Coach Stefano Pioli confident as Al-Nassr prepare for AFC Champions League Elite semi showdown

Coach Stefano Pioli confident as Al-Nassr prepare for AFC Champions League Elite semi showdown
Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli says his is ‘ready to play the game with great spirit, high performance.’ (Reuters)
Short Url
Updated 29 April 2025
Follow

Coach Stefano Pioli confident as Al-Nassr prepare for AFC Champions League Elite semi showdown

Coach Stefano Pioli confident as Al-Nassr prepare for AFC Champions League Elite semi showdown
  • Riyadh giant Al-Nassr are one of three Saudi Pro League sides in the semifinals
  • Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli have also advanced to the last four and will meet on Tuesday

JEDDAH: Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli declared his side injury-free ahead of Wednesday’s Asian Champions League Elite semifinal against Kawasaki Frontale in Jeddah as the Saudi Pro League side look to reach the final for the first time in almost 30 years.

The Riyadh-based outfit last made the decider in 1995, but a brace from Jhon Duran and strikes by Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a 4-1 win over Yokohama F Marinos on Saturday to move the Saudi side to the cusp of a first title.

“We are ready for the match, but in training we will decide which group is going to play,” Pioli said. “The team is ready to play the game with great spirit, high performance.”

Al-Nassr are one of three Saudi Pro League sides in the semifinals, the first time a single nation has dominated the latter stages of the competition to such an extent.

The huge injection of cash into the country’s leading clubs by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2023 which prompted the signing of numerous high-profile players from around the world is having a major impact on this year’s competition.

Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli have also advanced to the last four and will meet on Tuesday.

Japan’s Kawasaki are the only team from their half of the confederation left in the competition after their win over Qatar’s Al-Sadd, and the J-League side have been further disadvantaged by having one day less to recover than Al-Nassr.

Frontale needed extra-time to defeat Felix Sanchez’s side and coach Shigetoshi Hasebe admitted he was concerned about his players’ lack of freshness ahead of the Al-Nassr clash.

“All the players are tired because they played for 120 minutes, which is very difficult for us,” he said. “But we’ll be playing in a different stadium, so we can have a new feeling and I can imagine the players will play very well tomorrow night.”

Kawasaki midfielder Kento Tachibanada stressed it was important not to obsess over the reputations of their opponents.

“The key point is not to be afraid of the famous players and their big names,” he said. “Many people think the teams from Saudi will win, but I want to break that type of image tomorrow night.”


Muhammad Waseem leads UAE in Pearl of Africa T20I Series in Uganda

Muhammad Waseem leads UAE in Pearl of Africa T20I Series in Uganda
Updated 14 July 2025
Follow

Muhammad Waseem leads UAE in Pearl of Africa T20I Series in Uganda

Muhammad Waseem leads UAE in Pearl of Africa T20I Series in Uganda
  • UAE to play Kenya in their opening match on Friday

DUBAI: Opening batter Muhammad Waseem is to lead the 14-member UAE squad in the Pearl of Africa T20I Series at the Entebbe Cricket Oval in Uganda.

The UAE will be playing the hosts Uganda, along with Kenya, and Nigeria, in the series, with six matches in the league stage, two against each opponent.

The team to finish at the top of the table at the end of the league stage will be declared the tournament’s winner, with the UAE playing Kenya in their opening match on Friday.

The UAE’s squad: Muhammad Waseem (captain), Akif Raja, Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Zohaib, Muhammad Zuhaib, Rahul Chopra, Rohid Khan, and Saghir Khan.

The UAE’s matches in the Pearl of Africa T20I Series:

July 18: UAE v Kenya (Entebbe Cricket Oval).

July 19: Uganda v UAE (Entebbe Cricket Oval).

July 21: Nigeria v UAE (Entebbe Cricket Oval).

July 23: Kenya v UAE (Entebbe Cricket Oval).

July 26: UAE v Nigeria (Entebbe Cricket Oval).

July 27: UAE v Uganda (Entebbe Cricket Oval).


Jeddah to host the fourth round of the Formula One powerboat world championship

Jeddah to host the fourth round of the Formula One powerboat world championship
Updated 14 July 2025
Follow

Jeddah to host the fourth round of the Formula One powerboat world championship

Jeddah to host the fourth round of the Formula One powerboat world championship

JEDDAH: As part of the Jeddah Season 2025 programs and activities, Jeddah will host the fourth round of the UIM F1H2O World Championship, which will take place from Nov. 28 to 30.

