DUBAI: Former Iraq coach Jorvan Vieira believes that Wednesday’s friendly against Saudi Arabia represents a “very important moment” for football in the country.
Iraq have played just one competitive fixture at home since 2001 — a 2-0 defeat to Jordan in World Cup qualifying seven years ago. Friendly fixtures on home soil have been sporadic because of the tumultuous security situation.
International football did, however, come back to the country last year as Iraq recorded wins over Jordan and Kenya in Basra, and drew 1-1 with Syria in Karbala.
And Vieira, who famously guided the Lions of Mesopotamia to a shock Asian Cup triumph in 2007, believes Saudi Arabia’s participation in a friendly in Basra is a major milestone.
“It’s a very important moment for Iraq,” Vieira told Arab News. “The years without football have been challenging for these fans who love the game, and the national team, so much.
“It is another important step by the Iraq FA. Still there are problems in Iraq, but it’s about creating a safe environment for football to take place.
“Saudi Arabia is a big, influential country in the region — both in football and politics — and their national team is very well respected.
“This kind of match against a strong team like Saudi Arabia will raise the profile and hopefully help FIFA see that competitive matches should be considered again.”
During his time as Iraq coach, Vieira never oversaw a match on home soil. It is a source of regret for the Brazilian coach, who was made an honorary Iraqi citizen after the 2007 Asian Cup win.
“Of course, I would have loved to have coached the national team in Iraq,” Vieira said. “The Iraqi people have a great passion when the clubs in the local leagues play but for the national team it is a different level. Their love for the flag and the national team is incredible.”
That love is expected to manifest itself in a capacity crowd at the Basra Sports City Stadium, which welcomed nearly 60,000 fans to the friendly against Jordan last June.
A similar attendance is anticipated tonight, with Saudi Arabia unquestionably the highest calibre of opposition to play in Iraq since FIFA lifted its most recent ban.
The fixture also represents a thawing in political relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which have been strained for many years. It will be the first encounter between the teams on Iraqi soil since a Gulf Cup clash in Baghdad in 1979.
“The problems between the countries are well known so there is also an opportunity to put those in order — an opportunity for peace,” said Vieira, who currently coaches UAE side Al-Ittihad Kalba. “Iraq needs to build a strong infrastructure around security and organization for foreign teams to feel comfortable and secure. For Saudi Arabia to come is a major statement that it is possible.”
Vieira has experienced the football culture of both countries having also previously managed Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Ta’ee. But there is no question that ahead of tonight’s friendly, the 64-year-old’s allegiances remain firmly with Iraq.
“There are similarities between football in Iraq and Saudi Arabia — both countries have quality players and, of course, both have brilliant supporters, too.
“But from my side, I always support Iraq and I hope Iraq can win. If they do win the match it will be a very important result for them; they are on the way to rebuilding a new national team and a new future.”
Iraq coach hails Saudi Arabia friendly as ‘very important moment’ for country
Iraq coach hails Saudi Arabia friendly as ‘very important moment’ for country
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Sydney-Hobart yacht crews set off on gale-threatened race
- Race crews face rough weather and big waves as they move down Australia’s east coast, then tackle the notorious Bass Strait toward the Tasmanian state capital Hobart
- LawConnect and rival Comanche battled for the lead as crews vied to be first out of the harbor
SYDNEY: Crews of more than 100 yachts set sail Thursday on a “boat-breaking” Sydney-Hobart yacht race, with gale-force winds and high seas forecast for the grueling bluewater classic.
Under blue, mid-summer skies, spectators crowded onto boats and lined the shore of a breezy Sydney Harbor as a starting cannon set the fleet of 104 on a dash to the open ocean.
Race crews face rough weather and big waves as they move down Australia’s east coast, then tackle the notorious Bass Strait toward the Tasmanian state capital Hobart.
Weather is a critical factor in the 628-nautical mile event, first held in 1945.
Six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued in 1998, when a deep depression exploded over the fleet in the Bass Strait.
“We are seeing strong wind warnings developing through the afternoon today and getting up to gale, so about 35 knots,” meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse said in the last briefing hours before the start.
A strong south-westerly change would move across Bass Strait early on Friday morning, potentially bringing showers, lightning, thunder, and waves of up to 4.0 meters (13 feet).
In the first minutes of the race, reigning line honors champion LawConnect and rival Comanche battled for the lead as crews vied to be first out of the harbor.
“These conditions are probably the worst forecast I’ve ever had to go through. The odds of boat damage are obviously very high,” LawConnect skipper Christian Beck said ahead of the race.
But the forecast conditions could favor LawConnect, he said.
“We’ve had a crew that’s been together for six years. We hope our crew is our main strength. The harder it is, the more that comes to our advantage,” Beck said.
