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AS IT HAPPENED: Al-Hilal 2 v. Al-Ittihad 1 - Saudi Super Cup, London

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Al-Hilal lift the Saudi Super Cup at Loftus Road in London (Twitter: Saudi Super Cup)
Updated 19 August 2018
Kevin Affleck
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AS IT HAPPENED: Al-Hilal 2 v. Al-Ittihad 1 - Saudi Super Cup, London

Updated 19 August 2018
Kevin Affleck

LONDON: Carlos Eduardo ended months of anguish and heartache by firing Al-Hilal to Saudi Super Cup glory at a bouncing Loftus Road stadium on Saturday night.

Eduardo has been out of action since suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury in December and he must have wondered at times if he would ever play again, let alone reach the exalted level he was playing at pre-injury.

But the Brazilian playmaker announced his return to full fitness, upstaged debutant Omar Abdulrahman, and showed there is plenty of life left in him yet by scoring the first goal after 35 minutes. The way he frenziedly celebrated, with a knee slide to the corner flag, summed up just how much this goal meant to him and was clearly a release of months of frustration. 

Gelmin Rivas made the game safe for Al-Hilal with a second just past the hour mark and although Karim El-Ahmadi pulled one back for the Tigers, there could be doubting the Saudi Pro League champions were worthy winners of this full-blooded encounter. They were just too quick, too nimble and too potent for an Al-Ittihad side who are looking to rebuild under new coach Ramon Diaz.

Al-Ittihad gave it a good go and huffed and puffed, but Al-Hilal just had too much quality in attack to the extent that they were able to leave the prolific Omar Khribin on the bench for 75 minutes. It will take some side to prevent Al-Hilal from winning the league title for a third straight season on this evidence.

They were by far the busier and more progressive of the two sides early on and Al-Ittihad were struggling to keep up with their slick movement. Indeed, crude fouls on Eduardo and Salem Al-Dawsari neatly summed up how they were desperately clinging on to Al-Hilal's coat tails. 

Al-Ittihad's defenders had their work cut out with the fluid movement of Al-Hilal's attacking players and it look a last-ditch tackle from the excellent Hassan Moaz to prevent Rivas from connecting with Andre Carrillo's low centre and scoring what would have been a certain goal after ten minutes. From the resulting corner, Al-Dawsari, unmarked and unchallenged, should have buried a header from an Abdulrahman corner, but he failed to even find the target.

Then Al-Dawsari, back from a loan spell at Villarreal, saw a shot deflected wide when he really should have played in Yasir Al-Shahrani on the overlap. But the goal you felt was coming and it arrived on 35 minutes, Eduardo ramming home a cross from Carrillo. It was the least Al-Hilal deserved for their vibrant start. 

The nearest Al-Ittihad came to troubling Ali Al-Habsi in the Al-Hilal goal was when Wanderson looped a header straight into his arms. It wasn't exactly one-way traffic, but it wasn't far off.

Diaz needed to make a change at half-time as Al-Ittihad were being over-run, but instead of shoring things up, the coach made an attacking switch, bringing on Serbian summer Aleksandar Pesic to spearhead the attack. It was a bold move.

It did nothing to shift the momentum, really. Just four minutes into the half, Al-Hilal were on the front again, Mohamed Kanno latching onto a through ball from Al-Dawsari to fire a rising half volley at Assaf Al-Qarni. You felt it was only a matter of time before Al-Hilal scored against and they did so on 62 minutes, Rivas rounding Al-Qarni to roll the ball into the empty net. The Al-Hilal fans went wild, believing that was game, set and match. The trophy, they felt, was theirs.

But Al-Ittihad refused to roll over and just minutes after Jonas forced a flying save from Al-Habsi, Moroccan international El-Ahmadi pulled one back. It was now game on with 23 minutes remaining.

Yet Jorge Jesus, the Al-Hilal coach, showed no signs of shutting up shop and he went for a third instead of holding onto the 2-1 lead by introducing Khribin for Abdulrahman with 15 minutes left. It made for a thrilling finale, as both sides threw the kitchen sink at each other, but Al-Hilal held on to win the trophy for the second time. 

