KUALA LUMPUR: The upcoming World Cup qualifier between Iraq and the United Arab Emirates that was to be the first official international in Baghdad since the 2003 US-led invasion has been switched to Saudi Arabia.
Sunday’s missile attack on the northern city of Irbil prompted the switch to Riyadh for Thursday’s game, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation announced Saturday.
“Following the latest incidents in Iraq as well as the broader shifts in global security in recent weeks, a reassessment of the safety and security situation in Iraq was performed jointly by FIFA and the AFC,” the statement said.
“Based on the assessment and to ensure the highest standards of safety and security for all the stakeholders involved, it was decided that the match should be moved to a neutral venue.”
The decision comes less than a month after the Iraq Football Association announced that FIFA, which had banned the country for much of the past 19 years from hosting international games due to security concerns, had given Baghdad the go-ahead to stage the crucial game.
Iraq has hosted just two World Cup qualifiers since 2003: against Jordan in Irbil in 2011 and Hong Kong in the southern city of Basra in 2019. All other competitive games involving the national team have taken place in neutral countries such as Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
There have been friendly games in Baghdad, however, such as Iraq’s 3-1 win over Zambia on Friday at the Al-Madina Stadium. Zambia coach Aljosa Asanovic called for Iraq, seeking a second-ever appearance at the World Cup following its 1986 debut, to be allowed to host their games.
“We found the situation to be perfect, and the streets of the capital are filled with security and peace,” Asanovic said. “Iraq deserves to play at its own stadiums.”
With two games left in Group A, both Iraq and the UAE are out of the running for the two automatic qualification spots, secured by Iran and South Korea. They are chasing a third-place finish and a playoff route to the World Cup.
The group stage finishes on March 29 as the UAE hosts South Korea and Iraq takes on Syria in Dubai. Syria is also unable to host international games on home soil.
Iraq’s home World Cup qualifier moved to Saudi Arabia
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Iraq’s home World Cup qualifier moved to Saudi Arabia
Australian tennis star Purcell provisionally suspended for doping
- Tennis Australia stressed that the breach related to a prohibited method, rather than a prohibited substance
SYDNEY: Two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell has taken a voluntary suspension for breaking anti-doping rules, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said Monday.
The Australian, who is ranked 12th in the world for doubles, admitted to a breach of the regulations relating to the use of a “prohibited method” and had “requested to enter into a provisional suspension on December 10.”
No other details were divulged.
“Time served under provisional suspension will be credited against any future sanction,” the ITIA said, with the ban coming into effect on December 12.
Under the suspension, the 26-year-old is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorized by any of the sport’s governing bodies or national associations.
It means he will currently not be able to play in the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in January.
Purcell won the 2022 Wimbledon doubles title alongside fellow Australian Matt Ebden and the US Open crown this year, partnered by Jordan Thompson.
Tennis Australia stressed that the breach related to a prohibited method, rather than a prohibited substance.
“The International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed the breach relates to the use of a prohibited method, rather than the presence of a prohibited substance,” it said in a statement carried by Australian media.
“As the matter is currently under investigation, it is inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
The ITIA is the same organization that charged top-ranked Jannik Sinner and world number two Iga Swiatek over breaches of its anti-doping program.
Italy’s Sinner was exonerated after twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March.
He is currently awaiting the outcome of a World Anti-Doping Agency appeal against the decision.
Swiatek tested positive for a banned heart medication in August.
But the ITIA accepted that the violation was not intentional and the Polish star escaped with a one-month sanction.
Both are expected to play at the Australian Open, which starts on January 12.
Salah happy wherever career ends after inspiring Liverpool rout
Salah scored twice and provided two assists in the goal-spree in north London as Liverpool moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The 32-year-old is the first Premier League player to bag at least 10 goals and 10 assists before Christmas, while his brace also took him into fourth place on Liverpool’s all-time list of scorers with 229 in all competitions.
Salah’s immense value to Arne Slot’s team is clear, but Liverpool have been unable to persuade the forward to sign a new contract as speculation mounts about his future.
With Salah’s current deal expiring at the end of this season, he will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club from January.
Having already made several comments earlier this season about this potentially being his last campaign with Liverpool, Salah once again made a cryptic reference to his future.
“It’s great to achieve that at such a big club, but the most important thing is that we won the game. Wherever I am going to end my career I am happy about it,” Salah told Sky Sports.
