LONDON: When Saeed Al-Owairan slalomed through the Belgian defense at the 1994 World Cup to score one of the greatest goals in the tournament’s history, he did more than send Saudi Arabia to the knockout stage in the country’s first appearance.
He made headlines around the world. Here was a player representing an Arabian country seemingly destined for global superstardom. It never happened. Al-Owairan had a decent career but his trip to the United States was by far the highlight.
Rabah Madjer must be the biggest Arabian name in football history. The striker helped Algeria defeat West Germany at the 1982 World Cup and then Porto defeat Bayern Munich in the 1987 European Cup final. This century however, no Arabian player has really made the step from regional hero to global superstar.
Mohamed Salah, however, looks set to be the first. The Egyptian has been the sensation of the Premier League this season since signing for Liverpool in the summer.
“I do not go to bed at night, thinking: ‘Wow, how good is Salah?’” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said on Sunday. The German is one of the few, surely.
Sarah put in another fabulous performance — to join the many he has already served up — as the Reds tore Bournemouth apart on Sunday, winning 4-0. It took him to 20 goals in all competitions for his new club, an amazing statistic considering that that it is not yet Christmas and there were questions as to whether he would start regularly for Liverpool when he was signed from Roma in the summer.
The 25 year-old is the talk of the town, the toast of English football and the top scorer in the Premier League with 14 goals. Six more have also come in the Champions League. It is not just the quantity that has been impressive but the quality is there too.
Whatever happens, his first season in England has been a huge success with the only downside being that Liverpool are not in the title race, but then given the form of Manchester City, nobody else is either.
It puts attention on whether the team can go all the way in the Champions League, a tough but not unrealistic goal given Liverpool’s ability to be devastating when the mood takes them.
That would merely confirm Salah’s reputation as the leading Arabian star of the moment and the World Cup can take him even higher. A great goal can give you a place in history as happened to Al-Owairan but a great tournament coupled with a fantastic season at one of the biggest clubs in the world is something else.
Egypt are unlikely to win the trophy but if Salah can lead the Pharaohs to the knockout stage then that will be another fantastic achievement. There is going to be plenty of pressure on his shoulders but he can handle it — his 95th minute penalty against the Congo in October which took his country to the World Cup for the first time since 1990 demonstrated nerves of steel to go with his quicksilver feet.
The draw has been kind to Egypt. Finishing second in a group containing Russia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay is far from impossible especially when you have one of the most in-form strikers in the world.
The opening game against the South Americans will be crucial. Uruguay are a World Cup powerhouse but recent performances have been mixed. It will be fascinating to see how the current Liverpool hero lines up against Luis Suarez, who arrived from the continent in 2011 to become a sensation at Anfield.
A good result there really sets up the North Africans for a fine tournament with hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia both beatable. Egyptian fans are entitled to be excited about next summer just as much as they will be praying that their talisman stays fit.
Since the days of Madjer, it is hard to argue that there has been an Arabian player who made consistent impact on the global stage. The next few months and Salah could change all that and become the first from the region this century to join the ranks of world stars.
Mohamed Salah set to become first global Arab superstar
Mohamed Salah set to become first global Arab superstar
Saudi Arabia hosts Italy’s football giants for Italian Super Cup
- Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus and Atalanta prepare to battle it out in Riyadh
RIYADH: The Italian Super Cup hosted by Saudi Arabia gets underway on Thursday with giants Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus and Atalanta preparing to battle it out for the silverware.
The four-team knock-out tournament will take place at Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh.
Serie A champions Inter Milan will play the first semifinal against the Italian Cup runners-up Atalanta on Thursday.
AC Milan, who finished second in Serie A last season, on Friday will play the second semifinal against Juventus, the Italian Cup winners.
The final will take place on Sunday, Jan. 6.
It will be the fifth time that Saudi Arabia has hosted the Italian Super Cup.
The event is organized by the Ministry of Sports and is expected to attract local and international attention from fans and media alike.
It is the latest major global sporting event to be hosted by the Kingdom as part of the Ministry of Sports’ commitment to the Saudi Vision 2030 reform program.