STARTING LINE-UPS:

Al-Hilal: Al-Habsi; Al-Burayk, Botia, Al-Bulayhi, Al-Shahrani; Kanno, Abdulrahman; Carrillo, Al-Dawsari, Eduardo; Rivas.

Al-Ittihad: Al-Qarni; Moaz, Jurman, Hassan, Thiago; Jonas, El-Ahmadi, Villanueva, Wanderson, Al-Muwallad; Romarinho. 

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20:15 - FULL-TIME: AL-HILAL 2 V. AL-ITTIHAD 1: No, they can't - and it's a first Super Cup trophy for Al-Hilal! Omar Abdulrahman wins his first trophy with the Saudi club and it's the Blues who take the first title of the year...

20:00: GOAL - Karim El-Ahmadi gives Al-Ittihad hope of a famous come-back...can they turn this match around?

19:55: GOAL - 2-0 to the Saudi champions, Rivas with the goal this time...

19:45: It's still 1-0 to Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad pressing to get back into the game, but nothing doing so far...

 

19:35: We're under way in the second half, and Al-Hilal are looking comfortable. Will it be back-to-back league titles for the 'Crescent' this season?

HALF-TIME: It's Al-Hilal who go into the break ahead, thanks to that Eduardo goal.

19:05: GOAL - Al-Hilal take the lead in the 35th minute through Eduardo after he smashes home from a Carillo cross. Advantage to the champions of Saudi Arabia...

19:00: Ever wondered what Loftus Road and west London looked like? The Saudi Super Cup official channel have made this very handy video...

18:55: Both teams working hard, but little end-product from either. Tentative start from both sides.

18:45: Look who's working tonight's game - former Chelsea and England star John Terry and Egypt's Mido...

 

 

18:40: Cagey start from both sides, crowd in good voice. Al-Hilal looking slightly better, but Al-Ittihad's fans making more of the noise...

18:20: Excitement is building in west London ahead of the Saudi Super Cup, with both teams looking for their first title...

 

 

 

18:15: Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad go head-to-head in the Saudi Arabian Super Cup at Loftus Road in west London on Saturday evening, follow live updates here with Arab News.

 

Topics: Saudi Arabia sport football soccer SPL Al-Hilal SPL Al-ittihad

Al-Ahli crowned SAFF Women’s Cup champions in thriller at Kingdom Arena

Updated 20 March 2025
Arab News
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Al-Ahli crowned SAFF Women’s Cup champions in thriller at Kingdom Arena

  • Al-Ahli beat Al-Qadsiah 2-1 to retain women’s cup
  • Fans respond to the #SeeOurGlory online campaign
Updated 20 March 2025
Arab News

RIYADH: Defending champions Al-Ahli beat Al-Qadsiah 2-1 in the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Women’s Cup final on Wednesday, in a game that lived up to all the pre-match hype.

Al-Ahli produced a remarkable comeback to secure a second consecutive cup victory at Kingdom Arena.

Goals from Congo international Naomie KabaKaba and Moroccan captain Ibtissam Jraidi saw the Jeddah club edge past Al-Qadsiah in an end-to-end contest.

The 2025 final comes during a historic season of growth for women’s football in Saudi Arabia.

Fans had also responded positively to the SAFF’s #SeeOurGlory campaign tying into the showpiece match.

In a fast start to the match, Al-Qadsiah goalkeeper Lindsey Harris was forced into action early with several fine saves, denying KabaKaba from close range.

Harris’ early stops provided Al-Qadsiah the platform to grow into the final, as Saudi Arabia star Rahaf Al-Mansouri opened the score midway through the first half from a corner.

The 2024 cup winners would tie the score just before the break with a deflected strike from KabaKaba.

An early second half header from captain Jraidi saw the Jeddah club take and hold onto the lead, sealing a second cup in successive seasons for Manar Fraij’s side.

