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.”


‘As easy as the semifinal’ — Alhyasat predicts another win over Al-Qahtani

Updated 26 sec ago
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‘As easy as the semifinal’ — Alhyasat predicts another win over Al-Qahtani

  • Saudi fighter Al-Qahtani gets second chance against his Jordanian opponent after Islam Reda’s withdrawal from the PFL Mena Championship final

RIYADH: The author of arguably the biggest upset in the inaugural season of PFL MENA, Jordanian welterweight Abdelrahman “Cobra” Alhyasat, has predicted history will repeat itself during the first championship final on Nov. 29.

A relative unknown, Alhyasat shocked the world when he beat Saudi Arabian mixed martial arts star and title favorite Abdullah Al-Qahtani in the semifinals, winning by unanimous decision. 

While the undefeated Alhyasat was initially scheduled to face Islam Reda in the final, an injury meant the latter had to withdraw — opening the door for a rematch with Al-Qahtani.

However, Alhyasat does not seem too excited about facing the “The Reaper” for a second time.

“I would have preferred to face a different fighter in the final, but Islam Reda’s injury led to Al-Qahtani being in the final,” he said.

However, “Cobra” is confident that he can make it 2-0 against the Kingdom’s biggest MMA star. 

“I will repeat my victory over Al-Qahtani,” he said boldly, even stating the hometown disadvantage would not be much of an issue. “I’m comfortable with this matchup; it will be as easy as the semifinal. Fighting on his home turf won’t be a source of stress for me.”

While Alhyasat believes he can shut down Al-Qahtani again, he also knows the Saudi Arabian star will not have the same game plan as he did in their semifinal showdown — so he has made his own strategy adjustments to compensate.

“I expect Al-Qahtani to change his fighting style for the final. That’s why, during my specialized training camp in Thailand, we coordinated with the technical team to study all possibilities and adapt to the flow of the fight,” Alhyasat explained.

“The plan we’ve prepared for the final is flawless and ensures another victory over Al-Qahtani,” he added.

In fact, Alhyasat is so confident in his capabilities that he already has a celebration planned.

“I will celebrate the belt with my friends in Amman, enjoying Jordanian mansaf, even if my opponent changes his fighting style,” he said.

 

The complete PFL MENA Championships card:

PFL MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdelrahman Alhyasat (5-0) vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani (9-2)

PFL MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (7-0) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (12-6)

Amateur Women’s Atomweight Bout: Hattan Alsaif vs. Lilia Osmani

PFL MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (11-1) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (15-3)

 

PFL MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (6-1) vs. Georges Eid (10-4)

 

Showcase Fights:

Lightweight MENA Showcase: Mansour Barnaoui (21-6) vs. Alfie Davis (17-4-1)

Heavyweight MENA Showcase: Slim Trabelsi (7-0) vs. Abraham Bably (5-0)

Featherweight Global Showcase: Jesus Pinedo (23-6-1) vs. Jeremy Kennedy (19-4)

Featherweight Global Showcase: Asael Adjoudj (8-1) vs. Jose Perez (9-1)

Middleweight Global Showcase: Costello van Steenis (15-3) vs. Joao Dantas (7-1)


FIFAe Finals 2024 to take place in Riyadh

Updated 27 min 49 sec ago
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FIFAe Finals 2024 to take place in Riyadh

  • The tournament returns to the Saudi capital from Dec. 5-12 with a partnership between FIFAe and the Saudi Esports Federation

RIYADH: The FIFAe Finals 2024 come to Riyadh next month, the first time the event will include multiple esports titles.

Hosted at the SEF Arena at BLVD Riyadh City, it will unfold in two stages. Proceedings begin with the FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League from Dec. 5-8, followed by two FIFAe World Cups featuring eFootball (on console and mobile) that will run from Dec. 9-12.

Ahead of the tournaments, Turki Al-Fawzan, CEO of the Saudi Esports Federation, said: “As we continue to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a global leader in esports, hosting the FIFAe Finals 2024 is a proud moment for us. This event not only highlights the Kingdom’s commitment to the esports ecosystem but also provides an unparalleled opportunity for players from across the world to showcase their talent and passion on a global stage. We’re excited to witness the next chapter of esports history unfold right here in Riyadh.”

Players have the opportunity to represent their nations and lift the official FIFAe World Cup Trophy on a global stage. Sixteen nations are competing in Rocket League and up to 18 will go head-to-head in eFootball.

