Saudi Arabia’s hosting of 2027 AFC Asian Cup is an idea whose time has finally come

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Updated 01 February 2023
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Saudi Arabia’s hosting of 2027 AFC Asian Cup is an idea whose time has finally come

  • With thriving domestic league, successful national teams and clubs, Kingdom will finally host continent’s biggest international competition

Saudi Arabia has been named as host of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, and incredibly, will hold the continent’s biggest international for the first time.

Less than a month after Cristiano Ronaldo arrived to play for Al-Nassr, and two since the Saudi national team’s fine performances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the news cements the country’s status as a major hub of the world’s most popular game on the largest continent.

It was always likely that Saudi would get the official nod as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conducted its congress in Bahrain’s capital of Manama.

Five countries initially threw hats into the ring. Iran and Uzbekistan withdrew and then, after China — still in lockdown and pursuing a zero-COVID-19 policy — relinquished hosting rights from the 2023 tournament, Qatar stepped in as a substitute.

That meant India was the only remaining rival and when New Delhi bowed out in December, it cleared the way for Saudi Arabia to host the tournament for the first time in its history.

It is an idea whose time has finally come.

The pandemic played a wider part, too. With the disruption caused to competitions, both of the club and country variety, during the outbreak, Saudi Arabia proved to be a competent, flexible and reliable host whether the games were World Cup qualifiers or AFC Champions Leagues matches.

The work done, often at short notice, was appreciated by the AFC. After the confederation got its fingers burnt by the situation in China, it is not a surprise that cities such as Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam are seen as safe choices as well as places that deserved a first chance to host Asia’s biggest sporting event.

There is more to it than that, however. The reputation of Saudi Arabian football is higher now than it has maybe ever been. The national team is still basking in the warmth of the global sensation produced with November’s World Cup win over eventual champions Argentina. It was a stunning victory. With a little more luck then Herve Renard’s men could easily have found themselves in the last 16 especially if Salem Al-Dawsari’s penalty had been converted against Poland.

The performances showed that there is talent in the country with the likes of Saud Abdulhamid linked to big moves in Italy and elsewhere.

The Saudi Professional League has long been one of the strongest in Asia but in recent years has grown in strength, depth and stature. There is regularly more than one representative in the latter stages of the Asian Champions League. Al-Hilal are the defending champions — and have won two of the last three — and now have a record number of four continental titles as well as international stars such as Odion Ighalo and Moussa Marega. On Saturday, the Blues kick off a third FIFA Club World Cup campaign in the space of three years.

While there is a growing core of talent in the country, as the World Cup exploits and last June’s U23 Asian Championships triumph have shown, the league is home to some of the best foreign players and coaches in Asian football.

Al-Ittihad have former Tottenham Hotspur boss Nuno Santo in charge and a whole host of talented foreign players including Moroccan marksman Abderrazzak Hamdallah, Egyptian rock Ahmed Hegazi and talented Brazilians such as Igor Coronado and Romarinho.

Al-Shabab tore up the group stage of the Champions League and even second tier Al-Ahli have Pitso Mosimane in charge, the man who has won three African Champions League crowns with Mamelodi Sundowns in his native South Africa and twice with Egyptian giants Al-Ahly. At the moment, the SPL is the most exciting and high-profile domestic competition on the continent.

And that was the case before Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr. The Portuguese star is one of the best players in the history of the game with five Ballon d’Or awards and the same number of UEFA Champions League titles. It is not just about the talent of the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus legend, but the fact that he among the most recognizable people on the planet. His presence has just increased the spotlight shining on Saudi Arabian football.

It all means that the Asian Cup announcement is not only a natural decision, as Saudi Arabian football is in a great place at the moment on the pitch, but also confirms what is happening off the field. The tournament will be the biggest football event ever to take place in the country but there is a sense that there is more to come. The waiting is over and now, preparations can begin.


