Bucharest: A Nations League game between Romania and Kosovo in Bucharest was suspended on Friday in injury time after fans in the crowd shouted “Serbia!.”
The Kosovo players left the pitch after the chants, leading to the game to be paused with the score 0-0.
Animosity between Kosovo and Serbia has persisted since the war between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents in the late 1990s.
Kosovo and Serbia do not play each other in UEFA and FIFA tournaments.
Football’s world governing body opened disciplinary proceedings against Serbia during the 2022 World Cup after the team hung a flag in their changing room depicting Kosovo as part of Serbia.
Kosovo joined FIFA and European confederation UEFA in 2016.
When Romania played in Pristina, they beat Kosovo 3-0.
Kosovo players walk off in Romania game after ‘Serbia’ chants
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Kosovo players walk off in Romania game after ‘Serbia’ chants
Big bucks Iyer leads Punjab Kings to win over Gujarat Titans in IPL
Iyer’s 42-ball knock steered the team to 243-5 after being invited to bat first at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat finished on 232-5 despite a valiant 41-ball 74 by opener Sai Sudharsan who set up a blazing start to the run chase, featuring a 84-run second wicket stand with England’s Jos Buttler (54).
Both sides walloped 16 sixes each across the two innings on the fourth day of the cash-rich Indian Premier League T20 tournament.
Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to a title win last year, has already gone some way to justifying his top price tag, after Punjab paid a whopping 3.17 million dollars in the November auction.
The top-order batter started with a boundary off Gujarat’s South African import Kagiso Rabada and three balls later smashed a six.
He allowed attacking opener Priyansh Arya to take charge as the Indian young left-hander hammered 47 off 23 deliveries before being denied his fifty by Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan.
Gujarat’s Sai Kishore joined the bowling charge to strike twice in two balls, including trapping Australia’s Glenn Maxwell lbw for a first-ball duck, but Marcus Stoinis avoided the hat-trick.
Maxwell walked back without a review but tracking technology later revealed the ball would have gone over the stumps as a dejected Punjab coach Ricky Ponting looked upset.
Iyer stood strong as he took on the attack with sixes and fours and found support from Australian hard-hitter Stoinis, who smashed a 15-ball 20 before becoming Kishore’s third wicket.
Iyer reached his fifty in 27 balls and kept up the charge as he struck three sixes and a four in a 24-run over off seam bowler Prasidh Krishna.
Iyer went past his previous IPL best of 96 but missed out on his century as partner Shashank Singh dominated the strike in the latter stages and finished on an unbeaten 16-ball 44.
Iyer and Shashank hammered 81 runs between them in 28 balls to finish with a flourish.
In reply, the left-handed Sudharsan and skipper Shubman Gill, who hit 33 off 14 balls, handed Gujarat a blazing start but the ever-increasing run-rate made the home team fall behind the chase despite having wickets in hand.
Sudharsan fell to left-arm pace bowler Arshdeep Singh and Buttler, after reaching his fifty, was bowled by South African left-arm quick Marco Jansen.
Impact player Sherfane Rutherford, a left-handed West Indian hard-hitter, made a desperate effort to pull off a miracle with his 28-ball 46 before falling to Arshdeep in the final over.
Real Madrid making progress on Alexander-Arnold transfer: reports
Alexander-Arnold is one of three key Liverpool players out of contract at the end of the season
LONDON: Trent Alexander-Arnold is closing in on a move to Real Madrid when his Liverpool contract expires at the end of the season, according to reports on Tuesday.
The defender has long been linked with a move to the Bernabeu on a free transfer and talks between the 26-year-old and the Spanish giants are understood to be making progress.
The England international, who came through the youth ranks at Liverpool and has been at the Premier League club for more than two decades, has been able to discuss terms with overseas clubs since January.
Alexander-Arnold made his Liverpool debut as an 18-year-old in 2016.
The right-back has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Club World Cup with his boyhood club and is on course to add a second league crown this season, with Arne Slot’s side currently 12 points clear at the top of the table.
Alexander-Arnold is one of three key Liverpool players out of contract at the end of the season, with the futures of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk still unclear.
Alexander-Arnold is currently out of action with an ankle injury and missed Liverpool’s defeat to Newcastle in the League Cup final earlier this month.
Liverpool have declined to comment on the reports.
