MOSCOW: The seemingly insatiable hunger for football statistics means details of everything from kilometers covered to the number of interceptions in the opposition half are widely available. Yet while it is possible for external parties such as Opta to record advanced in-game metrics, there is no formula yet for them to calculate players’ psychological levels in terms of stress, focus, and awareness.
Saudi Arabia will face Russia tomorrow in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup. The tournament has been four years in the making and the tie is expected to attract more than 250 million television viewers, as well as more than 80,000 fans squeezed into the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. For each of the 22 players that stand as the national anthems play, the expectation and burden upon their shoulders will be at an all-time high.
Omar Bakhashwain, the Saudi team manager charged with administrative responsibilities, said he and the squad are under no illusions regarding the number of eyes on them this week. After a chance meeting last December with Fernando Hierro, the former Spain and Real Madrid player and currently a director with the Spanish FA, he said they are looking at it as a blessing rather than a curse.
“I met Hierro at the draw in Moscow and we were talking about qualification and how to deal with a World Cup, both as a player and as a manager,” Bakhashwain, a former national team forward, told Arab News. “He told me that a World Cup lasts a month and there is so much football going on — sometimes three games on a single day — and that we are so lucky to play the opening game.
“It is the first game of the tournament, the only game that day, and will be broadcast all over the world. On the second day there will be many games and each country will follow their teams, but on June 14 it is only us and everybody will watch. It is a very good chance not only for the team but for the country, and I hope we can show the world that our football is changing. We have reached a high level of competition and now we look forward to showing that.”
Increased attention brings with it added pressure. Football is filled with examples of players struggling to cope with the mental side of the game — From David Luiz’s ill-disciplined performance in Brazil’s 7-1 loss to Germany in 2014 to Loris Karius’ error-strewn showing in last month’s Champions League final.
For Saudi Arabia, with a 23-man squad of players accustomed to playing in the country’s Pro League, which last season averaged attendances of 6,000, it marks a huge step up in visibility. In a bid to prepare them sufficiently for the added attention, the country’s football federation earlier this year recruited Chelsea’s head of sports science and psychology Tim Harkness on a temporary basis.
Harkness has spent the past few years helping prepare the English side for the pressures of key Champions League matches and cup finals. This year, he has been traveling irregularly to meet the Saudi players at training camps, working with them on improving their focus and ability to block out distractions.
“Tim has been doing his job very well, preparing the players mentally to be ready,” said Bakhashwain. “I hope everything is ready. The government has prepared everything for us to be ready for the World Cup. We are not missing anything.”
Saudi’s Argentinian coach Juan Antonio Pizzi played at the 1998 World Cup with Spain and knows the strains that come with taking part in tournament watched by billions over the course of a month. With Russia without a win in seven matches and facing huge expectations to perform at their own event, Pizzi hopes to use the opening game and all it entails as an advantage for his side.
“It’s very difficult. The closer the competition gets, it’s unavoidable that you don’t feel the pressure,” Pizzi said.
“But you have to try to return to the point you were at when you were focusing only on your main objective — what you want to do. For example, when you work to achieve something, then you have to work solely on that and avoid the distractions and pressures. That will give you comfort and bring calm. It’s the only way to deal with such things. Heightened attention can be a positive or negative, so we are trying hard to give the players all the circumstances and conditions so it works in their favor.”
Saudi Arabia enlist help of Chelsea guru to help with World Cup mind games
Saudi Arabia enlist help of Chelsea guru to help with World Cup mind games
- Green Falcons have recruited Chelsea’s head of sports science and psychology Tim Harkness on a temporary basis
- 'Tim has been doing his job very well, preparing the players mentally to be ready'
Al-Hilal keep slim Saudi Pro League title hopes alive with comfortable win
- 4-0 home victory over relegation battlers Al-Orobah leaves the reigning champions 6 points adrift of leaders Al-Ittihad, with just 3 games remaining
Al-Hilal defeated Al-Orobah 4-0 on Monday to keep their slim Saudi Pro League title hopes alive. The reigning champions are six points behind leaders Al-Ittihad with just three games remaining.