Second Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship set for Abu Dhabi this month
- First edition in 2024 attracted 10,000 participants across 5 rounds
ABU DHABI: The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation will hold the second edition of its successful Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship from Jan. 17 to 19 at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Registration is now open for the UAEJJF-sanctioned event, which features competitions across various categories including children, youth, adults and masters.
The first edition of the championship spanned five rounds — two for the no-Gi category and three for the Gi category. It was held in various emirates and attracted over 10,000 male and female participants from leading clubs and academies nationwide.
“We are proud of the success of the first edition of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which carries a name dear to us all,” said Mohamed Salem Al-Dhaheri, vice chairman of the UAEJJF.
“This achievement was made possible by the limitless support of our wise leadership for sports and athletes, especially jiu-jitsu.”
Al-Dhaheri said the championship reflects the federation’s strategy to strengthen jiu-jitsu’s presence locally and internationally while continuing to nurture and develop national talent.
He added: “The male and female athletes demonstrated incredible skill and competitive spirit throughout the five rounds, showcasing their dedication to improvement and success.
“The championship has succeeded in providing a platform to identify and develop talent while promoting jiu-jitsu as a sport that instils discipline, patience, resilience, courage, and teamwork.”
He said the event played a “central role in encouraging community participation in sports, helping to build a generation that is physically and mentally strong.
“The large turnout of families supporting their children highlights the championship’s significance. It has evolved into a comprehensive event, combining a professional sports environment with cultural activities, sports exhibitions, and entertainment for all.”
‘Riyadh feels like home for Inter’, says Henrikh Mkhitaryan before Italian Super Cup start
- The Milan club face Atalanta in the first semi-final on Thursday at Al-Awwal Park
- Marten de Roon of Atalanta says ‘we are spreading the name of Atalanta and will try to do it also here in Saudi’
RIYADH: Henrikh Mkhitaryan said “Riyadh feels like home” for Inter Milan, as the club targets an EA Sports FC Italian Super Cup treble in the Saudi Arabian capital.
Having beaten city rivals AC Milan 3-0 in 2022 and Napoli 1-0 last year in the Italian Super Cup final in Riyadh, Inter face Atalanta at Al Awwal Park on Thursday night in the 2024 semi-final. In the final on Monday the winners will play either Juventus or AC Milan, who play the following night at the same venue.
Another Italian Super Cup triumph would equal a record four in succession for Inter — having beaten Juventus in Italy in 2021 — and midfielder Mkhitaryan said the fans in Riyadh can play a big part in achieving history.
“Riyadh feels like home,” Mkhitaryan said. “This is the third time we are going to play the Super Cup in Riyadh. We won the past two times and hope to succeed this time as well, but first of all we have to think about tomorrow’s game, which will be very hard to play. We know the strength of the Atalanta team. We hope the fans and the surroundings will help us to feel at home and win tomorrow’s game.
“We need to play our game to win the game. It’s very important for us to continue (our success) and win the Super Cup. It’s an important trophy. We hope to do our best. We are fully focused on this game.”
Simone Inzaghi, the Inter manager, said: “It’s clear that the targets of 2025 are the same as when I came three and half years ago. We represent Inter, an important club and we need to always target high. The target in this moment is to win games as much as possible, to win trophies as much as possible. The nearest target is to win the Super Cup because it means a lot for us. This year it’s harder to win because there are two games within a few days, but we’ll try to give our best already from tomorrow evening.”
Inter are the current Liga Serie A champions but are up against this season’s table toppers in Atalanta. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side — who won the UEFA Europa League last season — have a better goal difference than second-placed Napoli and are point ahead of Inter in third.
“Being in those competitions is very important, and playing finals is even more important as it gives prestige to the club and value to the players,” Gasperini said. “It makes us proud. It’s a great result being in the final phase of the Super Cup, but our target is to win the competition.
“I’d like to thank the people in Saudi Arabia for the way you have hosted us. We arrived yesterday evening and we didn’t see many things, but we are very impressed by the modernity and beauty of Riyadh. Congratulations again!”
