RABAT: Tens of thousands of jubilant Moroccans welcomed their national soccer team home Tuesday after the players exceeded the North African nation’s wildest expectations and finished fourth at the World Cup in Qatar.
Fans packed squares and lined up along avenues and streets in and around Rabat, lighting flares, waving flags, dancing to the beat of drums and cheering as an open-top bus carrying the suit and tie-clad players rolled into the capital with a heavy police escort.
Smiling players and coach Walid Regragui waved, blew kisses to their ecstatic fans and snapped selfies against the backdrop of undulating crowds and swinging palm springs.
At some points along the parade route, the crowds spilled from sidewalks onto a four-lane highway carrying the bus. slowing down the vehicle as it traveled to the royal palace where King Mohammed VI was waiting to receive the players to “celebrate their great and historic accomplishment.”
As the first African or Arab team to reach the World Cup semifinals, the Moroccan team, known as the Atlas Lions, made history and was one of the big success stories of the tournament, the first hosted by an Arab nation.
After the team beat former European colonial powers Belgium, Spain and Portugal, they lost to France in the semifinals. Their record-setting performance led to the players receiving a hero’s welcome.
“Morocco’s run in the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be remembered in the history books as one of the most exciting campaigns since the tournament’s inception,” café owner Reda Ghazi, 27, told The Associated Press. “It was the dream of every Moroccan to win something, especially because Morocco is a country where the passion for football is overwhelming.”
Morocco finished fourth in the competition after losing to Croatia 1-2 in the third-place play-off on Saturday, exceeding the expectations of most Moroccans.
“I still can’t wrap my head around what happened in this World Cup,” added student Anour El Berkaoui, 23. “The team has now set the bar so high that we won’t be happy with anything less than winning the upcoming African Cup of Nations.”
The Moroccan team charmed many Arab soccer fans who saw in the team a reflection of themselves. Players waved the Palestinian flag after their wins and celebrated on the field with their mothers and children.
The team also galvanized support across Africa.
“As an African team, we broke a lot of records and made the whole continent proud,” Rabat resident Omar Zorgane said .
“Morocco as a whole will gain a lot from this year’s World Cup, from tourism to getting the attention of other countries to possibly hosting one of the biggest tournaments in the world in the future,” he said.
Jubilant Morocco welcomes home history-making World Cup team
https://arab.news/whzab
Jubilant Morocco welcomes home history-making World Cup team
- Fans packed squares and lined up along avenues and streets in and around Rabat, lighting flares and waving flags
- Smiling players and coach Walid Regragui waved, blew kisses to their ecstatic fans and snapped selfies against the backdrop of undulating crowds
Ronaldo delivers another Al-Nassr triumph in Asia
- Win puts Riyadh giants on brink of the knockout stages of AFC Champions League Elite
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al-Nassr won 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 United Arab Emirates.
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 save to push away a shot from the Portuguese star once more after 19 minutes.
Soon after it was the turn of Al-Gharafa to go close. Bento had to get down well to save from Wajdi Kechrida at his near post
Al-Nassr thought they had been given a penalty just before the half-hour as Matias Nani chopped Sadio Mane on the left side of the area and the referee gave a penalty. It looked clear and Ronaldo put the ball down on the spot ready to shoot his team into the lead but then VAR intervened to keep the game goalless.
Ronaldo had the best chance of all in the 34th minute but somehow headed Marcelo Brozovic’s left-sided free-kick wide from close range. It was 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 and did so within the first minute of the second half. Angelo got to the byline on the right and just as his cross was perfect, so was 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 then skipped past the goalkeeper to extend Al-Nassr’s lead and then, four minutes after, 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 as Spanish striker Joselu pulled one back with 17 minutes remaining but Al-Nassr saw out the win to complete another perfect day for Saudi Arabian clubs in Asia.
Faisal Khan joins brother in century club as Saudi Arabia registers consecutive wins
- Opener Faisal Khan scored his maiden T20I century as the Kingdom chased down a target of 162 runs with 28 balls remaining
- Faisal is the second Saudi player to score a century in the tournament, following his elder brother Abdul Waheed, who scored a century in the first match against Bahrain
Saudi Arabia registered its second straight win in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier after beating Cambodia by five wickets in Qatar on Monday.
Opener Faisal Khan scored his maiden T20I century as the Kingdom chased down a target of 162 runs with 28 balls remaining.
Faisal is the second Saudi player to score a century in the tournament, following his elder brother Abdul Waheed, who scored a century in the first match against Bahrain and also happens to be his opening partner.
Against Cambodia, Faisal completed his half-century in just 20 balls, with 22 runs coming off the last four balls of Shah Abrar Hussain’s fifth over. Faisal’s blitzkrieg innings meant Saudi Arabia was 86-0 at the end of six overs.
Faisal and Abdul shared a 116-run partnership for the first wicket in just 9.5 overs as Saudi Arabia started off well. Abdul was stumped for 34 runs off Chadha, a dismissal that left Faisal fuming. Even though the chase was half done, Faisal felt it would have been special to share the moment of his century with his elder brother.
