FRANKFURT: Slovakia caused the first upset at Euro 2024 as Ivan Schranz fired the underdogs to a 1-0 win against Belgium on Monday.
Francesco Calzona’s side are 45 spots below third-placed Belgium in FIFA’s world rankings.
But they made a mockery of the supposed quality gap between the teams with a courageous performance in Frankfurt.
“We played against a great opponent. We gave it our heart. We didn’t win it by being better, but by being happier,” said Slovakia defender David Hancko.
“That makes the victory all the more gratifying. It’s amazing that we were able to do that.”
Slovakia coach Calzona, who also served as Napoli’s interim boss in the second half of last season, had admitted he would be “delighted” with a draw.
The Italian got more than he could have dreamed of as Schranz left Belgium reeling after ending his nine-game international goal drought.
Romelu Lukaku missed a host of chances for Belgium and had two possible equalizers disallowed by VAR.
Slovakia’s unexpected victory blew Group E wide open, just hours after Romania beat Ukraine 3-0 in Monday’s other match in that pool.
It was a bitter loss for Belgium, who are already in danger of once again failing to fulfil their potential at a major tournament.
Belgium’s golden generation has lost much of its lustre since they crashed out of the 2022 World Cup in the group stage.
The Red Devils fell at the quarter-finals in the last two editions of the European Championship, making a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup the highwater mark of a talented but underachieving team once hailed as a potential dynasty.
Domenico Tedesco was appointed to replace Roberto Martinez in February 2023 and led Belgium on a 14-match unbeaten run heading into the Euros.
“I knew that eventually we would lose a game. Unfortunately it was today,” said Tedesco.
“The only thing that we didn’t do well was missing chances. We had plenty. It’s part of the game. Of course the players were disappointed,” added the Belgium boss.
Before what was billed as a last hurrah for Belgium’s veteran stars, Kevin De Bruyne had insisted they were ready to do “something good” in Germany.
But instead they reverted to type with a spluttering display that puts them under intense pressure to beat Romania in their second group game on Saturday.
Playing in a Belgian record 11th game at major tournaments, Lukaku should have bagged his 86th goal for his country in the second minute.
Jeremy Doku turned adroitly on the halfway line and accelerated menacingly into the Slovakia penalty area, where his cross was poked toward Lukaku by De Bruyne.
Lukaku looked certain to score but his close-range effort was straight at Slovakia keeper Martin Dubravka.
Lukaku threatened again moments later, only to let Doku’s pass run away from him.
Slovakia punished Lukaku’s profligacy in the seventh minute.
Doku’s wayward clearing pass allowed Robert Bozenik to cleverly backheel the ball to Juraj Kucka.
Koen Casteels saved Kucka’s strike but could do nothing about the rebound as Schranz fired home from an acute angle.
Lukaku endured a nightmare evening. He again took a woefully heavy touch to waste a good chance from Yannick Carrasco’s raking pass.
Belgium’s angst increased in the 56th minute when Lukaku was denied by Dubravka’s near-post save.
From the resulting corner, Amadou Onana looped a header over Dubravka and Lukaku slid in to score from a yard out, only for his celebrations to be curtailed as VAR ruled he was offside.
Belgium laid siege to the Slovakia goal but Dubravka saved well from Leandro Trossard and Lukaku volleyed into the side-netting before Johan Bakayoko’s shot was cleared off the line by Hancko.
In a fitting coda to a day to forget for Belgium, Lukaku blasted home in the 86th minute but the goal was disallowed for handball by Lois Openda in the build-up.
Schranz strikes as Slovakia beat Belgium at Euro 2024
https://arab.news/j4pmv
Schranz strikes as Slovakia beat Belgium at Euro 2024

- David Hancko: ‘We didn’t win it by being better, but by being happier’
- Romelu Lukaku missed a host of chances for Belgium and had two possible equalizers disallowed by VAR
Kimmich extends Bayern contract until 2029

“I feel at home here and I’m not finished yet“
BERLIN: Bayern Munich on Thursday announced Joshua Kimmich had signed a four-year extension to his contract that had been set to expire at the end of the season.
Germany international Kimmich said he made his decision because Bayern is “the best environment to achieve my sporting goals.