In line with Rocket League’s third-party regulations, the prize pool stands at $250,000. The prize pool for both eFootball competitions (console and mobile) is $100,000 each, bringing the total prize distribution for the FIFAe Finals 2024 to $450,000.

“This year’s addition of multiple new titles marks a major expansion for football esports tournaments, offering players from diverse ecosystems the chance to compete on the biggest stage under the FIFAe banner. We’re excited to continue this momentum together with the SEF and look forward to bringing this event to life in December together with our partners and publishers,” said FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom.

The FIFAe Finals 2024 follow the inaugural FIFAe Next Gen event in Liverpool, England, which included the first-ever FIFAe World Cup featuring Football Manager, alongside the FIFAe Fame Your Game Cup.


West Ham stun Newcastle to ease pressure on Lopetegui

Updated 26 November 2024
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West Ham stun Newcastle to ease pressure on Lopetegui

  • The result, only West Ham’s second win on the road this season, lifts them to 15 points, just three behind 10th-placed Newcastle

NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom: West Ham produced a clinical away performance to beat resurgent Newcastle 2-0 on Monday, easing the pressure on beleaguered manager Julen Lopetegui.
Tomas Soucek headed the visitors in front against the run of play at St. James’ Park and Aaron Wan-Bissaka grabbed a rare goal in the second half to double the Hammers’ lead.
Newcastle were unable to capitalize on the chances they created, failing to build on the momentum created by recent wins against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.
The result, only West Ham’s second win on the road this season, lifts them to 15 points, just three behind 10th-placed Newcastle.
The home side made the early running and in-form forward Alexander Isak had the ball in the net in the fifth minute after a delicate dink over Lukasz Fabianski, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
West Ham, expected to face a tough test on Newcastle’s home turf, showed little adventure in the opening stages.
But their first real foray up the pitch resulted in a corner and the unmarked Soucek powered home a header from close range in the 10th minute.
Newcastle enjoyed the bulk of the possession as a lively first half unfolded but West Ham were robust in defense and threatened when they went forward.
Anthony Gordon had a glorious chance to level after a poor clearance from Jean-Clair Todibo but fired straight at Fabianski.
Minutes later Isak chested down a superb cross from Bruno Guimaraes but steered narrowly wide on the stretch.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle were again on the front foot at the start of the second half but it was West Ham who doubled their lead through Wan-Bissaka.
The former Manchester United man scored his first goal for West Ham and just his third career goal after picking up Jarrod Bowen’s pass and firing home.
Howe brought on Jacob Murphy and Callum Wilson in a bid to turn the tide but Newcastle failed to build up a head of steam against their determined opponents, who saw out the game with relative ease.
The result will be a huge relief for Lopetegui, whose future has been a matter of mounting speculation just months after he replaced David Moyes.


Jeddah’s IPL auction: Vaibhav Suryavanshi becomes youngest player ever to be sold

Updated 25 November 2024
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Jeddah’s IPL auction: Vaibhav Suryavanshi becomes youngest player ever to be sold

  • Big money flows as Saudi Arabia makes history with first-ever international cricket event
  • It was an electric, record-breaking mega auction which rewrote history, says IPL 

JEDDAH: The big money flowed on Monday as Saudi Arabia made waves with its first-ever international cricket event, hosting the TATA IPL mega auction in Jeddah, a key event in the sport’s global calendar.

The major highlight of day two was Vaibhav Suryavanshi — a left-handed batsman from the east Indian state of Bihar known for hitting long sixes — becoming the youngest player to be sold at the IPL auction — at just 13 years of age.

Suryavanshi was bought by the Rajasthan Royals for $131,000 in the IPL auction at the Abadi Al-Johar Arena in Jeddah.

Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals went head-to-head for his services and eventually the Royals won the fight.

TATA IPL wrote on X: “Talent meets opportunity indeed. (The) 13-year-old Suryavanshi becomes the youngest player ever to be sold at the #TATAIPL auction. Congratulations to the young star, who now joins Rajasthan Royals.”

Rajasthan Royals said on X: “Vaibhav Suryavanshi, all of 13 years old, entering the IPL!”

Hailing from Samastipur, Suryavanshi has already made headlines with his extraordinary achievements on the field.

During the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season in the Indian domestic league, Suryavanshi made his debut at just 12 years and 284 days against Mumbai.

Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh made his debut at 15 years and 57 days, while legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar started his career at 15 years and 230 days.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s experience found high demand among IPL franchises at the Jeddah event, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru securing his services for $1.275 million.