Napoli close in on Serie A title despite Parma stalemate

Updated 21 sec ago
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Napoli close in on Serie A title despite Parma stalemate

PARMA, Italy: Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after being held to a goalless draw at Parma while closest rivals Inter Milan drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with Lazio.
Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar.
The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres was fouled, only for the decision to be reversed for a foul committed by Giovanni Simeone earlier in the move.
A feisty match at the Stadio Ennio Tardini ended with Conte and his Parma counterpart Cristian Chivu both being sent off following a blazing row between the two dugouts in the final moments.
However a home win on the final day against Cagliari, who are safe thanks to a 3-0 win over second-from-bottom Venezia, will give Napoli a fourth league crown.
“We’re close but we have more step to take in front of our own fans. We’ve been top for a large part of the season even with a lot of difficulties,” said Conte to DAZN.
“It’s down to these boys who put their heart and soul into it. I really hope we can win this title because it would truly be a great achievement.”
Inter’s final fixture is at Como who are finishing their first Serie A season in over two decades in great form, although Cesc Fabregas’ team’s winning streak ended at six matches with a 1-1 draw at safe Verona.
Napoli were saved from being overtaken by Inter thanks to a Pedro brace for Lazio, including a 90th-minute penalty.
Denzel Dumfries thought he had headed home a potentially key goal with 10 minutes remaining at the San Siro, before a Yann Bisseck handball allowed Champions League chasers Lazio to snatch a point.
Inter once again showed their wasteful side by giving away a lead twice, with Bisseck opening the scoring on the stroke of half-time before Pedro netted in the 73rd minute, while Marko Arnautovic missed a golden chance to move the hosts top in the dying moments.
Coach Simone Inzaghi will also missed the final match of the season after being sent off for his livid reaction at the VAR check which led to Pedro levelling from the penalty spot.
No one from the Inter spoke to media after the match, in apparent protest over the decision to give Lazio their penalty.
Lazio drawing kept the Roman club in the hunt for the final Champions league spot, although Marco Baroni’s team are two points behind four-placed Juve who beat mid-table Udinese 2-0.
Sandwiched between Juve and Lazio are Roma, who beat 10-man AC Milan 3-1 on a night when fans honored Claudio Ranieri in his last home match as coach for his boyhood club.
Milan, who had to play most of the match a man down after Santiago Gimenez was sent off in the 21st minute, sit ninth and will not play European football next season.
Bologna’s bid for Champions League football is over after a 3-2 defeat at Fiorentina which left the Italian Cup winners five points behind Juve.
However Vincenzo Italiano’s team will play in the Europa League next season thanks to their historic cup victory on Wednesday over Milan, their first major trophy since 1974.
A point was not enough to guarantee Parma safety as Chivu’s team are two points above Empoli who are just inside the drop zone after beating relegated Monza 3-1.
Empoli are level on 31 points with Lecce, who moved one place above the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Torino.


Nojum Al-Riyadh and Jeddah Hockey crowned champions in Saudi Western Region hockey tournaments

Updated 18 May 2025
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Nojum Al-Riyadh and Jeddah Hockey crowned champions in Saudi Western Region hockey tournaments

  • A total of 65 players participated, competing in 14 matches and scoring 92 goals across the two-day event

JEDDAH: Jeddah Hockey claimed the 2025 Western Region Men’s Hockey Championship title and Nojum Al-Riyadh won the third Women’s Hockey Championship in Jeddah over the weekend.

Held from May 16 to 17 at the indoor sports hall of Al-Ahli Saudi Club, the tournaments brought together four teams each in the men’s and women’s categories.

A total of 65 players participated, competing in 14 matches and scoring 92 goals across the two-day event.

In the women’s competition, Nojum Al-Riyadh delivered a dominant performance to lift the championship trophy and claim gold medals.

Tamayouz finished as runners-up, earning silver medals, while Fatayat Althahab secured third place and bronze medals.

The tournament also recognized standout individual performances. Kaira Angrier of Nojum Al-Riyadh was named Best Player, Angelios Camiloni of Fatayat Althahab took the Top Scorer award, and Manal Abdul-Samad of Tamayouz was awarded Best Goalkeeper.