This was announced by Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, deputy governor of the Makkah Region and head of the Jeddah Events Calendar Committee.

The event in Jeddah will be the second time the Road World Championships take place in Saudi Arabia after the 2019 edition in Dammam.

The Grand Prix of Jeddah will feature 10 teams from 13 countries competing with 21 boats, driving boats with a top speed of 266 km per hour, challenging the limits of speed.

Commenting on this round, Raimondo di San Germano, CEO of H2O Racing, expressed his delight at Saudi Arabia’s return to hosting the UIM F1H2O World Championship competitions, stating, “We are extremely excited to witness this thrill in Jeddah, the Bride of the Red Sea.”

He also noted that this partnership represents the beginning of a long-term collaboration and development for the championship across various levels.

The UIM F1H2O World Championship, organized by the Union Internationale Motonautique and promoted by H2O Racing, is considered one of the world’s most competitive, dangerous and thrilling sports championships.


Merlier doubles up as Van der Poel denied epic win at Tour de France

Merlier doubles up as Van der Poel denied epic win at Tour de France
Updated 14 July 2025
Follow

Merlier doubles up as Van der Poel denied epic win at Tour de France

Merlier doubles up as Van der Poel denied epic win at Tour de France
  • This was a second Tour win for Soudal Quick-Step sprinter Merlier this year, who was first across the line on stage three at Dunkirk
  • After finishing in the peloton on Sunday, Pogacar was already looking ahead to Monday’s mountainous 165.3km slog

CHATEAU, France: Tim Merlier won stage nine of the Tour de France at Chateauroux on Sunday after a heroic long-range escape from Mathieu van der Poel was caught in the final kilometer.

There was no change atop the overall standings with Tadej Pogacar now holding a 54sec advantage over Remco Evenepoel in second with French starlet Kevin Vauquelin third.

This was a second Tour win for Soudal Quick-Step sprinter Merlier this year, who was first across the line on stage three at Dunkirk.

Merlier was led in by team leader Evenepoel.

“It’s mad, we are supposed to be helping him (Evenepoel) but he’s helping us,” Merlier said.

“I need to make it through the mountains now, I won’t be any use to Remco there, but I want to help him in the other ones,” said the 32-year-old.

On a sun drenched slog from the Chinon vineyards, Van der Poel and a teammate broke early and built up a lead of 5min 30sec on the flat roads to Chateauroux.

Jonas Rickaert won the combativity award for accompanying Van der Poel to within 10km of the line before slumping over his handlebars.

“I’m really happy. That was one of his (Rickaert) dreams, to win the combativity award and that’s why we went,” Van der Poel explained.

“In the end we nearly made it but we hadn’t expected to get that far,” he said of his 173km breakaway at an average speed on 49.9kph.

As with many heroic exploits, their epic escape was ultimately doomed to a gut wrenching narrow failure.

But with his gung-ho all-in style Van der Poel grew his Tour de France legend here despite being caught with 700m to go, the plaudits will be both his and Merlier’s.

“It’s hard to not be able to finish it off, but we put on a good show,” said the Dutch rider.

As Van der Poel was reeled in, it looked as though Jonathan Milan would win a second consecutive stage but Merlier got ahead with 30m remaining as Milan finished second with Arnaud De Lie completing the podium.

Road signs in honor of British cycling great Mark Cavendish had been placed at entry points to Chateauroux — reading Cavendish City — in homage to the now-retired 40-year-old, after he won three stages there in 2008, 2011 and 2021.

Pogacar’s Tour de France defense took a hit Sunday as his key teammate Joao Almeida threw in the towel two days after his nasty fall at the Mur de Bretagne, where he fractured a rib.

“It’s a big loss he was in good shape. He’s our hero. I was suffering today so I understand how he must have felt. Every respect to him,” the Slovenian said.

Stage 10 should shake up the race with eight classified climbs in the Massif Central on the July 14 French national holiday.

After finishing in the peloton on Sunday, Pogacar was already looking ahead to Monday’s mountainous 165.3km slog.

“Visma have a strong team for tomorrow and I think Jonas (Vingegaard) will be ready,” Pogacar said of his great Danish rival.

“There will be attacks from the main contenders, it’s up and down all day.

“I’m pretty confident in my team though. I’m looking forward to the hard stages,” added the 26-year-old three-time champion.