Other notable deals included Deepak Chahar, who fetched about $1.1 million from Mumbai Indians despite his injury history, and Mukesh Kumar, retained by Delhi Capitals for about $1 million through the RTM card. Lucknow Super Giants also invested heavily, signing Test pacer Akash Deep for about $1 million.

However, some big names, including Kane Williamson, Shardul Thakur, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, and Glenn Philipps, went unsold during the mega auction.

The auction reflected the high demand for players, especially from India. Indian talents got lucrative deals for even its fringe players.

Star Indian player Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of the IPL as Lucknow Super Giants spent a mind-boggling $3.19 million on the wicketkeeper-batter on the first day of the mega auction.

Jeddah’s TATA IPL mega auction saw plenty of twists, turns, unexpected signings and records broken, as the availability of Indian and international stars was greater than ever and all 10 franchises were looking to rebuild their squads.

The marquee event posted on X at its conclusion: “That’s it from the #TATAIPLAuction Arena in Jeddah. It was an electric, record-breaking mega auction, which rewrote history. Look forward to your company in #TATAIPL 2025.”

Franchise owners also took to X to express their great excitement.

One of the owners of Punjab Kings and famous Bollywood actor Preity Zinta wrote: “Day 1, nothing less than A1! Punjab Kings are on fire and ready to soar! #IPL2025Auction.”

On day two, she went on to take advice from fans, and wrote: “So how is the auction going folks? Are our fans happy? If not, any more recommendations/suggestions? Bring it on ! #PBKS #IPLAuction2025.”

Owner partner of Kolkata Knight Riders Juhi Chawla Mehta was excited as she posted on X a video of Jeddah with the caption “Destination Jeddah … IPL auction 2025 #ipl2025auction #IPLAuction #Kolkatknightriders #KKR.”

In another post sharing a video of the auction venue, she wrote: “Getting mega auction ready with our CEO Venky Mysore, and mentor DJ Bravo! @VenkyMysore @DJBravo47.”

The squads of the league’s 10 franchises — Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, ‎Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Sunrisers Hyderabad — were finalized on Monday from a pool of 574 players.

The IPL will enter its 18th season in March next year, and the Red Sea city of Jeddah became an important stop en route.

The names of Dubai, London, Riyadh and Jeddah were touted before the Red Sea city was chosen by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for the marquee event.


Ronaldo delivers another Al-Nassr triumph in Asia

Updated 25 November 2024
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Ronaldo delivers another Al-Nassr triumph in Asia

  • Al-Nassr on brink of knockout stages after win

RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al-Nassr triumphed 3-1 at Al-Gharafa of Qatar on Monday to move to the brink of the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League Elite with three group games still to play.

All the goals came in the second half as the Saudi Arabians moved onto 13 points and second place in the group, just two points behind leaders Al-Ahli who earlier won 2-1 at Al-Ain of the UAE.

Al-Nassr made most of the running in the first half but just could not find a way through.

Ronaldo had an early shot saved by Sergio Rico and the Spanish goalkeeper made a diving stop to then push away a shot from the Portuguese star as Al-Nassr pressed again after 19 minutes. 

Soon after it was the turn of Al-Gharafa to go close and Bento had to get down well to save from Wajdi Kechrida at his near post.

Al-Nassr were awarded a penalty just before the half hour as Matias Nani chopped down Sadio Mane on the left side of the area. It looked a clear decision by the referee and Ronaldo put the ball down on the spot ready to shoot his team into the lead before VAR intervened to overrule and keep the game goalless.

Ronaldo had a great chance in the 34th minute but somehow headed Marcelo Brozovic’s left-sided free-kick wide from close range.

It had been a frustrating period for the star and it got worse just before the break as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had a goalbound shot blocked.

He was determined to put it right, though, and did so within the first minute of the second half. Angelo got to the byline on the right and his perfect cross was met by Ronaldo’s thundering header that flew into the bottom corner to give Rico no chance. 

Two minutes before the hour, Angelo swapped passes with Otavio and then skipped past the goalkeeper to extend Al-Nassr’s lead and then, six minutes later, Ronaldo got his second. He was found inside the box by Angelo, turned his defender and then fired home high into the net.

That was that, or so everyone thought, before Spanish striker Joselu pulled one back with 17 minutes remaining.

There was still time for Al-Gharafa’s Seydou Sano to receive his marching orders following two yellow cards, but Al-Nassr saw out the match to complete another perfect day for Saudi Arabian clubs in Asia.