Saudi gaming champ rubs shoulders with football legends, eyes more FIFAe titles

Musaed Al-Dossary was crowned Esports Player of the Year at the recent 2021 Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. (Fabio Ferrari - LaPresse)
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Updated 11 January 2022
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Saudi gaming champ rubs shoulders with football legends, eyes more FIFAe titles

  • 2018 FIFAe World Cup winner Musaed Al-Dossary crowned esports player of year at Globe Soccer Awards

RIYADH: Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe, Ronaldinho. And Musaed Al-Dossary.

When, at only 18, the Saudi gamer won the 2018 FIFAe World Cup, he could never have imagined that in a few short years he would be rubbing shoulders with the players that he controlled on screen from his console.

At the recent 2021 Globe Soccer Awards, held in Dubai, the man who plays under the moniker MsDossary7, found himself going head-to-head with star Italian defender and recent Euro 2020 winner Leonardo Bonucci of Juventus.

Al-Dossary, up for an award himself, said: “Before the event, I had the chance to play Bonucci on a game of FIFA, it was something really great. Thankfully, I went to the event, and I won.”

Currently playing for Team Falcons, he walked away with the esports player of the year award by Zone, the gaming ecosystem which had set up the clash with the legendary Italian center-back.

“It was great, a great experience to see how a tough defender plays FIFA. We played a no-rules game, so offsides, tough tackling is all allowed, which is something he loves. I was playing with Italy, and he was playing with Juventus. I won 2-1, it was close because he was an expert in tackling, playing in no rules,” Al-Dossary added.

After a tough couple of years disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, the Globe Soccer prize meant a great deal to Saudi Arabia’s star player.

He said: “After a lot of sacrifice and a lot of hard work that you put into a year, to get the award after everything means a lot. What means even more for me, is that when you see a global event with the best players in the world, Mbappe, Lewandowski, Ronaldinho, and then you see a Saudi guy who wants to be one of the best, that’s not just something for me, but for all Saudis.”

After becoming FIFAe World Cup winner in 2018, Al-Dossary was runner-up the following year, but due to the pandemic, the tournament was cancelled in the last two years.

Still, Saudi domestic titles, two international championships, and leading the Kingdom’s national team to the top of the Middle East and Africa qualifying group for the FIFAe Nations Series 2022, the world governing body’s flagship gaming event, meant 2021 was another year of accomplishment for Al-Dossary.

“For now, we are top of the table, but there are four months to go. The main thing, the focus for us, is to stay at the top of the table and to qualify,” he added.

Al-Dossary and his team-mates Yasser Al-Harthi, and Meshaal Al-Hubishi will contest the second round of qualifiers on Jan. 27 and 28.

The end of last year proved a busy time for Al-Dossary, who alongside playing the qualifiers and attending the Globe Soccer Awards, also spent some time at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center on the outskirts of Salzburg as part of a series of sporting and gaming initiatives by the Austrian firm.

“It was really great to see (the center), getting expertise for everything. Mentality, food-wise, training-wise. I want to thank Red Bull for having me there, to train and to check the facilities and to see how the best athletes in the world train. It was a unique experience,” he said.

And he was particularly grateful for the backing he received from gaming officials in the Kingdom. “The Saudi Esports Federation is great, and to be honest, they’re supportive when you win or even when you lose, they are the first to reach out.”

He noted that it would only be a matter of time before Saudi Arabia started holding some of the world’s biggest esports events and wearing the Kingdom’s colors remained his biggest source of pride.

“To represent my country, it feels really great, and words cannot describe it to be honest. Unless you have tried it, you cannot describe it in a few words, it’s a really great thing but a huge responsibility as well.

“So, I mean, the only thing that is making me play until now, because I’ve been playing for six years now full-time, is that I need to take Saudi to a great place in esports. And with the support I have from my government, from the Saudi fans, I need to give back to them,” Al-Dossary added.

Aged 21, a long career awaits MsDossary7, and his ambitions, individually and collectively, remain as they always have been. Rivals who have eyes on the next FIFAe World Cup should beware.

He said: “The big targets are still the same as every year, to win a major championship, hopefully a world championship taking place this year and to be out there, and to defend the title I love the most.”