“There’s currently no better package of teammates, coaching staff and club environment for me to achieve maximum success. I feel at home here and I’m not finished yet.”
After Tuesday’s 2-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen sent Bayern through to the Champions League quarter-finals, Kimmich told reporters he was set to prolong his stay at the club.
After speculation he could leave Bayern in previous seasons, Kimmich has rediscovered his best form in midfield under Vincent Kompany, having played every minute in the Bundesliga until picking up a minor injury in February.
Kimmich, already the national team captain, is viewed as the successor to current Bayern skipper Manuel Neuer.
Sporting director Christoph Freund called the 30-year-old Kimmich “a driving force that will tirelessly drive Bayern forward in the future.”
Kimmich’s new contract is the latest in several extended deals in 2025 as Bayern seek to shore up their future, with Neuer, Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies all recently extending their contracts.
Kimmich signed for Bayern from Stuttgart in 2015 after a two-year spell at RB Leipzig and has made 429 appearances for Bayern, scoring 43 goals and providing 115 assists.
At Bayern, Kimmich has won eight Bundesliga titles and lifted the Champions League in 2020.
Kimmich has also played 97 times for Germany.
Eight points clear of defending champions Leverkusen, Bayern are on track to win back the Bundesliga title.
They will face Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals, with this season’s final to be held in Munich in May.
Esports World Cup Foundation announces multi-year partnership with Capcom

- The Capcom Pro Tour and Street Fighter League integrated into the EWC ecosystem for the next three years
RIYADH: The Esports World Cup Foundation and Capcom have announced a multi-year partnership that integrates the Street Fighter e-sports ecosystem — Capcom’s Capcom Pro Tour and Street Fighter League — into the Esports World Cup for the next three years.
“Street Fighter has been at the heart of competitive gaming for decades, offering a pure test of individual skill, just you against your opponent,” said Fabian Scheuermann, chief games officer at EWCF.
“Its arcade roots created a social experience that still thrives today, from local communities to global arenas. Together with Capcom, we are creating new ways for fans and players to experience the game, while unifying the competitive ecosystem and ensuring the best players have a clear path to the biggest stage.
“Fighting games are a true test of skill, strategy, and resilience, and by bringing the Street Fighter 6 circuit to EWC, we are celebrating its legacy with a new generation of players and fans, strengthening its role in the wider gaming culture.”
As part of the agreement, the top eight players from Capcom Cup 11— the pinnacle of the Capcom Pro Tour (CPT) — and 12 players from the Street Fighter League: World Championship, featuring elite competitors from Japan, the US and Europe, will earn direct qualification for the EWC 2025 Street Fighter 6 Finals.
An additional 10 slots will be awarded to winners of Capcom Pro Tour 2025 events, including Evo Japan and Vegas, CPT Combo Breaker, Blink Respawn, and CPT CEO, leading up to August 2025.
The remaining slots will be available to winners of professional and grassroots Street Fighter 6 events worldwide, including the EWC Last Chance Qualifiers in August 2025, culminating in 48 players competing on stage at the Street Fighter 6 Finals in Riyadh.
The partnership follows the previously announced return of Street Fighter 6 to EWC 2025, and kicks off on March 9, 2025 at the Street Fighter League: World Championship event in Ryogoku Kokugikan, Japan.
“Through the Capcom Pro Tour and Capcom Cup, Street Fighter has been a cornerstone of the e-sports scene for the past 10 years, celebrated for its fast-paced action, dramatic comebacks, and clutch moments that make it one of the most thrilling games to play and watch,” said Shuhei Matsumoto, producer, Street Fighter 6. “Our partnership with the Esports World Cup fosters an even deeper engagement between our players, fans and audiences worldwide. And this is just the beginning, together with EWC, we will continue to grow and innovate, and inspire the next generation of players.”
Street Fighter 6 made history as the first fighting game to join the inaugural Esports World Cup last summer, with qualifiers held around the world to enable grassroots participants to secure a spot on a pathway to the tournament. With 32 elite players from around the globe, the competition drew a viewing audience of more than six million. The event concluded with the dramatic EWC Street Fighter 6 Finals where the fighting game veteran, Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojun, cemented his legacy with a dominant performance and a share of the $1,000,000 prize pool.