Jraidi said: “We’re delighted to secure this cup and for me to win the top scorer award. Honestly, it’s a stunning stadium with an incredible atmosphere. We truly appreciate SAFF for its outstanding organization of this event.”

Fraij was proud of her team’s comeback in a tense final. “An incredible achievement for the team. We worked on the mentality of the players, and we believed in the players’ unwavering determination.

“Regardless of scoring first or conceding first, we remained focused and consistent until the final whistle. The players deserve this,” said Fraij.

Topics: football SAFF Women’s Cup SPL Al-Ahli SPL Al-Qadsiah

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‘Great time’: In Pakistani capital, padel pops up as new favorite Ramadan sport

Updated 20 March 2025
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‘Great time’: In Pakistani capital, padel pops up as new favorite Ramadan sport

  • Padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and Islamabad residents are bewitched by global craze this Ramadan season
  • Padel games provide fun-filled pastime, opportunity to socialize and means to enjoy exercising without hard strain during fasting month
Updated 20 March 2025
KASHIF IMRAN & Usama Iqbal Khawaja

ISLAMABAD: On a recent Ramadan night, Mamoon Sabri, 27, slipped into a tracksuit an hour after the iftar meal and headed to his new favorite getaway: a padel court.

Racket in hand, he walked onto the artificial turf at The Pad, Islamabad’s first padel club, as a group of his friends also arrived. Soon they began hitting forehands and backhands across the net, slamming the ball off the back wall, scooping it over the net and teasing each other with shots close to the wall — and so went on an hour-and-a-half long game of padel.

The racket sport, a mix of tennis and squash that is the fastest-growing sport in the world, is also gaining traction in Pakistan, especially in Ramadan, with its culture of sports and physical activities in parks, streets, and sports grounds after iftar and until the pre-dawn suhoor meal, fostering a sense of community and promoting health at the same time. 

At The Pad and other padel courts in the Pakistani capital, padel games are offering people both a fun-filled pastime and an opportunity to socialize and exercise in the hours between iftar and suhoor. A Ramadan tournament is taking place at The Pad currently, with more than 50 teams participating in all-girls, mixed doubles and advanced team categories. 

As of 2024, there are approximately 30 million amateur padel players worldwide, with the sport, founded in Mexico in the 1960s, now played in over 130 countries, according to the International Padel Federation.

“Padel is a great time and Ramadan is always a great time for sports in Islamabad anyway because everyone wants to play, everyone wants to stay awake till sehri [suhoor] one way or the other,” Sabri, a sports broadcaster and consultant, told Arab News shortly after winning a men’s doubles game.

People play padel at an outdoor court at The Pad in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 17, 2025. (AN photo)

Mustafa Mirza, a co-founder of The Pad, said the club was fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie in Ramadan.

“Padel is a social hub and it is linked more with the lifestyle,” Mirza said. “We have an excellent response in Ramadan. We feel that the people who were not familiar with padel, because they ventured out in Ramadan and they found this sport to be so challenging and rigorous, and then they have taken part in it.”

People play padel at an outdoor court at The Pad in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 17, 2025. (AN photo)

Indeed, from dedicated sports clubs to pop-up facilities in upscale neighborhoods, there is a surge in courts and players this Ramadan, with families, friends, and even corporate groups gathering late into the night and enjoying the sport’s social nature. Many players said they would cap off their matches with post-game hangouts at nearby cafés and restaurants where they could enjoy suhoor in groups. 

Mahnoor Khan, a 27-year-old employee at a telecom company, said she had come to the courts for the first time with her husband and a group of friends, describing padel as a “very good sport for family and friends.”

“In Islamabad you don’t have a lot of options other than dining out, so this is the very first time that they have introduced something that is other than dining out for socializing,” she told Arab News. “You have a good game, and you go out after iftar or whenever … I think the concept is now spreading really fast.”

The picture taken on March 17, 2025, shows sign board of The Pad, a padel club, in Islamabad, Pakistan. (AN photo)

Zainab Ameen, who manages The Pad club with her husband, another co-founder Ameen-ud-Din Hafeez, said though the club had only launched a few months ago, the response was “tremendous.”