After the Jeddah giants enjoyed a comfortable win on Sunday, defeating Al-Fayha 3-0 at home, the pressure was on their Riyadh rivals, also playing at home. Interim coach Mohammed Al-Shalhoub, who took over this month after the departure of Jorge Jesus, knew that only a win would do against the relegation battlers.
As expected, the Blues attacked from the start but the visitors defended deeply and in numbers. Hamad Al-Yami almost put the home side ahead at the midway point of the first half. After making a run on the right side, he was picked out by a fine floated pass from Ruben Neves but the full-back, stretching at close range, could not get enough power on his shot.
The home fans, who failed to turn up in large numbers, did not have to wait for much longer before the deadlock was broken, however. Salem Al-Dawsari has been in fine goal-scoring form of late, but just before the half-hour mark he turned provider with a perfect cross from the left side of the penalty area for Aleksandar Mitrovic, unmarked at the edge of the six-yard box, to steer home. Just before half-time, the goalscorer went down in the box under a challenge but the referee waved play on.
The attacks continued after the restart and the task Al-Orobah faced became more difficult within two minutes when Ibrahim Al-Zubaidi was shown a straight red for a reckless challenge on Malcom.
On the hour, Mohammed Kanno’s fierce effort from outside the area stung the palms of Gaetan Coucke and, despite the lead and the extra-man advantage, there was always a chance that the visitors might grab a goal that could all but hand the trophy to Al-Ittihad.
However, Al-Hilal effectively sealed the win in the 65th minute, thanks to that man Al-Dawsari, who scored a typically classy goal. Cutting in from the left, he exchanged swift passes with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as he moved into the area and then lifted a perfect chip over the advancing goalkeeper.
Two late goals added to the ultimately emphatic nature of the victory: Kaio Cesar scored from the spot in the 90th minute and then grabbed another two minutes later.
The title still seems likely to be heading to Jeddah but Al-Hilal are at least showing they will not be just handing it over without a fight.
IPL to resume on May 17 after India-Pakistan ceasefire
- The Pakistan Super League has yet to announce a date for resumption
- Pakistan initially decided to move the last eight PSL games to the UAE
The Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, suspended for a week amid fighting between India and Pakistan, will resume on May 17 following the announcement of a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbors, organizers said on Monday.
The IPL governing council took the decision to suspend the tournament last Friday after consulting franchises and players as India and Pakistan extended their worst fighting in nearly three decades.
The IPL still has 12 group matches left, which will be played in the cities of Bengaluru, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
“After extensive consultations with government and security agencies, and with all the key stakeholders, the Board has decided to proceed with the remainder of the season,” India’s cricket board, BCCI, said in a statement.
“A total of 17 matches will be played across 6 venues, starting May 17, 2025, and culminating in the final on June 3, 2025. The revised schedule includes two double-headers, which will be played on two Sundays.
“Venue details for the playoff matches will be announced at a later stage.”
An IPL match in Dharamsala on May 8 was abandoned midway through, with organizers citing a power outage, while another game at the same north Indian city was shifted to Ahmedabad because of the border tensions before being postponed.
A number of non-Indian players left the country after the league’s suspension.
The Pakistan Super League has yet to announce a date for its resumption.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially decided to move the last eight PSL games to the United Arab Emirates, but last week said it had postponed the matches on the advice of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
India and Pakistan have clashed since India struck multiple locations in Pakistan that it said were “terrorist camps” in retaliation for the deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month, in which it said Islamabad was involved.
Pakistan denied the accusation but both countries exchanged cross-border firing and shelling, sent drones and missiles into each other’s airspace and left dozens of people dead.
A fragile ceasefire was holding between the neighbors after the agreement was reached on Saturday, following diplomacy and pressure from the United States.