PSG to curb political slogans in wake of ‘Free Palestine’ banner

Updated 10 sec ago
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PSG to curb political slogans in wake of ‘Free Palestine’ banner

PSG promised to “guarantee the absence of political messages” in the stands
“The club was not aware of the plan to display such a message“

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain say they will make sure there is no repeat of a midweek unfurling by fans of a banner proclaiming “Free Palestine.”
The huge banner covered an entire section of the stadium at the Parc des Princes Wednesday night ahead of PSG’s defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid.
As well as the slogan “Free Palestine,” the banner showed a bloodstained Palestinian flag, a gesticulating man with a keffiyeh scarf covering all his face except his eyes, the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and a young boy wrapped in the Lebanese flag.
On Friday, after a meeting with the French football federation and government officials, PSG promised to “guarantee the absence of political messages” in the stands.
“A frank and constructive dialogue made it possible to identify solutions that PSG is committed to putting in place from the next match at the Parc des Princes,” a government spokesperson told AFP.
The banner, which was unfurled by the Paris Ultras Collective (CUP) hard-core fan group, was shown above another slogan which read: “War on the pitch but peace in the world.”
“The club was not aware of the plan to display such a message,” PSG said in a statement Wednesday evening.

Al-Hilal win again to pile pressure on Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq

Updated 17 min 9 sec ago
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Al-Hilal win again to pile pressure on Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq

  • Three fine goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic, Malcom and Mohammed Al-Qahtani did the damage

RIYADH: Al-Hilal returned to the top of the Saudi Pro League on Friday, defeating Ettifaq 3-1 to rack up the pressure on under-fire coach Steven Gerrard.

Three fine goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic, Malcom and Mohammed Al-Qahtani did the damage as the champions moved a point clear of Al-Ittihad, who won 2–0 at Al-Orubah on Thursday. 

The loss means that Ettifaq, who started the season with three straight wins, have taken just one point from the last six games in the league. It may mean a nervous international break for Gerrard, though the Liverpool legend will know that this was a battling performance from his players, who just did not quite have the quality when needed.

While Ettifaq tried to keep it tight at the back, it was not all one-way traffic. Moussa Dembele had a couple of opportunities when the ball simply wouldn’t fall for him and Karl Toko-Ekambi shot just over from the left side, though it could have been a mishit cross.

All know, however, that you have to be ruthless and clinical when playing the 19-time Saudi champions as wastefulness is almost always punished. It took the Blues some time to get going but they started to look ominous as half-time approached.

Just before the break, Al-Hilal should have taken the lead. This season Mitrovic has been lethal inside the area and the league’s leading scorer was picked out in space near the penalty spot; the stadium held its breath but former Fulham teammate Marek Rodak got his foot to the low shot and Malcom fired the rebound wide.

Mitrovic didn’t miss in added time. Renan Lodi picked up possession on the left and the Brazilian then bent a beautiful low cross behind the Ettifaq defense and Mitrovic could not miss from inside the six-yard box for his 11th of the season.

Ettifaq were still very much in the game and ten minutes after the restart, Toko-Ekambi stretched for a low cross, and while the Cameroonian did make contact and forced a good save from Yassine Bounou, it was a great chance.

The easterners thought they were going to regret that as Mitrovic had the ball in the net once more but his close-range header was ruled out for offside. There was a lengthy VAR review but it only confirmed the referee’s original decision.

The second goal did come eventually, and when it did — in the 81st minute — it was one to remember, for the home fans at least. Malcolm was running in from the left side of the area when he was found by a smart backheel from Abdullah Al-Hamdan. The Brazilian then took the ball past the goalkeeper with his first touch and then rolled the ball home.

It seemed that there was no coming back from that — Hilal are not a team that gives up two-goal leads — but as injury time started, Ettifaq were handed a lifeline in the shape of a penalty, and up stepped Vitinho to place the ball into the bottom corner.

Unfortunately for the visitors, it served just to wake up the hosts, who quickly restored their two-goal lead, though Gerrard angrily told officials that Mitrovic had committed a foul in the build-up. The home fans enjoyed the goal, however, as Malcom fed Mohammed Al-Qahtani who turned 360 degrees to make a little space in the area and then fired a low shot home.

It got even worse for Ettifaq as Abdullah Radif was sent off for shoving Ali Al-Bulaihi in the neck. There really was no coming back from that.

All in all, it was a perfect evening’s work for Al-Hilal, even if Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard will be a little concerned that star man Salem Al-Dawsari seemed to pick up an injury — with the trip to Australia for a vital World Cup qualifier next Thursday.

Elsewhere, Al-Ahli bounced back from their defeat in the Jeddah Derby to defeat Al-Raed 2-0.


