DUBAI: If you had told Tunisia’s fans two years ago that they would make it to the 2018 World Cup, even the most optimistic may have raised an eyebrow. A round qualifier against Mauritania was only decided in the 84th minute of the second leg, Saad Bguir’s goal putting the minnows, ranked 104th by FIFA, to the sword. It was certainly indicative of the tumultuous campaign ahead.
That tie was in the early throes of Henryk Kasperczak’s second spell as Tunisia coach but, like the first, it would end with an acrimonious split. Kasperczak guided the Eagles of Carthage to the 1998 World Cup before infamously being sacked mid-tournament after losing group games against England and Colombia.
That should have been a warning but the Polish boss, clearly a glutton for punishment, returned in 2015. This April he was sacked for a second time. The Tunisian Football Federation cited lack of progress, bemusingly describing it as “a unilateral separation.” From the outside it appeared a little unfortunate given Tunisia were leading their World Cup qualifying group, though an African Nations Cup quarter-final defeat to Burkina Faso certainly did not help his cause.
It was Nabil Maaloul who swooped to the Eagles’ aid, taking up the role — like Kasperczak — for the second time. Maaloul’s first tenure lasted just seven months up to September 2013 and, having failed to take Tunisia to the 2014 World Cup, he was determined to make amends.
Still hugely respected in his homeland after winning back-to-back league titles and a CAF Champions League crown with Esperance, the coach immediately won over any potential doubters with a 1-0 victory over North African rivals Egypt in AFCON qualifying in June.
It was an impressive show of unity, and indeed one of Maaloul’s key qualities has been his ability to foster a togetherness in the squad that many thought impossible.
“He has managed to create a bond between players,” Tunisian journalist Souhail Khirma tells Arab News. “Despite being rivals in the local championship, he unites them as brothers fighting for the Tunisian banner. He often refers to the players as his ‘own children’ and it is clear they share a special relationship.”
That unity was notable in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers as Maaloul’s side fought back from 2-0 down away to group rivals DR Congo to snatch a 2-2 draw. The point was vital, eventually proving to be the difference between the nations. The following match saw a 1-0 half-time deficit against Guinea transformed into a 4-1 rout; it was unquestionably Tunisia’s best display of the campaign.
A spot in Russia was confirmed with a nervous 0-0 draw at home to neighbors Libya but it mattered little to the Tunisian fans, who could celebrate a first World Cup appearance since 2006.
No members of that squad are still involved with the national team but the new generation still has an experienced spine. Ali Maaloul has been a defensive stalwart, enjoying a fine 2017 with both Tunisia and club side Al Ahly, while Youssef Msakni — the most capped outfield player of this group — remains a talismanic presence. And while Esperance striker Taha Yassine Khnissi has yet to fully replicate his impressive club form at international level, big things are expected of the Tunisian league’s top scorer.
There is plenty of quality in this Tunisia squad but it could well be the influence of father figure Maaloul that pushes the current crop to shine in Russia. Registering a victory should be the primary aim given Tunisia have failed to do so in the 11 games since their first ever World Cup match, a 3-1 win against Mexico in 1978. Three winless tournaments have come and gone since but Maaloul has inspired a belief that things will be different this time for the Eagles of Carthage.
Tunisia football team forge unbreakable bond
Tunisia football team forge unbreakable bond
Pedersen makes it 3 wins out of 5 at Giro d’Italia to extend his overall lead
- The 29-year-old Pedersen also won two of the three opening stages in Albania to take the leader’s pink jersey back to Italy
- With the bonus seconds Pedersen picked up, the Danish cyclist extended his lead over pre-race favorite Primoz Roglic to 17 seconds
MATERA, Italy: Overall leader Mads Pedersen made it three wins out of five at this year’s Giro d’Italia as he won a bunch sprint at the end of the fifth stage on Wednesday.
Pedersen just managed to edge out Edoardo Zambanini in a finish that was so close the Lidl-Trek rider had to ask a teammate: “Did I win? Are you sure?”
Tom Pidcock was third at the end of the 151-kilometer (94-mile) route from Ceglie Messapica to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Matera, which is renowned for its “Sassi,” or ancient cave dwellings.
The 29-year-old Pedersen also won two of the three opening stages in Albania to take the leader’s pink jersey back to Italy.