Brazil signs Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti 1 year ahead of 2026 World Cup
- CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues: ‘Bringing Ancelotti to coach Brazil is more than a strategic movement. It is a statement that we are determined to recover the top of the podium’
- Rodrigues: ‘He is the greatest coach in history and, now, he will be with the greatest national team on the planet. Together, we will write new glorious chapters of Brazilian soccer’
SAO PAULO: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will leave the Spanish club and take over as coach of Brazil’s national team, the Brazilian soccer federation said Monday.
The 65-year-old Ancelotti, who will be Brazil’s first full-time foreign coach in a century, is still under contract with Madrid. The last round of the Spanish league will be on May 25 and the CBF said in a statement that he will officially take over Brazil the following day.
“Bringing Carlo Ancelotti to coach Brazil is more than a strategic movement. It is a statement to the world that we are determined to recover the top of the podium,” CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues said in a statement. “He is the greatest coach in history and, now, he will be with the greatest national team on the planet. Together, we will write new glorious chapters of Brazilian soccer.”
Rodrigues said Ancelotti will take charge of Brazil’s next two fixtures in South American World Cup qualifying, with his debut at Ecuador on June 5th and five days later in front of home fans against Paraguay in Sao Paulo.
Ancelotti’s contract with Madrid ends next year but is expected to be terminated early.
He will replace Dorival Junior, who held the job for 14 months and was fired in March after a 4-1 defeat at Argentina. Brazil lags in 4th position in World Cup qualifying after 14 matches and has its 33-year-old star Neymar still in difficulties to return to top form after an ACL injury in 2023.
The top six teams will secure direct spots in next year’s tournament.
Ancelotti leaves Madrid after a frustrating season in which the team did not defend its European title and saw rival Barcelona win the
Copa del Rey and get close to securing the league title after a 4-3 victory over Madrid on Sunday.
The Italian coach and Real Madrid are yet to comment on CBF’s announcement.
Ancelotti’s signing ends a turbulent time on Brazil’s bench since Tite left after the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals elimination against Croatia. Under-20 coach Ramon Menezes and Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz took charge for several matches as Rodriguez sought Ancelotti to become coach.
Menezes and Diniz both fared poorly, and Ancelotti extended his deal with Madrid during that span. Dorival Júnior was then chosen in 2024 to take the team to the World Cup, but he was also fired after the same lack of success and unimpressive performances.
Former Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus, a 70-year-old Portuguese who won several titles with Brazil’s Flamengo in 2019, was the favorite to take the Brazil job until Madrid was knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal earlier in April.
Brazil will be Ancelotti’s first international experience as full-time coach. He was an assistant to Arrigo Sacchi in the 1994 World Cup as Italy lost to Brazil in the final on penalties.
That ended a 24-year World Cup title drought for Brazil, the same time frame it will face next year in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Ancelotti, who won Serie A titles as a player with Roma and AC Milan plus two European titles with the latter as a creative midfielder, started his full-time coaching career in 1995 at Italy’s Reggiana.
He’s also coached Parma, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton, winning titles in Italy, England, Spain, France and Germany.
He twice won the Champions League with Milan 2003 and 2007, and added three more titles with Real Madrid in 2014, 2022 and last year.
Ancelotti will be only the second foreign coach to take Brazil into an international tournament.
The first was Uruguayan Ramon Platero, who coached Brazil in the 1925 South American championship, the predecessor of the current Copa America. He was on the job for 19 days and four matches of a round-robin competition with Paraguay and Argentina, with two wins, one loss and one draw in the final with Argentina, who lifted the title.
Portuguese coach Jorge Gomes de Lima, known as Joreca, shared Brazil’s coach position with local Flavio Costa in two friendly victories over Uruguay in 1944.
And in 1965 Argentine coach Filpo Nunez coached Brazil for one day. Nunez was Palmeiras’ coach, and Brazil’s soccer body chose the Sao Paulo-based club to play with national team shirts in a friendly against Uruguay in the opening of the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte. The hosts won 3-0.