Saudi clubs edge closer to success in AFC Champions League divisions

- With all Elite competition matches from the quarterfinals on taking place in Jeddah, few will bet against a Saudi side landing Asia’s premier club competition
RIYADH: Saudi clubs’ continued outstanding performances in the 2024/2025 AFC Champions League competitions underlined why for many people they remain favorites for the big prizes.
Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, and Al-Ahli have reached the quarter-finals of the main, “Elite” tournament, while Al-Taawoun made history by advancing to the semi-finals of AFC Champions League 2. These achievements show the growing strength of Saudi club football in Asia. Here are some of the highlights after the latest round of matches.
Al-Hilal’s big comeback win highlights dominance
Al-Hilal, after losing the away leg 1-0 to Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan, in the second leg in Riyadh on Tuesday night pulled off an outstanding comeback with a 4-0 victory that included goals from Hamad Al-Yami, Malcom, Salem Al-Dawsari and Nasser Al-Dawsari. With a spot in the quarterfinals confirmed, they will again be one of the favorites to take the trophy, and for a record fifth time.
Mahrez stars in solid Al-Ahli performance
Al-Ahli secured their quarterfinal place with a 2-0 win over Al-Rayyan in the second leg at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, having won the away fixture 3-1 in Qatar. Riyad Mahrez scored two late goals, helping the team to a comprehensive 5-1 win on aggregate. With Mahrez, Ivan Toney and Roberto Firmino providing the firepower, few teams would want to face Al-Ahli in the knockout stages.
Duran and Ronaldo help Al-Nassr cruise into quarterfinals
After a goalless first leg in Iran, Al-Nassr dominated Esteghlal in the last 16 return leg in Riyadh to win 3-0 and cruise into the quarterfinals.
Jhon Duran scored in the ninth and 84th minutes with Cristiano Ronaldo’s 27th minute penalty sandwiched in between. With all matches from the quarterfinals on taking place in Jeddah, it is difficult to see the next Champions League Elite winner not being from Saudi Arabia.
Al-Taawoun’s historic achievement
In AFC Champions League 2, Al Taawoun reached the semi-finals after beating Iranian club Tractor SC 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the second leg finished 2-2. The teams played out a 0-0 draw in Iran on March 4.
The win by Taawoun, who are eighth in the Saudi Pro League, shows that clubs from the Kingdom are competitive at both levels of this season’s AFC Champions League. Al-Taawoun will now face the UAE’s Sharjah in the semifinals.
With four teams still in contention, this could well be the year that Saudi clubs take full control of Asian football.
India’s cup overflows after New Zealand win, but dominance could breed antipathy

- The Champions Trophy joins the T20 World Cup, earned in June 2024 when they beat South Africa by just 7 runs
When previewing the International Cricket Council’s 2025 Champions Trophy for Arab News, Azeem Rafiq felt that India started as slight favorites. As the tournament progressed, it became apparent that several factors underlined that initial assessment. India’s superiority and team cohesion was sufficient to achieve an unbeaten route to the final in which a tenacious New Zealand was narrowly beaten.
Understandably, the Indian team, officials, management and millions of fervent supporters were overjoyed. Their delight is enhanced as the Champions Trophy is now added to the T20 World Cup, secured in June 2024 when South Africa was beaten by the narrow margin of seven runs.
No doubt Indian eyes will now turn to planning victory in the 2026 T20 World Cup, to be hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka from mid-February to mid-March. If it had not been for an inspired performance by Australia in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, the Indian men’s team would hold a full set of ICC trophies in the short formats.
It is difficult to escape the conclusion that India and its supporters want to win every tournament, befitting their status as cricket’s powerhouse in terms of revenue generation and levels of support. Dominance by one team in any sport tends to breed ennui and antipathy — just ask supporters of other English Premier League teams their views on the dominance displayed by the two Manchester clubs and Liverpool at various times. These feelings are exacerbated if accompanied by a sense of injustice or bias and there is a danger India’s most recent success could fall into that category.
The resurrection of the Champions Trophy by the ICC and its choosing Pakistan as hosts was designed to provide a boost for cricket in the country. It certainly provided grounds for optimism and, as Rafiq noted, Pakistan’s message to the world was: “We are back.” However, the vibes were dampened by disappointing cricket from the hosts, by three matches lost to rain and by the geo-politically induced decision to split the tournament between Pakistan and Dubai.