Paul Waring shoots 61 in Abu Dhabi to set 36-hole record on European tour with 19-under par

Updated 08 November 2024
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Paul Waring shoots 61 in Abu Dhabi to set 36-hole record on European tour with 19-under par

  • Waring, who opened with a 64 on Thursday, made nine birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round at Yas Links
  • Rory McIlroy made a triple bogey on No. 17 in his second successive 67

ABU DHABI: Paul Waring hit the shot of his life to complete a career-low 11-under 61 in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Championship on Friday and establish a five-stroke lead heading into the weekend of the European tour’s first playoff event.
The No. 229-ranked Englishman hit a draw with a 3-wood from about 260 yards to inside 4 feet at No. 18 and tapped in the birdie putt to move to 19-under par for the tournament.
The European tour confirmed to The Associated Press that it is the lowest 36-hole score to par in the tour’s history.
Waring, who opened with a 64 on Thursday, made nine birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round at Yas Links and set a course record.
First-round leader Tommy Fleetwood of England (68), Johannes Veerman of the United States (67) and Danish players Niklas Norgaard (65) and Thorbjorn Olesen (67) were tied for second place on 14 under.
Rory McIlroy made a triple bogey on No. 17 in his second successive 67 and was nine strokes off the lead.
McIlroy can clinch a sixth Race to Dubai title with a win this week.


Slot not surprised by flying start at Liverpool

Updated 08 November 2024
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Slot not surprised by flying start at Liverpool

  • Slot appeared to have a tough ask to follow Jurgen Klopp
  • The Dutch coach has won 14 and drawn one of his 16 matches in charge

Liverpool: Arne Slot said he is not shocked by a stunning start to life in charge of Liverpool as the Reds have stormed to the top of the Premier League and Champions League.
The Dutch coach has won 14 and drawn one of his 16 matches in charge in all competitions as the holders have also progressed to the League Cup quarter-finals.
Slot appeared to have a tough ask to follow Jurgen Klopp.
But he has built on the solid foundations left by the German after Liverpool finished third in the Premier League behind Manchester City and Arsenal last season.
“Surprise isn’t the right word I’d use because I knew the quality of our team. But quality is one thing, to be consistent is a second thing,” said Slot at his pre-match press conference ahead of hosting Aston Villa on Saturday.
“From the moment I started working with them I saw how much energy they put in on a daily basis and that is I think the reason you can be consistent.”
Liverpool were inspired by the power of the Anfield crowd to come from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 last weekend to move two points ahead of City at the top of the Premier League.
A similar atmosphere helped blow Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen away 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Slot is keen to keep his players’ feet on the ground but is happy for the fans to get excited about the possibility of just a second league title in 35 years.
“If the end result of them being excited is to bring the atmosphere of the second half against Brighton and the whole game against Leverkusen, I am hoping they will keep being excited because that atmosphere helped us a lot,” added the former Feyenoord boss.
Diogo Jota remains sidelined but should return after November’s international break.


Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif wins IBSF World Snooker Championship in Qatar

Updated 08 November 2024
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Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif wins IBSF World Snooker Championship in Qatar

  • Asif defeated Iran’s Ali Ghareghozlou 5-3 to clinch the title for 3rd time
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif promises to set up world-class facilities for sportsmen

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated Pakistani cueist Muhammad Asif for winning the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Snooker Championship in Qatar for the third time, Pakistani state-run media reported on Thursday.
Asif defeated Iran’s Ali Ghareghozlou 5-3 to clinch the title in a thrilling final on Nov. 6. He outclassed Ali 5-3: 70-25, 7-87(84), 82(56)-8, 106(106)-08, 82-12, 43-91(58), 0-118 and 93(80)-4.
“Asif made the entire nation proud by winning the international championship for the third time,” PM Sharif was quoted as saying by the Radio Pakistan broadcaster. “The talented youth of Pakistan are highlighting the country’s name in the fields of sports.”
The IBSF, founded in 1971, is the governing body for billiards and snooker worldwide. It represents 85 member countries and is recognized by the World Confederation of Billiard Sports and the International Olympic Committee.
Asif, 42, first won the IBSF World Snooker Championship in 2012 and went on to win it again in 2019. His victory ties him with India’s Pankaj Advani who has also won the World Snooker Championship thrice.
The Pakistan prime minister said Asif’s family and coach also deserved recognition, adding that providing quality facilities to Pakistani players was top priority of his government.
“The government is making all possible efforts to provide international standard facilities to the players,” he added.