In the men’s championship, Jeddah Hockey emerged victorious, defeating Mustaqbal Jeddah in the final to win the title and gold medals. Mustaqbal Jeddah settled for silver, while Royal finished third to claim the bronze.

Among the men’s individual accolades, Adnan Mutlaq of Mustaqbal Jeddah was named Best Player, Rehan Afzal of Jeddah Hockey took the Top Scorer award, and his teammate Sajid Yaqoub earned Best Goalkeeper honors.


Sharjah FC win first Asian title with dramatic victory in Singapore

Updated 18 May 2025
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Sharjah FC win first Asian title with dramatic victory in Singapore

  • UAE side won it in the 97th minute through a piece of Meloni magic

SINGAPORE: Sharjah beat Lion City Sailors 2-1 on Sunday to win the AFC Champions League Two title in dramatic fashion.

A second half goal from Firas Ben Larbi looked to have been enough to give the team from the UAE a first continental title at the Singapore home of their opponents. Yet Maxime Lestienne’s injury time equaliser appeared likely to send the game into extra-time before the impressive Marcus Meloni won it in the 97th minute.

It was the end of a long run to the final for Cosmin Olaroiu, who now leaves the club to take charge of the UAE national team with a 22nd title as a coach, and his men and it was a hard-fought victory in front of 10,000 fans at the Bishan Stadium.

Lion City had the best chances of the first half and the home fans thought that the deadlock had been broken after 35 minutes. Rui Pires found Diego Costa on the left corner of the area and the Portuguese star controlled the ball and then, in the same motion, fired a low shot that came back off the post.

One of the visitors’ best moments came in added time at the end of the first half. David Petrovic curled a dangerous cross into the area from the left but Luanzinho’s header was just a little too high and a little too wide.

Midway through the second half Sharjah should have taken the lead. Ousmane Camara rose high at the near post to meet a corner from Meloni but headed just wide with the goal at his mercy. Seconds later, Luanzinho fired into the side-netting. Soon after that, Ben Larbi had the ball in the net, although the Tunisian was clearly offside.

Then with 16 minutes remaining Sharjah took the lead to the delight of a sizeable contingent of fans in red and white. Khaled Ibrahim timed his run on the right side of the area perfectly to put the ball across the face of goal for Ben Larbi to tap home from close range.

Ten minutes later, Sharjah almost extended their lead. Meloni’s clever free kick from the right was blocked by Izwan Mahbud and Cho Yu-min, quick to the rebound, headed over from close range.

The hosts pushed forward in search of an equaliser and while they had chances, Sharjah looked fairly comfortable. Then just after 11 minutes added time had been signalled, it was all square. Costa’s pass found its way to Lestienne in space in the area, and the Belgian fired home.

As all prepared themselves for extra time, Sharjah won it in the 97th minute through a piece of Meloni magic. The Brazilian-born midfielder had possession on the left of a crowded area, made room for himself and then curled a perfect shot from a tight angle into the opposite corner. It was a goal worthy of winning any final.

There were some scary moments as the Sailors threw everything forward but this time, Sharjah held on and celebrated in front of their delirious travelling fans.

“It means a lot for us, the country and the fans and we worked so hard for this,” Meloni said. “The final was like the rest of the competition. I am happy to score the winning goal but this was for the team and the coach, who deserves it.”


Red Bull driver Max Verstappen wins F1’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to end Piastri’s streak

Updated 18 May 2025
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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen wins F1’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to end Piastri’s streak

  • Dutch driver built a commanding lead which was wiped out when the safety car bundled the field back up
  • Verstappen held on to take his second win of the season, and first since last month’s Japanese Grand Prix

IMOLA, Italy: Max Verstappen gave his Formula 1 title defense a big boost with victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday after a daring overtake on standings leader Oscar Piastri at the start.