“Now it’s really incredible and to win in this jersey as well, it’s insane and it’s way more than I ever dreamt about,” Pedersen said. “What a Giro we have and what a team I have around me.”
With the bonus seconds Pedersen picked up, the Danish cyclist extended his lead over pre-race favorite Primoz Roglic to 17 seconds, with Mathias Vacek another seven seconds back.
With a kilometer to go, Pedersen appeared too far back but he managed to get up to the front before a late corner and then got a great lead out from Vacek.
Pedersen then launched his final sprint early and just barely held off Zambanini, who almost managed to beat him after coming up along the barriers.
“I used a lot of energy to move back up on Vacek’s wheel,” Pedersen said. “I had to spend energy to come back to at least fight for the win. Then luckily I had enough for the last sprint. So that was a really tough one.”
Prior to this year’s race, Pedersen had only won one stage in the Giro, two years ago in Naples — where Thursday’s sixth stage also ends.
“Every day we try to win as as much as possible and we try again tomorrow,” he said.
The stage is the longest leg of the three-week race and has two categorized climbs on the 227-kilometer route from Potenza.
The Giro ends in Rome on June 1.
Bologna end 51-year wait for a major trophy by beating AC Milan to win Italian Cup
- It was coach Vincenzo Italiano’s first win in a final, having lost back-to-back Europa Conference League title matches while in charge of Fiorentina
- The result secured Bologna a spot in next season’s Europa League and left Milan with the very real likelihood of missing out on European competition
ROME: Bologna ended a 51-year wait for a major trophy when it beat AC Milan 1-0 to win the Italian Cup on Wednesday.
Dan Ndoye returned from injury to score the only goal and help Bologna to their first Italian Cup since 1974. The club, which is owned by Canadian Joey Saputo, has only won two second-division titles in between.
It was also coach Vincenzo Italiano’s first win in a final, having lost back-to-back Europa Conference League title matches while in charge of Fiorentina and finishing runner-up in the 2023 Italian Cup.
“They were three hefty disappointments,” Italiano told broadcaster Mediaset. “I didn’t think I could immediately come back and get my own back. But we succeeded and I’m happy.
“I add an important trophy to my mantlepiece and I truly dedicate it to the guys, who were extraordinary.”
Italiano had been flung in the air by his players in celebration immediately after the final whistle. Many of them were in tears of joy, much like some of the thousands of Bologna fans in the stands.
And the 47-year-old coach was eager to get back to the festivities.
“Now let me go and celebrate, because this is something really incredible,” Italiano said with a smile at the end of his television interview.
It is Italiano’s first season at Bologna after replacing Thiago Motta, who left to Juventus after steering the team to their first-ever Champions League qualification. Motta was fired by Juventus earlier this season.
The result secured Bologna a spot in next season’s Europa League and left Milan with the very real likelihood of missing out on European competition.
It could spell the end of Sérgio Conceiçao’s short stint in charge of the Rossoneri, with Milan eighth in Serie A after a disappointing season.
Both teams came to Rome looking to end an Italian Cup drought, as Milan last lifted the trophy 22 years ago — losing two finals in the intervening years.
The match was played at a high tempo from the start and both goalkeepers were called into making impressive saves in the opening 10 minutes.
Tension threatened to boil over toward the end of the first half and Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson was left bloodied with what looked like a broken nose after a sliding tackle on Rafael Leão, who caught him on the face with his leg as he was upended.
Bologna broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second half. Riccardo Orsolini was tackled by Theo Hernández in the area but the ball fell to Ndoye, who carved out some space before curling into the right side of the net.
The 24-year-old Switzerland international had missed Bologna’s previous three matches with a thigh injury.
Milan had fought back from a goal down to beat Bologna 3-1 in the Italian league on Friday, but there was to be no such comeback in Rome.
Alcaraz sets up Italian Open semifinal clash with Musetti, Sabalenka falls
- Madrid Open winner Sabalenka was sent packing in the quarterfinals by Chinese eighth-seed Zheng Qinwen 6-4, 6-3
- Current world No. 2 and defending champion Zverev lose his Rome crown in addition to his ranking as he went down to home hope Musetti 7-6 (7/1), 6-4
ROME: Carlos Alcaraz set up a semifinal meeting with Lorenzo Musetti at the Italian Open on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jack Draper in the last eight, while women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was knocked out.