Marten de Roon, Atalanta’s Dutch midfielder, said: “I agree with the coach. We are playing many finals in Europe and now also in Saudi Arabia. I don’t know how many supporters will follow us, but we are spreading the name of Atalanta and will try to do it also here in Saudi.”
Djokovic and Kyrgios lose in doubles to top-seeded team at the Brisbane International
- DJokovic and Kyrgios won their opening doubles match, a crowd-pleasing, fist-pumping affair by both players at Pat Rafter Arena
- Djokovic won his first singles match and will next play Gael Monfils, who he has a 19-0 record against
BRISBANE: The new doubles team of Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios are out of the Brisbane International in the second round.
The pair, granted a wild-card entry by tournament organizers, lost 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 Wednesday to the top-seeded team of Nikola Mektic of Croatia and New Zealander Michael Venus.
DJokovic and Kyrgios won their opening doubles match, a crowd-pleasing, fist-pumping affair by both players at Pat Rafter Arena.
Kyrgios lost his opening singles match on Tuesday after an 18-month absence from the tour due to injuries. Djokovic won his first singles match on the same day and will next play Gael Monfils, who he has a 19-0 record against.
Cavaliers top Lakers in LeBron’s first game at 40, Celtics crush Raptors
- Milwaukee Bucks erased a 19-point deficit on the way to a 120-112 victory over the Indiana Pacers
- Another big night from Victor Wembanyama saw the San Antonio Spurs finish the year with a lopsided 122-86 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers
LOS ANGELES: The league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers spoiled LeBron James’s first game as a 40-year-old, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 122-110 on Tuesday, as the NBA champion Boston Celtics closed out 2024 with a 125-71 demolition of the Toronto Raptors.
Jarrett Allen scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell added 26 points and Evan Mobley chipped in 20 for the Cavaliers, who notched their eighth straight win to push their league-best record to 29-4.
James, whose four NBA titles include a 2016 championship with his hometown team Cleveland, scored 23 points with four rebounds, seven assists and a blocked shot.
It was his first game since his 40th birthday on Monday, and made James the first player in league history to play a game in his teens and in his 40s.
Austin Reaves led the Lakers with an impressive near-triple-double of 35 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
Anthony Davis scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, but after twice edging ahead in the second quarter the Lakers trailed by five at halftime and never led in the second half.
There was less drama in Boston, where the Celtics won by the second-largest margin of victory in franchise history — trailing only their 56-point triumph at Chicago in December 2018.
Jayson Tatum scored 18 of his 23 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics out-scored the Raptors 45-18 to effectively put the game out of reach.
Payton Pritchard scored 19 points off the bench as seven Celtics players scored in double figures.
The Celtics connected on 22 of their 43 three-point attempts as they handed the Raptors an 11th straight defeat.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said the big win — after the Celtics dropped four of their last six games — was just part of the process as the Celtics try to repeat as champions.
“There’s still stuff that we’ve got to work on... we’ve just got to continue to be better,” Mazzulla said.
The Milwaukee Bucks erased a 19-point deficit on the way to a 120-112 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, back after missing three games because of illness, found his rhythm after scoring just four points in the first half, finishing with 30 points and 12 rebounds.
Brook Lopez added 16 points and reserves Bobby Portis Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. scored 14 points each for Milwaukee, who trailed 83-64 midway through the third quarter.
“These are the type of games you need throughout a season to keep you going,” Portis said. “It was a great game for us, especially going forward, that we can look back on like: OK, cool, we do it one time we can do it again and just keep building, keep building.”
Another big night from Victor Wembanyama saw the San Antonio Spurs finish the year with a lopsided 122-86 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Wembanyama closed out a December to remember with 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal and three blocked shots in less than 26 minutes on the court.
His 17 points in the first quarter matched the Clippers’ total in the period.
In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points and the Thunder notched their 12th straight regular-season victory, 113-105 over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Thunder trailed by as many as 12 in the second quarter and were down 52-46 at half time.
But they outscored the Timberwolves 43-23 in the third quarter and never trailed in the fourth on the way to a seventh consecutive win since they fell to Milwaukee in the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count as part of the regular season.