Salah added that there was “no update” on his contract situation, but Slot will surely be desperate to extend his talisman’s seven-year stay on Merseyside after he took his goal tally to 18 in all competitions this term.
With Salah to the fore, Liverpool have won 21 of their 25 games in all competitions since Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp as manager.
“I didn’t think about it before the game but I’m glad I have done it, something that makes me proud, I’ll keep working hard,” Salah said of reaching double figures in goals and assists this season.
Salah was less happy with Liverpool’s defending against Tottenham, adding: “We were quite good in front but I think we need to improve defensively as a team.
“Conceding three goals is quite hard. It’s quite good the result and hopefully we just keep going.”
Dortmund holds on with 10 men for 1st away win in Bundesliga
- Dortmund climbed to sixth ahead of the league’s winter break, but it’s not where the club aspires to be after a shaky start to the league
BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund held on after Pascal Groß’ sending off to beat Wolfsburg 3-1 for its first Bundesliga away win of the season on Sunday.
Donyell Malen got the visitors off the mark with a volley to a corner in the 25th, three minutes before Julian Brandt played in Maximilian Beier to score Dortmund’s second goal. Beier, who scored with the outside of his boot in off the left post, celebrated with a throwing-dart gesture.
Beier returned the favor for Brandt to score Dortmund’s third two minutes after that.
Despite the commanding lead, the visitors were second-best for long periods thereafter as Wolfsburg improved dramatically.
Coach Ralph Hasenhüttl made two changes at the break, including sending on Lukas Nmecha to face his brother Felix Nmecha, who was playing for Dortmund.
Denis Vavro pulled one back in the 58th, four minutes before Groß was sent off for a foul on Lukas Nmecha when the Wolfsburg forward was through on goal.
The home team pushed hard but Dortmund managed to hold on to ease the pressure on coach Nuri Sahin.
“A 3-0 lead should mean you can get through the game with confidence,” said Brandt, who complained about his team’s drop in performance. “We’re to blame for that. It’s not good, we need to play more confidently, we need to grow up.”
Dortmund climbed to sixth ahead of the league’s winter break, but it’s not where the club aspires to be after a shaky start to the league.
“We’ll try a reset and to play better in the new year,” Beier said. “It can’t be our goal to be sixth.”
Bochum celebrates
Bottom club Bochum defeated relegation rival Heidenheim 2-0 for its first win of the season.
“When we play like we did today it means there are lots of possibilities for the next 19 games,” said Bochum coach Dieter Hecking. “From that point of view I’m also glad we won because I couldn’t have handled many more games without a win.”
It was the visitors’ seventh straight Bundesliga defeat, the culmination of a busy schedule after clinching European qualification from its league debut last season and the offseason loss of star players like Jan-Niklas Beste, Tim Kleindienst and Eren Dinkci.
“We’re at the end of another ‘English week’ (with midweek games) again,” Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt said. “Everyone did their best, but we have to be honest – it wasn’t enough.”
Run machine Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa
JOHANNESBURG: Rising star Saim Ayub hit his second century of the series — and his third in five innings — as Pakistan completed a series cleansweep over South Africa in the third one-day international at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.
Left-handed opening batsman Ayub made a sparkling 101 off 94 balls in a Pakistan total of 308 for nine.
Heinrich Klaasen thrashed 81 off 43 balls for South Africa — but the hosts were beaten by 36 runs chasing an adjusted target of 308. The match was reduced to 47 overs a side because of rain.
Ayub, 22, hit 113 not out in the second one-day game against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last month and 109 in the series opener against South Africa in Paarl last week.
In between his one-day appearances he made an unbeaten 98 in the second Twenty20 international against South Africa in Centurion.
In contrast to Ayub’s form, his opening partner Abdullah Shafique was out for his third successive duck after Pakistan were sent in to bat.
But Ayub was seldom troubled as he played shots all around the wicket in partnerships of 114 with Babar Azam (52) and 93 with captain Mohammad Rizwan (53).
Ayub fell to debutant Corbin Bosch, caught behind attempting an audacious flick to leg, after hitting 13 fours and two sixes.
Bosch, the son of the late Test and one-day international player Tertius Bosch, received a call-up after injuries hit South Africa’s fast bowling resources.
For the third successive match, Klaasen was the only South African to make a half-century. He kept South Africa ahead of the required run rate until he was sixth man out, caught on the square leg boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi with the total on 194 in the 29th over.