He was batting on 81 when Abdul returned to the pavilion. Faisal needed six more balls to reach three figures as he hit a six off Gireesh when on 94. Faisal was caught out on the last ball of the same over, ending with 101 runs off 42 balls. He hit six fours and 10 sixes in his innings. Faisal is only the third Saudi player to score a century in T20Is, after Waji Ul Hasan’s 115 not out vs. Bhutan in February 2024 and elder brother Abdul’s 110 vs. Bahrain last Tuesday.
Faisal said that the moment would have been even more special had Abdul been with him at the other end. “I was very angry when he got out and the way he got dismissed. I was hitting the ball well, so, he just needed to occupy the crease and be with me. We have come through a lot, and had he been there, it would have been even more special,” he told Arab News.
He feels it is easier to bat with his brother at the other end. “We play for Pak Shaeens back in Saudi Arabia, so, there is an understanding in the game. We have started playing together too, and whenever he is around, I am comfortable. It feels like my brother will make it right if something goes wrong from my end,” he added.
Elder brother Waheed was happy to see Faisal back in form and said it was a proud moment for the family. “The moment he got to the century was special, even though I was clapping from the pavilion. I know he feels comfortable talking and batting with me, as we share feedback consistently. It is a proud moment for our family that both of us have scored centuries. I hope we can contribute similarly to our team’s success in the coming days,” he said.
Saudi Arabia needed only 21 runs when Faisal was out. They lost two more wickets but were safely home in the 16th over. Faisal said that the team was looking for a big win from ball one, as they had an eye on the run rate.
“We needed to win big to stay in the hunt for qualification, and hitting the ball was the approach from ball one. The ball was coming well off my bat, and I just kept using powerplay restrictions to my advantage. I knew we could chase the total within 14-15 overs,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Cambodia put up 161 runs for six wickets in their 20 overs after being invited to bat first at the University of Doha for Science and Technology ground. Lakshit Gupta top-scored with 62 runs off 45 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes. Uday Hathinjar added 16 runs and Luqman Butt contributed 26 runs, helping to build the score. Mahaj Chadha also played well toward the end, scoring 24 runs not out.
Cambodia had two strong partnerships at the start, with Hathinjar and Gupta adding 46 runs in five overs. Luqman stayed with Gupta to reach 109 in the 14th over, but the wickets tumbled at regular intervals thereafter. Ishtiaq Ahmad and Usman Najeeb took two wickets each for Saudi Arabia.
After losing the first two matches against Bahrain and the UAE, Saudi Arabia has won three consecutive games, putting the side back in the frame for qualification. The top two teams from this seven-team qualifier will qualify for the regional final, which serves as a pathway for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be held in 2026.
Saudi Arabia is fourth in the table with four points and will face third-place Thailand, who have six points. The UAE and Qatar, who face each other on Tuesday, are both unbeaten and have eight points from four matches. Bahrain also has four points but is behind Saudi Arabia in net run rate. Cambodia and Bhutan are at the bottom without any points.
Saudi Arabia is facing Thailand on Tuesday and will face Qatar on Thursday, which could be a winner-takes-all match to get to the qualifier. Faisal is focused on the match against Thailand, taking the remaining matches as two finals.
“We know how important the match against Qatar is going to be, but first, we are focused on the Thailand match. We will try to give our best to get the win and then only think about Qatar. A win is the only result that will take us forward, so, we are determined to make it happen. To get better matches, to improve our ranking and to make ourselves better, we need to win the two finals from here,” he added.
Faisal feels that the tournament is very important for the development of the sport in the Kingdom, too. “If we go through to the qualifiers, we will have more programs. Right now, there are no turf pitches for us to train on, which is why we find it hard in the first matches. Getting to the next round will only aid our development phase, and we are hopeful of achieving it,” he said.
For the final round of regional qualifiers, Malaysia and Kuwait have already booked their spots from the Asia Group A qualifier, while Samoa and Japan are representing the East Asia-Pacific region. Nepal, Oman and Papua New Guinea will also compete in the regional finals as they qualified for the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup, held in the US and West Indies.
Toney double sends perfect Al-Ahli into knockout stages in Asia
- Al-Ain had the better of the chances until Toney came off the bench in the second half and made the difference with two fine finishes
- Riyad Mahrez floated over a free-kick from the left and Toney sent the perfect header into the bottom corner to give Eisa no chance
AL-AIN: Ivan Toney scored twice to give Al-Ahli a 2-1 win at Al-Ain on Monday, taking top spot in their AFC Champions League Elite group with five wins from five and a place in the knockout stages with three group games remaining. It also condemned Al-Ain, the holders of the trophy, to their fourth defeat in five matches.
Al-Ain had the better of the chances until Toney came off the bench in the second half and made the difference with two fine finishes
In the first half, Al-Ahli’s best effort came on the stroke of half-time as Roberto Firmino burst into the right side of the area only to pull his shot just wide of the near post.
Before then Al-Ain had come closer. The dangerous Moroccan Soufiane Rahimi had forced a save from Edouard Mendy and soon after the former Chelsea goalkeeper had to get down well once more to deny Kodjo Laba.