LawConnect edged Comanche to win by just 51 seconds last year, and the two 100-foot supermaxis are again expected to battle for line honors.
“It’s going to be a fast and furious first night out there on our way down to Hobart,” said Matt Allen, co-skipper of Comanche, a four-time line honors champion and the race record holder.
“It’s probably going to be boat-breaking sort of conditions,” Allen said ahead of the race. “The really small boats are really going to cop it a few times in this race.”
Fellow skipper James Mayo said strategy would be key for Comanche, which surged over the finish line in one day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds to set a new mark in 2017.
“It’s about keeping the boat in one piece, you know there’s going to be some good rides,” Mayo said.
Two other supermaxis are entered — Wild Thing and Maritimo.
Alive, last year’s overall winner of the Tattersall Cup, which takes into account boat size and other factors, will again be in contention to defend its title.
Other previous overall winners in the fleet include Centennial 7 (formerly Celestial) and Love and War.
Lamar Jackson breaks NFL QB rushing record, accounts for 3 TDs in Ravens’ 31-2 romp over Texans
- Jackson threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 87 yards and another score
HOUSTON: Lamar Jackson broke the NFL career rushing record for quarterbacks in Baltimore’s 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans on Wednesday, bolstering his case for MVP as the Ravens moved closer to the AFC North title.
Jackson threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 87 yards and another score. He pushed his career rushing total to 6,110 to move past Michael Vick, who had 6,109 in his 13-year career.
The Ravens (11-5) have already wrapped up their third straight playoff berth and need a victory over Cleveland next week to win the division over Pittsburgh. The Steelers dropped a third straight with a loss to Kansas City on Wednesday.
Jackson, the MVP last season and in 2019, put on a show rivaled only by the spectacular Super Bowl-caliber halftime performance by Beyoncé to give Baltimore its third straight win. And he needed just more than three quarters to do it, giving way to Josh Johnson with about 10 minutes left and the game long decided.
Jackson threw 9- and 1-yard TD passes and was not touched on a 48-yard scoring scamper that made it 24-2 in the third quarter.
Derrick Henry ran for 147 yards and set the Ravens season record with his 16th touchdown on a 2-yard run in the first quarter. He eclipsed Ray Rice (2011) and Mark Ingram (2019).
Baltimore dominated a Houston team reeling after losing dynamic receiver Tank Dell to a season-ending knee injury Saturday.
The AFC South champs struggled to finish drives and got their only points on a safety in the second quarter. C.J. Stroud threw for 185 yards, but was sacked five times and threw an interception and Joe Mixon managed just 26 yards rushing as the Texans (9-7) lost a second straight.
Rookie Kamari Lassiter dropped Henry for a 4-yard loss for the safety with about 10 minutes left in the first half to cut the lead to 10-2.
Dameon Pierce then returned the kickoff 45 yards to get the Texans to their 43. But they came away empty when Mixon was stopped on the 1 after grabbing a short pass on fourth-and-3.
Jackson then orchestrated a 99-yard drive to pad the lead. He scrambled to evade the rush and found Mark Andrews for a 67-yard gain to get the Ravens in the red zone with just more than two minutes left in the first half.
Isaiah Likely’s 9-yard TD reception two plays later made it 17-2. It was the first 17-2 halftime score in NFL history.
Kyle Hamilton intercepted Stroud’s pass on the first drive of the second half. Two plays later, Jackson’s long TD run made it 24-2.
He set the rushing record on a 6-yard run on Baltimore’s next drive. Later in the drive, he scrambled to escape several defenders before finding Andrews for a 1-yard score to leave Baltimore up 31-2.
Injuries
Ravens RB Rasheen Ali injured his hip in the third quarter and didn’t return. … Texans TE Cade Stover returned after missing two games following an emergency appendectomy.
Up next
The Ravens host the Browns, and the Texans visit the Titans next weekend. The game dates have yet to be determined.
World No. 1 Sabalenka ready for more Slam success
- Sabalenka: I love Australia and I always come here hungry and always come here ready
- The 26-year-old enjoyed a sensational 2024, reaching seven finals and winning four titles, including the US Open
BRISBANE: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka says she is “fresh and ready to go” in her bid for a third straight Australian Open title, warning she has plenty of room for improvement.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a sensational 2024, reaching seven finals and winning four titles, including the US Open.
Her year was kickstarted by defending her Australian Open crown, beating China’s high-flying Zheng Qinwen in the final.
Should she win it again, she will become the first woman to claim three straight Melbourne Park singles titles since Martina Hingis between 1997-1999.
“I feel fresh and ready to go,” the Belarusian said, according to the WTA website Thursday, after arriving for the Brisbane International which starts on Sunday ahead of the Australian Open from Jan. 12.
“I love Australia and I always come here hungry and always come here ready.