Madrid Open winner Sabalenka was sent packing in the quarterfinals by Chinese eighth-seed Zheng Qinwen 6-4, 6-3.
Third seed Alcaraz, meanwhile, produced what he called one of his best displays of the season to book a last four date with the man he beat in Monte Carlo last month.
The Spaniard’s impressive win over Draper kept alive his chances of a third title of the season and also moved him up to No. 2 in the world rankings behind Jannik Sinner.
“I lost focus a little bit in the second set but it wasn’t (for) too long, so it was pretty good,” said the four-time Grand Slam winner in search of a first Rome crown.
“Probably it was one of the most complete matches that I played this year.”
Alcaraz had to be at his best to down fifth seed Draper, who put in another strong showing on clay in Italy after losing the Madrid Open final to Casper Ruud.
The Briton lost control of the first set when, after taking a two-game lead, he was broken twice by Alcaraz who then took the lead in the match.
And Alcaraz made sure of victory by breaking Draper to love to go 5-4 ahead in the second set before serving out the match.
The day’s final match saw current world No. 2 and defending champion Zverev lose his Rome crown in addition to his ranking as he went down to home hope Musetti 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.
After trading breaks earlier in the set, Zverev looked set to seal the opener after breaking Musetti at 5-5 and then leading on his next service game 40-0.
But the Italian improbably saved four set points to force a tiebreak, which he swept 7-1 in front of a raucous center court.
An angered Zverev argued with the umpire in the second set but kept his cool on the court up to 4-4.
The German had looked the more likely to make a breakthrough until the ninth game when a stunning backhand winner gave Musetti break point, which he duly converted before holding to 30 to reach his third semi of the year on clay.
“I felt the adrenaline and energy from the first point, even if it was not an easy start, but I managed to come back and find a way, and that’s the key of this match,” said Musetti.
Ruud’s attempt at a Madrid and Rome double has a Sinner-shaped obstacle in its way after the world No. 7 won his postponed match with Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals where he will face the top seed on Thursday.
Sabalenka’s stunning clay-court form deserted her at the Foro Italico as she fell in straight sets to Olympic gold medalist Zheng.
It was seventh time lucky for the world No. 8 as she at last got the better of her Belarusian opponent with a confident display under the lights in Rome.
After surviving early pressure on her own serve, Zheng broke Sabalenka to take a 3-2 lead in the first set before serving out.
Zheng then pounced in Sabalenka’s first service game in the second frame to go up a break.
Sabalenka showed determination to make gritty holds in the fifth and seventh games of the set, but she could not make inroads on Zheng’s service as the 22-year-old powered into the semis.
“It’s been a long time I haven’t arrived in semifinals,” Zheng told Sky Sports after securing her first semifinal appearance of the season.
“It was not easy for me because at the beginning of the year I got some struggles with my arm.
“So right now I’m just perfectly in shape and trying to play better tennis all the time.”
Zheng will meet Coco Gauff in the last four after the American earlier beat Mirra Andreeva 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).
Gauff has guaranteed herself No. 2 in the women’s world rankings with her solid displays in Rome, where she saw off seventh seed Andreeva.
Former US Open winner Gauff said that she had “a lot of confidence” for the last four, where she will face an opponent against whom she holds a 2-0 record.
Gauff, 21, is looking for her first title of the season ahead of Roland Garros, after losing the Madrid final to Sabalenka.
Celtics rout Knicks in Game 5, send series back to New York
Derrick White scored a game-high 34 points and the Boston Celtics extended their season by beating the visiting New York Knicks 127-102 on Wednesday in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Knicks lead the best-of-seven series 3-2, and Game 6 will be played Friday in New York.
White shot 7-for-13 from 3-point territory and made 9 of his 11 free-throw attempts. Boston sank 22 of its 49 shots from behind the 3-point arc and outscored New York 68-43 in the second half.
The Celtics received 26 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists from Jaylen Brown. Luke Kornet added 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots, and Payton Pritchard came off the bench to make five 3-pointers and score 17 points.
It was Boston’s second playoff game without Jayson Tatum, who had surgery Tuesday to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Tatum didn’t play in Game 2 of Boston’s first-round series against Orlando, and the Celtics won that game 109-100.