Early in the second half, Franck Kessie drew a rare save from Khalid Eisa but it was Mendy again in action just after the hour as he had to leap high to push a header from Kouame Kouadio that was heading in.
The deadlock was broken 20 minutes from the end with a goal made in the English Premier League. Riyad Mahrez floated over a free-kick from the left and there was Toney, who had been on the pitch for just a few minutes, to send the perfect header into the bottom corner to give Eisa no chance.
It almost got worse seconds later as Firmino fired home a rocket from the edge of the area but the flag went up for offside in the build-up. It did not matter as Toney added a second with another beauty, and another top-class assist from Mahrez who curled one into the box from the right for the England striker to half-volley home.
Al-Ain pulled a goal back in the 93rd minute thanks to a thunderous strike from Kaku from the edge of the area but it was not enough to stop Al-Ain crashing to a third defeat against Saudi Arabian opposition in the space of a few weeks after losing 5-4 to Al-Hilal and then 5-1 to Al-Nassr.
Al-Ahli, however, go marching on in Asia and with their firepower will take some stopping, and coach Matthias Jiassle told Arab News he was full of pride of his charges for their progress.
He said: “I'm very proud...this is the result of the hard work we have been doing this season in this competition. Our focus is on maintaining our high level of performance in order to extend this positive run and go as far as possible in the Champions League.”
Saudi Pro League partners with Word Football Summit for WFS Asia show in Riyadh
- Set to take place on Dec. 2-3 at Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, the event will bring together more than 2,000 industry leaders
LONDON: The Saudi Pro League, Asia’s top-ranked football league, and the World Football Summit announced on Monday a strategic partnership ahead of the WFS Asia 2024 in Saudi Arabia.
Set to take place on Dec. 2-3 at Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, the event will bring together more than 2,000 industry leaders to discuss and shape the future of football business.
“We are delighted to partner with the World Football Summit,” said Omar Mugharbel, CEO of the Saudi Pro League.
“This collaboration serves as a platform to welcome the global football industry to Saudi Arabia, fostering opportunities for shared growth and mutual prosperity. From our humble beginnings with just eight teams to becoming Asia’s top-ranked league today, our journey highlights the transformative power of football in driving both sporting excellence and societal progress,” he added.
Jan Alessie, co-founder and director of the World Football Summit said the SPL’s success in recent years has been rooted in three key pillars: nurturing young talent, securing world-class international players, and improving club governance.
This evolution aligns seamlessly with WFS Asia’s mission to drive innovation in football business, making the event a natural platform for the SPL to share its insights and experiences.
“The Saudi Pro League’s evolution represents one of the most remarkable stories in modern football,” he said.
“Their commitment to developing local talent while attracting global stars has created a unique model that deserves industry-wide attention. This partnership will provide invaluable insights for football executives worldwide,” he added.
The key themes for the 2024 edition of WFS Asia are the integration of cutting-edge technology in football and the innovation of fan engagement strategies to enhance the sport’s appeal and accessibility.
Additionally, the summit will emphasize the development of sports tourism, showcasing football’s potential to drive economic growth. Sustainability in football will also take center stage, highlighting environmentally conscious practices within the industry.
The event will further spotlight the growth of women’s football and the importance of youth development programs, reinforcing the Kingdom’s dedication to inclusivity and nurturing future talent.
Saudi Arabia to launch professional cricket league: SACF chief
- PIF involvement will see world-class stadiums built in Riyadh, Jeddah and Yanbu
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia will launch its own professional cricket league and has plans to enter into international cricket investments in cooperation with the Public Investment Fund, the chief of the sport’s federation in the Kingdom has said.
World-class stadiums in Riyadh, Jeddah and Yanbu will also be developed under the plan.
It came as the Kingdom hosted the Indian Premier League mega auction for the first time, with top players signing for teams in India’s T20 league, the world’s biggest and most popular.
Speaking to reporters at Abadi Al-Johar Arena in Jeddah, Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud, chairman of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, said: “Plans are underway to enter into international investments in cooperation with the Saudi Public Investment Fund that will support their shared ambition to grow cricket at every level of the game in Saudi Arabia.
“One of the most important plans is to set us on the path to achieving our vision to make cricket a major sport in Saudi Arabia and at the same time creating our own professional league.”
He added: “Part of our strategy aims to build on Saudi Arabia’s cricket infrastructure by developing world-class facilities in Riyadh, Yanbu and Jeddah.”
When asked by Arab News about the impact of hosting the IPL mega auction in Saudi Arabia for the first time, he said: “It is a great opportunity for us to host this year’s prestigious auction. With the full support of our government, we are sending a message that it is really a testament to the Kingdom’s commitment to developing cricket here and establishing our country as a global hub for sporting events.”
Commenting on upcoming events, he added: “A lot of things are coming on the pipeline, and we are determined to achieve our big ambition.
“We have more work to do and we are excited about the future and look forward to working with all our partners to achieve this vision together.”
The two-day mega auction began at the Abadi Al-Johar Arena in Jeddah on Sunday.
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 — will be 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 is an important stop en route.
