand Slams without winning the title he needs to surpass Margaret Court’s 24 and become the all-time leader.
“I actually thought I played really well, as well as I played the last 12 months,” he said of his Melbourne run.
“I liked my chances if I was physically fit and ready to battle.”
Sinner is on the cusp of a first successful Grand Slam title defense after winning his maiden major crown in Melbourne last year.
He had won the last four of his five career meetings with the explosive young American.
The Italian was not at his best in the opening set, dropping his serve twice and having to dig deep to save two set points with Shelton serving at 6-5.
But the 23-year-old easily took control of the tiebreak to move a set ahead after 71 minutes.
He broke Shelton right at the start of the second and ran away with it in 42 minutes.
The all-action Shelton raised himself for one last effort in the third, lashing running forehand winners in an attempt to turn the tide.
Sinner was not moving freely, seemingly troubled by either cramp or his groin, but he saved two break points and when Shelton then dropped his serve to go 3-2 down, the Italian sprinted to the finish line.
The final will be a battle of the top two seeds with Zverev in his first Australian Open final.
The German has been a Grand Slam runner-up twice before, at last year’s French Open and the 2020 US Open, but has never lifted one of the big four majors.
UFC’s Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady says Palestinian people ‘the real fighters’ ahead of Riyadh bout
- The 29-year-old takes on Belgium’s Bolaji Oki at UFC Fight Night 250 on Feb. 1
LONDON: For more than a decade, Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady has — quite literally — been flying the flag for Palestine in the world of professional mixed martial arts.
His nickname, “The Pride of Palestine,” speaks to his roots and why “alam Filastin” can be seen draped over his shoulders before and after each fight.
The Middle East has shaped Al-Selwady, 29, as a person and fighter. His professional career began in the Desert Force and Brave promotions, in Jordan and Bahrain respectively.
On Feb. 1 in Riyadh, he fights in the region for the first time in five years, a rare Arab face in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. At UFC Fight Night 250, Al-Selwady (15-4-0) opens the card against Belgium’s Bolaji Oki (9-2-0).
And while he now lives and trains in Dallas, Texas, the Palestinian-American fighter is expecting the bout to feel like a homecoming.
“Honestly, it’s a very beautiful feeling fighting in the Middle East,” Al-Selwady told Arab News. “It’s almost like you’re fighting at home. Even though I haven’t lived in the region for a long time, I know people are going to be cheering for me and I plan to deliver that big win in front of my people.
“There aren’t that many Arab fighters that are actually from the Middle East who really made a big name in the UFC. Some guys have Arab origins but never actually lived in the region, but it is where I started my MMA career.”
As he does in every fight, Al-Selwady will take to the ring holding a Palestinian flag, with trunks likely some combination of green, white, red and black. He feels strongly that as an athlete he has a duty to remind the world about the struggles of the Palestinian people.
“I’ve represented Palestine throughout my career and it’s a beautiful responsibility,” Al-Selwady explained. “It’s a beautiful weight to carry on your shoulders because you feel almost like you’re leading and your people are watching.
“It gives me such motivation and really does fuel me because anytime you’re feeling like you’re going through something, you look at the people that you’re representing. It fuels me to go through all of the pain and to come out as a winner.
“They’re the real fighters out there. They’re my heroes, they’re my inspiration. It just pushes me to work harder harder because I choose to go through the fighting, the weight cuts, the discomfort. They don’t choose to be under genocide. But that’s their situation just because of who they are and where they live.”
The contest with Oki in Riyadh will be his first fight since the recent ceasefire in Gaza, following 18 months of bombardment.
“It’s a great announcement,” Al-Selwady said. “We’ve been waiting for it since the day this started so it makes me really happy. It will be nice for people to be able to take a breath after so long. I hope to give the Palestinian people a victory, though I always say that winning a fight is great, but the more important fight is still going on.”
Al-Selwady’s contest will be extra special because for the first time in five years he will have his father in his corner. The father-son combination was a regular fixture during Al-Selwady’s MMA career in the Gulf, but has been a rarer sight in recent years as he has fought mostly in the US and Europe.
“In Saudi this is going to be the first time my dad will be cornering me in a long time,” Al-Selwady said with a smile. “My family, especially when I lived in the Middle East, were very invested in my career. My mom was basically my nutritionist, and my dad was my coach.