5 things we learned from Saudi’s World Cup qualifiers
- Four points from a win over China and a draw with Japan is probably what Herve Renard had set as an acceptable return from this international week
LONDON: Saudi Arabia drew 0-0 in Japan on Tuesday to follow the 1-0 win over China last Thursday. The results leave the Green Falcons on 10 points in Group C in the third round of 2026 World Cup qualification, three points behind Australia in second. Japan are already sure of first.
Only the top two from each of the three groups of six are guaranteed a place in North America next summer, while those that finish third and fourth advance to another stage of qualification.
It goes without saying that Saudi Arabia want to take the direct route. Here are five things we learned from this World Cup qualification window.
The Japan result was a good one
Four points from the two games is a good showing. The China game should have ended with a more emphatic scoreline and ideally would have been followed by victory in Japan.
Coach Herve Renard said after the 0-0 draw that he would have taken the point if he had been offered it 24 hours earlier, and understandably so. Japan are the best team in Asia by some distance, even if they had already qualified.
If Saudi Arabia do miss out on the automatic places for the World Cup it will not be because of the stalemate in Japan but because of earlier home draws with Indonesia and Bahrain. If six points had been taken in those two games under Roberto Mancini, then the result in Saitama Stadium would have been hailed as an excellent one. The same could be said if Australia had not picked up six points in the last five days.
Attacking threat sacrificed for defensive solidity
Renard did not need to say that he would have taken a point: His game plan and tactics made it obvious that this was what he wanted.
There was talk about keeping it tight for the opening exchanges and then perhaps getting down the wings to cause problems for the East Asians.
The first part of that equation happened, but the second? Not really. There was little in terms of attacking threat from the visitors. There were long balls out of defence but Firas Al-Buraikan was often left isolated on the rare occasions that the ball went into dangerous areas.
Yet the concentration, the tactical discipline and hard work were impressive. Saudi Arabia frustrated a better team away from home and while there was luck at times, they are only the second team to take points from Japan in 14 World Cup qualifiers.
Jehad Thakri impresses
With injuries at the back, a problem not helped by Hassan Kadesh getting carried off against China, there were some understandable worries against the team with the most firepower in Asia. There may have been a few nerves when Renard handed a debut to Jehad Thakri but the Al-Qadsiah center-back did not display any signs of them as he took the field at Saitama Stadium on the right side of a three-man defense.
The 23-year-old has made a name for himself this season in the Saudi Pro League and looks like he belongs on the international stage too as he was confident, strong and hard to beat. His distribution was not quite as impressive but there is time for that to develop, especially as there will not be many games when Saudi Arabia are under so much pressure. With Nawaf Boushal also impressing, there are some new names coming through.
Fatigue and injuries play a part
Following the Japan game there has been plenty of reaction on social media about how extending the number of foreign players allowed in Saudi Pro League squads to 10 has negatively affected the national team.
That is perhaps a debate for another day, but it should not be forgotten that the Green Falcons have had to deal with numerous injuries. Just before the China game, midfielder Mohamed Kanno was ruled out, then Kadesh was also unavailable and, perhaps most damaging of all, Roma star Saud Abdulhamid picked up an injury. There are also longer-term knocks such as Yasser Al-Shahrani and others.
And then there is the travel factor. There was a hard-fought game at home and then a long, long trip east, across six time zones, to face the best team in Asia. This should not be underestimated (and will work against Australia in the final window).
Renard has gambled on Japan
There are two games remaining, with the final clash between Saudi Arabia and Australia on June 10 — and this cannot be a dead rubber. The problem is that the Socceroos are three points clear with a much superior goal difference.
Whatever happens, Renard and his men have to win in Bahrain in the penultimate match. Then the hope is that Japan get something in Perth on the same day. Even though they have already qualified, the Samurai Blue are certainly capable of winning Down Under. There is a rivalry between the two teams and Japan would enjoy denting Australia’s World Cup hopes.
It would mean then that it all comes down to the last game. If Saudi Arabia go into the Australia match knowing that a win means second place and the World Cup, then Renard will be happy.
StarzPlay secures multi-year media rights deal with Saudi-backed Professional Fighters League
- Streaming platform to broadcast all PFL programming in MENA region, including UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt
- PFL action begins on StarzPlay on April 3 with the World Tournament
LONDON: The Saudi Arabia-backed Professional Fighters League on Tuesday announced a landmark multi-year media rights partnership with StarzPlay, the leading subscription video-on-demand service in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has invested in the PFL through its subsidiary SRJ Sports Investments.