Ayub followed up his century by taking one for 34 in 10 overs with his mixture of off-spin and carrom balls, claiming the key wicket of David Miller and producing the most economical figures by any bowler in the match.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 308-9 in 47 overs (Saim Ayub 101, Mohammad Rizwan 53, Babar Azam 52, Salman Agha 48; K. Rabada 3-56) v South Africa 271 in 42 overs (H. Klaasen 81, C. Bosch 40 not out)
Result: Pakistan won by 36 runs (DLS method)
Series: Pakistan won the three-match series 3-0
Toss: South Africa
Mbappe back from ‘bottom’ as Real Madrid down Sevilla
- Mbappe, back after a brief absence with a thigh injury, scored for Madrid in midweek as they won the Intercontinental Cup
MADRID: Kylian Mbappe said he had bounced back from hitting rock bottom after helping Real Madrid thrash Sevilla 4-2 on Saturday to move second in La Liga above stuttering rivals Barcelona.
After Atletico Madrid beat Barca on Saturday to claim top spot at Christmas, Carlo Ancelotti’s side also took advantage with a comfortable home win which leaves them a point behind the leaders.
Madrid coach Ancelotti said ahead of Sevilla’s visit that Mbappe’s adaptation period had ended following his summer switch from Paris Saint-Germain and the French forward proved the coach right with a strong performance and his 14th goal of the season across all competitions.
Fede Valverde also netted a brilliant effort from range, with Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz on the scoresheet for the hosts too, the latter assisted by a clever Mbappe pass.
Isaac Romero and Dodi Lukebakio scored for Sevilla, although they were thoroughly outplayed on veteran defender Jesus Navas’ final game for the club.
“I think that we know each other better, my arrival changed a lot of things, and now, as the coach said, the adaptation is over and I feel very good in the team,” Mbappe told Real Madrid TV.
“We can see on the pitch that I click better with my team-mates and now we’re all playing better.”
Mbappe, back after a brief absence with a thigh injury, scored for Madrid in midweek as they won the Intercontinental Cup.
It was welcome relief for the forward after missing two penalties in recent weeks against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao, as well as suffering criticism for his form.
“I know I’ve got much more in my legs than I’m showing, but in the last games I’ve played better,” Mbappe added.
“The Bilbao game was good for me, I hit the bottom, I missed a penalty and it was a moment to realize that I have to give everything for this shirt and show my personality.”
With Vinicius Junior suspended, Mbappe took the reins and broke the deadlock in the 10th minute as Madrid brought the ball out from the back and worked it to Rodrygo on the left flank.
The Brazilian squared to Mbappe on the edge of the area, who took one touch to control, another to set himself and with his third, smashed a fierce effort past the helpless Alvaro Fernandez.
“I think (Mbappe) has been self-critical, he’s come out of a situation that could have been complicated for him,” Ancelotti told reporters.
“Yesterday I said his adaptation period was over, today he showed it, sometimes I’m not wrong.”
The coach said Madrid had found their footing after struggling at times in the first half of the season.
“We’re running a bit more, playing with more intensity, we’re doing things well again, as we have to do — they’ve been complicated months,” Ancelotti added.
Madrid’s second, 10 minutes later, was even better, with Valverde firing a screamer into the top corner from over 30 yards out after a short corner.
Ancelotti’s side were in full flow and the third followed in the 34th minute when Lucas Vazquez crossed for Rodrygo.
Sevilla hit back within a minute, with Romero nodding home from Juanlu Sanchez’s cross.
Madrid stretched their lead after the break with Mbappe dinking a superb pass through for Diaz to finish clinically.
Sevilla brought on Navas after the hour mark and he was applauded by the Santiago Bernabeu, with this his 705th and final appearance for the club, far more than any other player.
Madrid and Sevilla players together gave the retiring Spanish great — a World Cup winner in 2010 and two-time Euros champion — a guard of honor at the start of the game.
Navas, 39, won four Europa Leagues and two Copa del Rey trophies with Sevilla, but his final appearance ended in disappointment for the Andalusians.
Lukebakio pulled one back late on for Sevilla as Madrid were able to finish an impressive year, in which they became Spanish and European champions, with positive vibes.
“Today was a spectacle, I haven’t seen anything like that in my life at an away ground, it was crazy,” an emotional Navas told reporters.
“I was thinking of all the moments that I’ve lived through, the joys I’ve given to my Sevilla and my national team.”