Much has been made of India playing all their matches in Dubai, of being based there and not having to travel, of being familiar with the pitches and tailoring team selection to include four spinners to take advantage of them. Naturally, the Indians have downplayed these alleged benefits, one coach saying that “you (still) have to play good cricket every day when you turn up.” Whilst this is self-evidently true and they were the best team, India avoided the farcical situation in which Australia and South Africa found themselves.
Having completed their group stage matches and qualified for the semifinals, both teams had to fly from Pakistan to Dubai where the result of the final group stage match between India and New Zealand would determine the semifinal pairings. India won, which meant Australia remained in Dubai and the South Africans ended an 18-hour stay by rushing back to Lahore to play New Zealand. The reason given for this bizarre decision was to allow the team playing the semifinal in Dubai maximum time to prepare. This feels like a tacit admission of the need to balance out India’s perceived advantage.
Pakistan’s disappointment in failing to reach the semifinal stage, thereby depriving the country of the global exposure which it craved, was made worse by losing the opportunity to host the final, because India reached it. Events at the presentation ceremony will not have eased Pakistan’s pain.
Legendary former Pakistan players Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar were incredulous there was no representative from the Pakistan Cricket Board on the stage, which was populated by Indians. The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Roger Binny, presented jackets to the Indian players and the former BCCI secretary, now ICC chair Jay Shah, presented the trophy to India’s captain.
It is understood the PCB’s chair, Mohsin Naqvi, could not attend the occasion due to prior commitments, but both the tournament director and PCB COO, Sumair Ahmed Syed, and Director of International Cricket Usman Wahla represented him at the match. Looking at the stage in Dubai, it was hard to believe the PCB was the tournament’s official host. The PCB interpreted this lack of representation as a deliberate snub and lodged an official complaint, which is unlikely to do more than further inflame tensions. The official line is that protocol allows only elected members or directors of a board to be on the podium.
The 2025 Champions Trophy provided a significant opportunity for Pakistan to re-establish itself as a viable host for future ICC events. This was partially achieved. The PCB’s investment in stadiums has gone largely unrewarded in terms of spectator numbers. Despite Naqvi’s fulsome praise for “the commitment and collective efforts of those who ensured the tournament’s seamless execution,” other factors dogged their efforts. India’s late decision not to travel cast a long shadow not only over the cricket but also the tournament’s organization. The schedule was released just eight weeks before the opening match and tickets were available only days beforehand.
None of this will matter to either the ICC, BCCI or India. The ICC continues to make money but is dependent upon India’s participation in its tournaments and on India v Pakistan to protect broadcasting rights. International cricket is over a barrel. No national board is prepared to take the risk of challenging the insanely rich BCCI — look what happened when Pakistan tried. Market forces have been allowed to dictate the future of the game, whilst the BCCI, hand in glove with the ICC, now seems to be able to influence schedules for its own benefit.
The Champions Trophy 2025 has pulled back the curtain on the future of international cricket, in which India looks set to dominate not only off the field, but on it as well, at least in the short formats. It has taken eight years since the last Champions Trophy in 2017, when Pakistan handsomely beat India at the Oval, for this possibility to become reality.
Hafeet Sports Challenge set for jiu-jitsu competitions in Al-Ain

- Athletes will take part in the under 14, 16 and 18 age categories on Friday
ABU DHABI: The jiu-jitsu competitions of the Hafeet Sports Challenge will be held on Friday at the Al-Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club, and will feature athletes in the under 14, 16 and 18 categories from various clubs and academies.
The Hafeet Sports Challenge is aimed at encouraging healthy lifestyles, and includes a variety of sports disciplines and activities for athletes of all levels.
Abdullah Al-Zaabi, head of the events and activities section at the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said the organization is committed to organizing high-level championships “to ensure the continuous development of athletes.”
He added: “Youth and teen championships receive significant attention from the federation, as these categories represent the foundation for the future and the sustainable success of jiu-jitsu in the UAE.”
The championship will be held over a single day under the open belt system.
The event will help athletes prepare for upcoming competitions while allowing clubs and coaches to identify new talent.