The announcement of Ancelotti’s departure came a day after Madrid lost its fourth straight match to Barcelona this season, falling seven points behind the Catalan rival with three rounds remaining.
Former player Xabi Alonso is widely expected to take over the club’s helm after he confirmed his departure from Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso led Leverkusen to an unprecedented German league and cup double last year in his first full season after taking over the team when it was in the Bundesliga’s relegation zone the season before. He starred as a player as Madrid won a Spanish league title in 2012 and the 2014 Champions League before leaving for three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
Madrid still has to play in the upcoming Club World Cup beginning next month.
Al-Hilal host Al-Orobah at Kingdom Arena
- Both teams head into the match looking to extend their winning streaks — Al-Hilal defeated Al-Raed 5-3, while Al-Orobah overcame Al-Riyadh 4-2
- Two sides have previously faced off five times in the Pro League, Al-Hilal winning four of those encounters, while Al-Orobah claimed one victory
RIYADH: Al-Hilal host Al-Orobah in a first meeting between the two sides at the Kingdom Arena at 7:05pm today, Monday, as part of Round 31 of the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League).
Both teams head into the match looking to extend their winning streaks — Al-Hilal defeated Al-Raed 5-3, while Al-Orobah overcame Al-Riyadh 4-2 in the previous round.
The two sides have previously faced off five times in the Pro League, with no matches ending in a draw. Al-Hilal won four of those encounters, while Al-Orobah claimed one victory.
In their most recent clash, which took place at Al-Jouf University Stadium in Round 13 of the first half of the season, Al-Hilal recorded their largest-ever win over Al-Orobah, scoring five goals.
Interim Al-Hilal coach Mohammed Al-Shalhoub aims to secure all three points and maintain pressure on league leaders Al-Ittihad, who currently sit six points ahead. He is expected to rely on the same lineup that faced Al-Raed, with the return of Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo.
On the other side, Al-Orobah’s Spanish coach Antonio Cazorla hopes to win and move away from the relegation zone, counting on key players including Syrian striker Omar Al-Somah, Spaniard Cristian Tello, and Jordanian defender Muhannad Abu Taha.
Al-Hilal currently sit second in the league table with 65 points, while Al-Orobah is in 16th place with 30 points.
And at 9:00pm Al-Okhdood’s football team will be aiming for their first-ever victory over Al-Nassr at Prince Hathloul bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Najran.
The two teams have met three times in the Pro League, with Al-Nassr winning all three matches. Al-Okhdood is now seeking their first victory against the Yellow team in the top flight.
Al-Okhdood currently sit in 17th place — second from bottom — with 28 points, and is fighting to avoid relegation. The team will be missing one of its key players, Brazilian midfielder Petros Matheus, due to injury.
On the other hand, Al-Nassr is in fourth place in the league table with 60 points and is looking to bounce back from a 3-2 home defeat to Al-Ittihad in the previous round.
It’s worth noting that the first-leg match between the two sides ended in a 3-1 victory for Al-Nassr, with Sadio Mane scoring twice and Cristiano Ronaldo adding a goal, while Saviour Godwin scored Al-Okhdood’s goal.
Crown prince congratulates Al-Ahli on historic Asian Elite Champions League win
- Praises Al-Ahli for exceptional performance, professionalism
- Victory vital to boost Saudi’s growing stature in global sports
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated Al-Ahli on Monday for winning the 2025 Asian Elite Champions League.
At a reception here, the crown prince met with Sport Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation President Yasser Al-Misehal, Al-Ahli Club Chairman Dr. Khaled Al-Issa Al-Ghamdi, and several of the club’s staff and players.
The crown prince congratulated the team on their historic victory and praised them for their exceptional performance and professionalism.
He stressed the importance of hard work to elevate Saudi Arabia’s profile in the global sports arena.
Al-Ahli’s continental success marks a major milestone in the club’s history and comes amid Saudi Arabia’s continued investment in sports and culture as a part of Vision 2030.