“We never thought that we will get this kind of response. We just started with two courts and when we got a very good response, we opened two more. And now, we are going to open a futsol [arena],” she told Arab News.

What makes padel particularly appealing during Ramadan is that as a low-impact sport, padel lets one enjoy exercising without any hard strain on the muscles, thus serving as an effective means of staying fit without feeling exceedingly overwhelmed in Ramadan.

“It’s a very low skill floor for the game to play. So, anyone who is starting off will have a good time because they are going to feel like, ‘Wow, what a shot, I am a machine’,” Sabri said. 

“But then there is also a very good skill ceiling … It’s a very interesting mixture in a way most racket sports are.”

Topics: Pakistan Padel court Islamabad Ramadan 2025

Luka Doncic scores 31 after a big first quarter, and the Lakers rout the depleted Nuggets 120-108

Updated 20 March 2025
AP
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Luka Doncic scores 31 after a big first quarter, and the Lakers rout the depleted Nuggets 120-108

  • The Lakers scored a season-high 46 points in the first quarter led by Luka Doncic
  • Doncic was afire from the opening tip, scoring nine points in less than three minutes and 20 points in about eight minutes
Updated 20 March 2025
AP

LOS ANGELES: Luka Doncic had 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in just three quarters of work, and the Los Angeles Lakers routed the Denver Nuggets 120-108 on Wednesday night in a matchup of injury-depleted Western Conference contenders.
Nikola Jokic (elbow) and Jamal Murray (ankle) missed their second straight games for Denver, while LeBron James (hamstring) and Rui Hachimura (knee) continued their longer-term absences for Los Angeles.
Austin Reaves had 22 points and eight assists for the Lakers, who have won nine consecutive home games and three straight since finishing their 0-4 road trip last Friday with a loss at Denver.
Aaron Gordon scored 26 points for the Nuggets.
The Lakers scored a season-high 46 points in the first quarter led by Doncic, who scorched Denver for 21 points in his highest-scoring quarter of the season. He missed the Lakers’ 131-126 loss to Denver last Friday, when the Lakers nearly won without him and James.
Los Angeles led by 28 after three quarters, allowing Doncic to get extra rest amid five home games in seven days.
Bronny James played the final 3:58.
Takeaways
Nuggets: Even without Jokic and Murray, offense wasn’t the problem. Los Angeles made 60 percent of its shots in the first three quarters.
Lakers: Doncic dominated early, but they’re thriving with balance. Six Lakers scored in double figures, and big men Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko played solid defense.
Key moment
Doncic was afire from the opening tip, scoring nine points in less than three minutes and 20 points in about eight minutes. He led an 18-2 run midway through the first quarter with three 3-pointers and three assists before cooling off.
Key stat
Doncic scored 30 points for the 200th time in his NBA career. He’s done it eight times in 16 games with LA.
Up next
The Nuggets visit the Trail Blazers on Friday. The Lakers host the Bucks on Thursday.

Topics: basketball NBA Luka Doncic Los Angeles Lakers Denver Nuggets

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Pakistan football team to travel to Saudi Arabia for AFC Asian Cup qualifier camp

Updated 20 March 2025
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Pakistan football team to travel to Saudi Arabia for AFC Asian Cup qualifier camp

  • Pakistan will face Syria in AFC Asian Cup qualifier fixture on Mar. 25 in Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahsa
  • Green shirts to resume training camp in Saudi Arabia under Head Coach Stephen Constantine
Updated 20 March 2025
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national football team will be in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, where they will resume training for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifier fixture against Syria, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said in a statement. 

Pakistan will kick off their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualification campaign against Syria on Mar. 25 at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. 

The green shirts concluded their training session in the eastern city of Lahore on Wednesday night, the PFF said. 

"The team is set to depart for Saudi Arabia tomorrow night, where they will continue their training under the guidance of Head Coach Stephen Constantine," the PFF said. 

Earlier this month, Pakistan reappointed Constantine, who previously served as the country's head coach from late 2023 until mid-2024, as head coach for the Syria fixture. 