“I feel all the support here, and I think that’s the best thing about Australia, that people are really, really, into tennis.”
Sabalenka also began 2024 in Brisbane, reaching the final without losing a set only to crash to Kazakstan’s Elena Rybakina in the decider.
She spent time in the off-season at her home in Florida before heading to the Middle East to prepare for Australia and will use the Brisbane tournament to fine-tune her Grand Slam preparations.
“You work hard on lots of things in the pre-season,” she said.
“The first tournament before the major tournament is the one where you can try it out and see what’s going to work well for you, and what’s not.”
Despite her rise through the ranks to be the player to beat heading into 2025, Sabalenka said there were still parts of her game that need work.
“Oh, there is so many things to improve,” she said.
“I mean, I’m not that good with maybe my game at the net in singles. There is a lot of things to improve in my touch game.
“There is so many things, even my serve is not as good as I want it to be, so there is always (elements) to improve.”
Mahomes throws 3 TDs as Chiefs clinch AFC’s top seed by breezing past the skidding Steelers 29-10
- Kansas City (15-1) spent three hours toying with the Steelers (10-6) like a cat batting around shreds of leftover wrapping paper
PITTSBURGH: Andy Reid donned a Santa Claus suit in a giddy Kansas City Chiefs locker room on Christmas Day, then handed his team a present it increasingly looks like it deserves: home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
How Reid managed to slide into the costume so quickly after Kansas City’s clinical 29-10 victory over the reeling Pittsburgh Steelers to lock up the top seed in the AFC for the fourth time in seven years is a mystery (though he hinted there’s an elf involved).
How Reid’s team manages to pull away from the pack year after year is not.
A lot of Patrick Mahomes. A dash of Travis Kelce. A splash of speed. A defense that quietly goes about its business, even when its leader is standing on the sideline in sweatpants.
Yes, it has been ugly — by Kansas City’s lofty standards — at times while the Chiefs have chased a third straight championship. Yet as the playoffs loom, the group that looked so vulnerable for most of the season suddenly seems to be rounding into form.
And the road to the Super Bowl will once again go through Arrowhead Stadium. Just the way the Chiefs like it.
“Getting the No. 1 seed is important,” Mahomes said after throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns. “It’s like winning a playoff game.”
Even if how the Chiefs locked it up didn’t exactly feel like one.
Kansas City (15-1) spent three hours toying with the Steelers (10-6) like a cat batting around shreds of leftover wrapping paper. The Chiefs raced to an early 13-point lead and were never really threatened by Pittsburgh, which has dropped three straight to see its chances of capturing the AFC North take another hit.
“That sucked, to be blunt,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
It often does when Pittsburgh is on one side of the line of scrimmage and Mahomes is on the other. Mahomes is now 4-0 against the Steelers with 17 touchdowns against just one interception. He connected on first-half scoring tosses to Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson and added a history-making 12-yard touchdown flip to Kelce to seal it in the fourth quarter.
The grab was the 77th scoring reception of Kelce’s career, breaking a franchise record set by Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. The 35-year-old Kelce celebrated by dunking the ball over the goal post, a nod to Gonzalez’s signature move. The gesture drew a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, though it hardly mattered. Harrison Butker made the longer extra point and the Chiefs were firmly in control.
“It’s just showing Tony some love,” Kelce said with a laugh on the day he joined Gonzalez and Jason Witten as the only tight ends to reach 1,000 receptions. Kelce finished with eight catches for 84 yards while playing for an offense that is starting to get its swagger back.
The defense wasn’t bad either, even with five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Chris Jones sidelined by a calf injury. Jones’ teammates hardly looked gassed while playing for the third time in 11 days.
“It was tough,” cornerback Trent McDuffie said. “I mean, three games in 11 days is crazy for anybody. But I thought we handled it very well.”
The Steelers did not. Pittsburgh went 0-3 during the span, a brutal stretch against Super Bowl contenders Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas City in which the Steelers looked outclassed.
Perhaps more troubling than the losses is the way they played out. Pittsburgh lost each contest by at least 14 points and could find itself starting the postseason on the road after playing fast-and-loose with the two-game division lead it enjoyed just three weeks ago.
“I think that there’s highs and lows in every season,” Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson said after throwing for 205 yards with an ill-timed pick in the end zone in the first quarter. “We’ve got to make sure that we end this last game on the right footing and right belief.”
That hasn’t been an issue in years in Kansas City. Not with Mahomes at the controls. He spread his 29 completions to eight different players, including a career-best eight to Worthy and four to Hollywood Brown, whose return from injury has given the Chiefs another playmaker in what is starting to look like another stacked deck.
“We’re playing, especially offensively, our best football of the year,” Mahomes said.