“We did every single training session together. He would film every session that I did on tape and then review it, and then he would study tape of my opponents too.
“Even now, we have a shared folder and I upload my weekly sparrings, and he’s always giving me advice on how I can improve. I guess you could call it a family business.”
That family business began when Al-Selwady was a teenager. He recalls being “a really high-energy kid” who was “always getting into trouble.” A natural athlete, he dabbled in baseball and football but it was when broadcasts of the UFC and Strikeforce were on TV that he was left most transfixed.
“When I first saw MMA, I knew that it was exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Al-Selwady said. “I was smart in school and got good grades but I was never going to be a doctor or an engineer. I always wanted to be a professional MMA fighter.”
Al-Selwady started with kickboxing and then became a sparring partner for some fighters in the Desert Force MMA promotion in Jordan. He made his first Desert Force appearance at 10 days’ notice as a 17-year-old, winning by technical knockout.
“They were really surprised at how good I was, how aggressive; and how even if I was getting caught in submissions, I would get right back up and say, ‘let’s go some more.’ I trained so hard and God just set everything up for me to take my place the way I did.
“MMA has just grown so much since then. Back when I started, I was one of the first active MMA fighters in the Middle East; now I’m one of the last ones going. There are just a few of us left who started at that time and are still going strong right now.”
After building a reputation over more than a decade, Al-Selwady finally made his debut last year in the UFC, widely regarded as the pinnacle MMA promotion. The Jordan-born grappler fought valiantly but lost a roller-coaster contest to Loik Radzhabov.
“Feeling bad after losing isn’t going to change anything and, honestly, the way I lost, I learned so much from it,” Al-Selwady said philosophically. “It actually gave me even more confidence in myself than before.
“Most of the fights that I’ve won before, I was winning the whole time but in this one I had to fight through adversity in the beginning of the fight. I came back from that and then I was winning but let go of the gas pedal in the third round because I felt confident. Then he just leaped in and caught me.
“It was definitely a lesson for me, like God reminding me that I could do it, I was there, but then I got a little too cocky. You have to focus second by second because I looked at him and I smirked in the third round like … ‘that’s it, we’re done.’ But we weren’t done.”
Al-Selwady put that defeat behind him by beating Amin Ayoub last May by unanimous decision in the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship’s ADXC 4 event. In Riyadh, he returns to the UFC and faces a late addition to the card in Oki; his original opponent Daniel Leavitt dropped out, though he is in talks to rebook the fight for April.
With his sights now firmly set on the first UFC victory of an impressive MMA career, Al-Selwady is in confident mood and guarantees that he will put on a show for those in the Saudi capital, and the millions watching at home.
“I don’t train for fights, I train to be a better fighter and I train to be a better person,” Al-Selwady said. “I’m focused on getting the job done and I’m really excited to get back in there.
“Since the day I started fighting until now, I’ve never had a boring fight. Ever. And I don’t ever plan to. I’m not a boring fighter and I’m not a boring person, even outside of fighting. I always keep things interesting.
“Whether you’re an MMA fan or not, this fight will catch your attention. It is the first fight of the night, and it will be the fight of the night.”
GCC rally legends set for iconic reunion in Hail
- Part of 20th anniversary of Hail Toyota International Rally
- Retired drivers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman will race
JEDDAH: Several retired drivers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman will participate in a “Legends Rally” as a part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Hail Toyota International Rally, which takes place from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1.
The drivers include Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and former member of Al-Faisal Racing Team, Qatari champion Saeed Al-Hajri, and Saudi rally champion Abdullah Bakhashab.
Other participants include Saudi rally champion Ahmed Al-Sabban, Omani rally champion Hamad Al-Wahaibi, and Saudi rally driver Farhan Al-Shamri, winner of the first edition of the Hail International Rally.
The event is sponsored by the Saudi motor federation and Jameel Motorsports.
The Hail Toyota International Rally covers the first rounds of several contests including the FIA World Cup for Baja Cross-Country Rallies, Middle East Baja Cup, Saudi Toyota Desert Rally Championship, and FIA World Cup for Baja Cross-Country Rallies for motorcycles.
The local and international drivers competing in the two-day event for cars and motorcycles include world champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi, world champion Juan Cruze Yacopini, Dania Aqeel, Saleh Al-Saif, Maha Al-Hamli, Hamza Bakhashab, Miroslav Zapletal and Abdullah Al-Shaqawi.