Pakistan's inclusion in the qualifier was made possible after the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) lifted its international suspension against the country earlier this month. 

FIFA hit Pakistan on Feb. 6 with a third international suspension in less than eight years after the federation rejected its electoral reforms. Following the suspension, the PFF unanimously approved FIFA's proposed constitutional amendments in an extraordinary meeting in Lahore this month. 

Pakistan are placed in Group E of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers alongside Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar.

PAKISTAN PROBABLES

Goalkeepers: Yousuf Butt, Saqib Hanif, Abdul Basit and Adam Khan

Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal, Easah Suliman, Haseeb Khan, Junaid Shah, Mamoon Moosa, Mohammad Fazal, Abdul Rehman and Waqar Ihtisam

Midfielders: Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Uzair, Ali Zafar, Muhammad Umar Hayat, Rahis Nabi, Toqeer ul Hassan, Umair Ali and Moin Ahmed

Forwards: Fareedullah, Harun Hamid, Imran Kayani, Mckeal Abdullah, Abdul Samad, Shayak Dost and Muhammad Adeel Younas

Topics: Saudi Arabia Pakistan

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Saudi midfielder Mohammed Kanno to miss World Cup qualifier against China through injury

Saudi midfielder Mohammed Kanno to miss World Cup qualifier against China through injury

Updated 20 March 2025
Arab News
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Saudi midfielder Mohammed Kanno to miss World Cup qualifier against China through injury

  • The Green Falcons, who sit in 4th place in their group on 6 points with 4 games to play, face China on Thursday and Japan on Tuesday
  • ‘We expect to perform well … Qualification is in our hands and we want to win,’ says national team coach Herve Renard
Updated 20 March 2025
Arab News

RIYADH: Midfielder Mohammed Kanno will miss the Saudi national team’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against China on Thursday but could be available for the match against Japan on Tuesday, coach Herve Renard revealed on Wednesday.

“Kanno will not be ready for tomorrow’s match, just as he wasn’t for the Australia game, but we hope he can travel with us to Japan,” the Frenchman said. Kanno picked up an injury playing for his club, Al-Hilal, against Al-Taawoun on Saturday.

The Saudis are one of four teams on six points in Group C after six games of the final stage of the Asian qualifiers. With four games left to play, Australia are in second place on seven points and Japan top the group on 16 points. The top two teams from each of the three groups will qualify for the World Cup, while the teams in third and fourth place progress to the play-off phase.

“We expect to perform well,” Renard said of the upcoming double-header. “There is no pressure on us after the Gulf Cup, and we are still fortunate to have a direct qualification opportunity after our previous matches. Qualification is in our hands and we want to win.”

He attributed recent improved performances by China to their Croatian coach, Branko Ivankovic, adding: “Matches against him were tough when he coached Oman, and tomorrow’s match will be no different. China is a well-organized team that excels in attacking transitions and we must be ready for that.”

Renard thanked the Saudi fans for ensuring Thursday’s clash at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh is a sell-out, and highlighted the important role they play in supporting the players.

“We can’t do it alone,” he said. “We need the fans, they are the foundation of our qualification. We need everyone and we must show our desire and determination to win.”

Ivankovic acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s superiority ahead of the clash but expressed confidence in his players’ ability to get a result.

“Saudi Arabia is one of Asia’s top teams,” he said. “They played against Argentina and defeated them in the World Cup. They have the advantage but we believe in our chances and capabilities and want to complete our mission with a positive result.

“We have prepared well for Thursday’s match. We have 15 new players, bringing fresh energy and experience. We know (the Saudis) well — they are an excellent team.”

Recalling his previous encounter with Renard, Ivankovic added: “We faced him when I was with Oman. He is not just a good coach but an outstanding one.”

He also had high praise for the injured Kanno, describing him as “the best Saudi midfielder,” but added: “It doesn’t matter whether he plays or not. We prepare for our opponent with their full squad. That’s our approach.”

Topics: FIFA World Cup qualifier  Mohammed Kanno Saudi Green Falcons

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