Looks like it. The two-time MVP hardly bothered by the ankle injury he suffered against Cleveland, throwing touchdowns to cap Kansas City’s first two drives. And while the Steelers drew within 13-7 and 16-10, they never had the ball with a chance to take the lead in the second half.
Instead, the Chiefs — who spent most of the first three months of the season squeaking by most weeks — zoomed away with the No. 1 seed and several weeks to rest before a bid for a three-peat that certainly looks doable.
Injuries
Chiefs: RB Isiah Pacheco left in the second half with a rib injury.
Steelers: DT Cam Heyward exited briefly in the fourth quarter but managed to return.
Up next
Chiefs: finish up the regular season by heading to Denver.
Steelers: host Cincinnati in the regular-season finale.
Inspired by ‘incredible’ Ronaldo, Matheus Nunes eyes success with Manchester City and Portugal
- The 26-year-old spoke to Arab News about the role his mother played in his career and moving from Brazil to Portugal at a young age
MANCHESTER: As a child growing up without a father in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Matheus Nunes had a couple of familiar figures to inspire him to a footballing dream and better life.
One was his mother, Catia, who combined raising and supporting her family with the odd appearance for a local team as a goalkeeper.
The other was Brazil and Barcelona icon Ronaldinho.
Both provided the “magic” that has now seen the Rio-born Nunes starring for Manchester City and Portugal, the country where he moved to as a youngster.
“My mum was my hero,” the 26-year-old told Arab News exclusively. “I learned from her — and she used to play football as well.
“She was a goalkeeper, trying to save my shots. It was just in Brazil, not professionally, but she played in friendlies, local games with friends — she was always playing,” he said.
“She was, what you call, a tomboy. She had about 12 cousins and, compared to her age, she was the only girl in their age group so she was always doing men’s stuff.
Nunes continued: “Football-wise, my first hero was Ronaldinho. I enjoyed everything about him.
“I watched all of his videos on YouTube when I was young. I don’t know how to describe it but, for me, if he’s not the best footballer of all time, he’s probably one of them.
“It was magical watching him. He was the guy who made me fall in love with football.”
So too, inevitably, did Cristiano Ronaldo, once Catia moved the family to Portugal and Nunes learned English and all about the Premier League from his Sunderland-supporting stepfather, John Greenman.
Long before the forward joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo starred at Lisbon side Sporting — a club Nunes would also later join — before successful spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
When he was called up by Portugal for his international debut against Qatar in 2021, Nunes admitted being a bit star-struck when meeting Ronaldo, now 39 and still scoring goals for club and country.
“He’s incredible, a machine to be still playing now,” said Nunes. “I don’t know if I will ever be able to do that, but he’s just incredible.
“I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous when I first met Cristiano. But it wasn’t just him, but a lot of the big players I met when I first went to the national team. I had only played with them in video games before, so it was a great moment.
“My first gift when I was two was a football, so everything led to this. I didn’t try to be a professional in Brazil because I came to Portugal when I was very young,” Nunes said.
“But, after I arrived in Portugal, it was only then that I switched my mindset and said I am going to try to be a footballer here.
“That’s kind of why I chose Portugal as the country I wanted to play for, because Portugal opened doors for me to in terms of professional football.”
However, Nunes’ path to being a professional was far from easy and he combined playing for Portuguese fifth-tier side Ericeirense while working in a bakery.
His break came at Estoril in 2018, before Sporting signed him one season — and just six appearances — later.
Such was Nunes’ rise that, three years on, English side Wolverhampton Wanderers paid a club-record £38 million ($48 million) for him — and Manchester City followed with £47 million at the start of last season.
Nunes, though, has struggled for a starting spot and the chance to show his best form at the Etihad, despite lifting the Premier League and Club World Cup in his debut season.
While he has been given more opportunities — and impressed when played in a more favored attacking role — Nunes has had to help City fill holes due to their injury issues.
Deputising at full-back, he conceded a late penalty with a foul on Amad Diallo that allowed Manchester United to snatch a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory in the derby earlier this month.
That was one of nine defeats for City in their last 12 games — a disappointing run that has seen them drop down to seventh in the Premier League — leaving them 12 points behind leaders Liverpool, and in danger of missing out on the next stage of the Champions League.
With a home game against Everton on Boxing Day and trip to Leicester City on Sunday, boss Pep Guardiola will hope for a much-needed change of fortune to keep his side in contention for a top-four place.
Nunes himself is determined to make his mark in the best league in the world.
“In England you have the best players in the world, the best teams and the games are so intense,” he said.
“In Portugal there is a lot of quality as well, but here you can see every week it’s above the other leagues, and why you want to play here.
“It’s been tough because I haven’t got the minutes I wanted. But I want to play every week and you have to be ready if the manager calls you or not. I want to play, I want to win.”