The Dutch driver built a commanding lead which was wiped out when the safety car bundled the field back up. He still held on to win ahead of Lando Norris, who overtook his McLaren teammate Piastri for second with five laps remaining.

Verstappen took his second win of the season, and first since last month’s Japanese Grand Prix, and denied Piastri — who finished third — what would have been his fourth win in a row.

Verstappen praised his Red Bull team’s “fantastic execution all round” as the team marked its 400th F1 race with a win.

“The start itself wasn’t particularly great, but I was still on the outside line, or basically the normal (racing) line, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m just going to try and send it round the outside,’ and it worked really well,” Verstappen said of his crucial overtake. “That, of course, unleashed our pace because once we were in the lead, the car was good.”

Norris’ late-race move on Piastri was almost a copy of Verstappen’s, though Norris had the advantage of being on fresher tires than his teammate.

“We had a good little battle at the end between Oscar and myself, which is always tense, but always good fun,” Norris said, admitting that Verstappen and Red Bull were “too good for us today.”

Piastri’s lead over Norris in the standings was cut to 13 points, with Verstappen nine behind Norris.

Hamilton bounces back

Lewis Hamilton recovered from 12th on the grid to finish fourth in his first race for Ferrari in Italy.

Hamilton profited from a late-race fight between his teammate Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon of Williams.

Albon complained Leclerc had pushed him off the track as they battled for fourth, and Hamilton passed both drivers before Ferrari eventually asked Leclerc to yield fifth to Albon.

George Russell was seventh for Mercedes, ahead of Carlos Sainz, Jr. in the second Williams. Isack Hadjar was ninth for Racing Bulls and Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda was 10th after starting last following a crash in qualifying.

An action-packed ‘farewell’ to Imola

Overtaking was expected to be rare in what could be F1’s last race for the foreseeable future at Imola. Instead, the Italian fans were treated to Verstappen’s spectacular move at the start and plenty of other overtakes.

The narrow, bumpy Imola track has been a favorite among drivers, who have relished its old-school challenge since it returned to the F1 schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, its status as Italy’s second race — only the United States also hosts more than one — makes its position vulnerable.

“If we don’t come back here, it is going to be a shame,” Piastri said Saturday.

Sunday’s race was the last under Imola’s current contract, and while it isn’t officially goodbye yet, there has been no word about next year.


Karachi beat Peshawar by 23 runs as PSL returns with glitzy ceremony

Updated 18 May 2025
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Karachi beat Peshawar by 23 runs as PSL returns with glitzy ceremony

  • Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam scores 94 runs from 49 balls in Zalmi’s chase attempt 
  • Pop stars Sahir Ali Bagga and Asrar Shah enthralled fans as PSL returned after May 9 

ISLAMABAD: Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam’s 94-run innings came to naught as his team lost to Karachi Kings at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium by 23 runs on Saturday, as the Pakistan Super League (PSL) marked its return with a glitzy ceremony. 

The PSL was suspended on May 9 due to hostilities between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan. However, as both countries agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced the league would resume on May 17. 

Kings captain David Warner led the scoreboard, scoring a fiery 86-run inning from 50 balls while James Vince smashed 72 runs from 42 deliveries. Khushdil Shah contributed with an impressive 43 runs from 15 balls as the Kings piled on 237-4 at the end of 20 overs. 

“Match 27 Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi,” the PCB said in a statement. “Karachi Kings won by 23 runs.”

Former Pakistan captain Azam scored 94 runs from 49 balls, hitting four sixes in his innings before he got run out. Explosive opener Saim Ayub provided Zalmi with a strong start, scoring 47 runs from 31 balls while Tom Kohler-Cadmore chipped in with 20 runs from 15 balls. 

PSL’s return after a week saw Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir watch the match live at the Rawalpindi stadium. 

Pakistani pop stars Sahir Ali Bagga and Asrar Shah performed to enthrall the audience and pay tribute to the country’s armed forces before fans enjoyed a spectacle of fireworks at the stadium.