The agreement with StarzPlay ensures that all PFL mixed martial arts programming — including the PFL World Tournament, Champions Series, PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and PFL Africa — will be available to fight fans across the MENA region.
All PFL content will be accessible via the StarzPlay application, including on mobile and TV apps.
The partnership kicks off on April 3 with the launch of the 2025 PFL World Tournament.
Additionally, fans will be able to watch PFL MENA free in 2025, with the main event of the PFL MENA Season 2 quarterfinals scheduled to take place in Jeddah on May 9.
That event will feature a highly anticipated featherweight showdown between Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al-Qahtani and Egypt’s Islam Reda.
The collaboration reinforces PFL’s commitment to expand its global footprint and deliver world-class MMA to audiences throughout the MENA region.
“We are very excited to partner with StarzPlay … to bring world-class MMA action to millions of passionate fight fans. This multi-year partnership marks a significant milestone in our mission to expand the PFL’s global footprint and deliver premium combat sports content to audiences worldwide,” said Pete Murray, chief executive officer of PFL.
“The Middle East is a key market for the PFL and now, fight fans across the region can watch and support their favorite MENA fighters in all PFL events, including the electrifying kickoff of PFL MENA Season 2 in Jeddah this May 9,” he added.
Danny Bates, chief operations officer and co-founder of StarzPlay, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the growing appetite for diverse sports content in the region, adding: “With more people seeking diverse sports offerings today, this collaboration allows us to deliver premium MMA content to our subscribers across the MENA region, connecting them with the best in regional and international MMA talent.”
Saudi Arabia struggle to make an impression in Japan in World Cup qualifier
- Saudis went into the game in Saitama in third place in Asian qualifying third round Group C, one point behind Australia
SAITAMA, Japan: Saudi Arabia failed to make any significant gains in World Cup qualifying after a tame 0-0 draw against Japan in front of 58,000 fans at Saitama Stadium on Tuesday.
Japan controlled the game from the start with patient possession football and the Saudi team struggled to create chances on a cool night in Saitama just north of Tokyo.
Saudi Arabia came under early pressure from the Japanese with left winger NAKAMURA Keita giving Saudi full back Muhannad Al Shanqiti a torrid time on Saudi Arabia’s left flank.
The Japanese team played controlled football with short passes and always had a player available. In contrast, the Saudis lacked ideas and when they did manage a break, there was little or no support, making Japan’s job of defending easy.
Japan’s best chance in the half came in the ninth minute when MAEDA Daizen latched on to a through ball and directed a shot against the right post.
Japan goalkeeper SUZUKI Zion had nothing to do except a single headed clearance outside the box.
Hassan Al Tambakti resorted to launching long balls from the back, but they made little impact on the Japanese defense.
KAMADA Daichi and Nakamura continued to cause problems down Saudi Arabia’s right side, setting up a couple of half-chances for Maeda who failed to capitalize.
Saudi Arabia’s best chance came in the 22nd minute when Nawaf Bu Washl crossed to the far post, but Al Shanqiti’s header flew over the bar.
KUBO Take fuss managed a couple of breaks down the right wing, but the final ball failed to trouble the Saudi defense.
It was no surprise when Saudi Arabia replaced Al Shanqiti with Ali Hassan Majrashi at halftime and he managed to leave his mark on Nakamura in the first minute of the half as well as making some tough tackles on the Japanese winger.
In the 56th minute, TANAKA Ao nearly caught out the Saudi defense with a ball over top, but it was just beyond the reach of Maeda, who came close again two minutes later.
Saudi manager Herve Renard brought on Ziyad Aljohani and Turki Alammar in the 60th minute while Japan replaced Kubo and SUGAWARA Yukinari with ITO Junya and DOAN Ritsu.
A great break by Salem Al Dawsari in the 66th minute came to nothing as he was crowded out and the Saudis continued to struggle to create any clearcut chances.
Kamada played in ITO the 82nd minute and Nawaf Al Aqidi did well to tip the shot over the bar. Three minutes later, substitute MINAMINO Takumi headed just wide from a HATATE Reo cross.
But there was little apparent urgency from both teams and even Japan with all their possession failed to create many clearcut chances.