Josh Hart scored a team-high 24 points for New York, which shot 29-of-81 from the field . Jalen Brunson collected 22 points and six assists, but he fouled out with 7:19 to play. Brunson was called for his fifth foul with 2:45 remaining in the third quarter.
The Knicks received 19 points and eight rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns.
Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis was limited to one point in 12 minutes and didn’t play in the second half.
New York led 32-30 after one quarter and the game was tied 59-59 at halftime. An 11-0 run capped by a Pritchard 3-pointer put the Celtics up 81-68 with 7:10 left in the third, and Boston had a 91-76 advantage entering the fourth.
The Celtics led by as many as 28 in the final 12 minutes.
It was Boston’s first victory at home in the series.
Real Madrid rallies to beat Mallorca 2-1 and delay Barcelona’s title celebrations
MADRID: It was a matter of pride for Real Madrid.
There is little hope of winning the Spanish league. But the last thing it wanted to do was hand Barcelona the title in advance.
And it needed a goal deep into stoppage time to achieve its objective Wednesday.
Jacobo Ramón scored five minutes into injury time and Madrid rallied to beat Mallorca 2-1 and delay Barcelona’s title celebrations.
Madrid needed the victory to keep Barcelona from clinching its 28th league title in advance. The Catalan club remains four points ahead and can still lift the trophy with a win at city rival Espanyol on Thursday.
Mallorca took the lead on Wednesday with a goal by Martin Valjent in the 11th minute and stayed ahead until Kylian Mbappé beat a couple of defenders to equalize in the 68th.
Ramón netted the go-ahead go from inside the area five minutes into injury time to keep Barcelona from winning the title.
Mbappé is still in the race to be the league’s leading scorer and reached 28 goals, three more than Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski. Mbappé had a hat trick in Madrid’s loss to Barcelona on Sunday, when the Catalan club virtually secured the title by coming from behind to win 4-3 in the last “clasico” of the season.
Madrid has little chance of defending its league title. It must win its final two games and hope Barcelona fails to take two points from its three remaining matches.
“When we wear this shield we always must fight until the end,” Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said. “Even though there is still a big gap, we will keep fighting until it’s mathematically impossible.”
Madrid lost all four matches against Barcelona this season, being outscored 16-7. It was the first time Barcelona won every “clasico” in a season that had at least three matches between the rivals.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti received a mostly indifferent reaction from the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday after taking over the Brazil job.
Ancelotti was announced as Brazil’s new coach on Monday, and some Madrid fans criticized the coach for negotiating with the five-time champions with the La Liga season still underway.
There were no significant jeers or cheers when Ancelotti’s name was announced by the loudspeakers at the Bernabeu before the match, with most fans applauding and saying his name along with the announcer, following the tradition at the stadium.
Madrid had not released any reaction or statement about its coach since Brazil’s announcement, and there were no farewell or congratulatory messages for Ancelotti, either, ahead of Wednesday’s match.
“There was nothing different,” Ancelotti said. “Every time I sit on the bench at the Bernabeu, it’s something special.”
During the match, part of the crowd chanted Ancelotti’s name.
The 65-year-old Italian is leaving after four mostly successful years in his second stint with Madrid, which won both the Champions League and the Spanish league last season. The club only won the UEFA Super Cup this season.
Ancelotti also coached the club from 2013-2015. He helped Madrid win three Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups, two Spanish leagues, two Copa del Reys, three UEFA Super Cups and two Spanish Super Cups.
Madrid still has one last game at the Bernabeu, against Real Sociedad in the final round.
Ancelotti said he wasn’t giving up on the league title just yet.
“In soccer anything can happen,” he said
Former Madrid player Xabi Alonso is widely expected to take over the coaching job after confirming he is leaving Bayer Leverkusen, but the Spanish club was yet to make any announcements about Ancelotti’s successor.
Madrid, still without a few regular starters because of injuries, struggled early against Mallorca but created several scoring chances throughout the match. It finished with nearly 40 attempts on goal.
Relegation fight
In a tight fight against relegation, Leganes moved closer to demotion after a 3-0 loss at fifth-place Villarreal. The club owned by former Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow stayed in 18th place, four points from Alaves, the first team currently safe.
Alaves opened the gap to Leganes — which was one of the teams promoted last season — by beating Valencia 1-0 at home. Valencia was in 11th place.