Chelsea boss Maresca hails ‘great triumph’ in winning Club World Cup

Chelsea boss Maresca hails ‘great triumph’ in winning Club World Cup
Updated 14 July 2025
Follow

Chelsea boss Maresca hails ‘great triumph’ in winning Club World Cup

Chelsea boss Maresca hails ‘great triumph’ in winning Club World Cup
  • Maresca: I have the feeling that this competition is going to be as important, if not more important than, the Champions League
  • Maresca only took over at Chelsea a year ago but was previously on the coaching staff under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City when they won the Champions League in 2023

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca insisted winning the Club World Cup meant as much as winning the Champions League after his side beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final of the first edition of FIFA’s new competition on Sunday.

“I have the feeling that this competition is going to be as important, if not more important than, the Champions League,” said Maresca after adding the trophy to the UEFA Conference League title his team won in May.

Maresca only took over at Chelsea a year ago but was previously on the coaching staff under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City when they won the Champions League in 2023.

“I was lucky to be on the coaching staff of a team that won the Champions League a few years ago, but this competition features the best teams in the world and I think we can value it on the same level,” said the Italian.

“It is a great triumph for us and it will allow the Chelsea fans to have that on our shirt for the next four years, so it is a source of pride.”

Maresca said he instructed his players to go out and take the game to PSG from the off — they went on to net all three goals in the first half with Cole Palmer netting a brace before Joao Pedro added his name to the scoresheet.

“The message was to let them understand that we were here to win the game and I think in the first 10 minutes we showed them that,” Maresca said.

“That set the tone of the game, and then the quality of the players was also important.”

England international Palmer was named player of the match after bagging a brace and setting up Joao Pedro’s goal.

The 23-year-old therefore lived up to his superstar billing — his face has appeared on billboards around New York advertising the tournament, alongside the likes of Real Madrid duo Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.

“To score the goals was a great feeling, as was the way the team showed fire out there — the gaffer’s game plan was spot on,” he said.

“I just try to do my job every time I go onto the pitch and hopefully I will continue.

“I have seen the billboards in Times Square and outside Madison Square Garden and it is obviously a nice feeling to be alongside those players,” he added.


Rampant England and France reach Women’s Euro 2025 quarterfinals

Rampant England and France reach Women’s Euro 2025 quarterfinals
Updated 14 July 2025
Follow

Rampant England and France reach Women’s Euro 2025 quarterfinals

Rampant England and France reach Women’s Euro 2025 quarterfinals
  • England will face Sweden in Zurich on Thursday, a repeat of the semifinal at the last Euros three years ago which the Lionesses won 4-0
  • France will take on Germany in Basel in the last quarterfinal on Saturday, and are on the same side of the knockout draw as world champions Spain who face hosts Switzerland on Friday

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland: Holders England reached the quarterfinals of Women’s Euro 2025 on Sunday after thrashing Wales 6-1 and taking second place in Group D behind France, who won 5-2 in a thrilling match with the Netherlands.

Georgia Stanway started England on their way from the penalty spot in the 13th minute and further goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones made sure of passage to the last eight.

England will face Sweden in Zurich on Thursday, a repeat of the semifinal at the last Euros three years ago which the Lionesses won 4-0.

But the Swedes look a tough proposition after topping Group C with a perfect nine points and swatting aside Germany on Saturday.

“We just wanted to be confident and enjoy it and I think we obviously play better football when we do that. I think there was more flow to the game tonight, there was better connections,” said midfielder Keira Walsh.

“(Sweden are) going to be a really tough opposition but we’re just going to keep trying to focus on what we’re doing, keep being confident, playing good football.”

France, meanwhile, will take on Germany in Basel in the last quarterfinal on Saturday, and are on the same side of the knockout draw as world champions Spain who face hosts Switzerland on Friday.

The French finished the group stage three points ahead of England after making it three wins from three thanks to Delphine Cascarino’s decisive double.

San Diego Wave forward Cascarino has been excellent in Switzerland, and she made sure that France would top the group with the key goals in a superb comeback from a goal down.

France, who opened the scoring through Sandie Toletti in the 22nd minute, trailed at the break to a Victoria Pelova strike and Selma Bacha’s clumsy own goal.

But Marie-Antoinette Katoto levelled for France just after the hour and the match was done six minutes later thanks to Cascarino’s fine finishes.

First Cascarino lashed France back ahead with a sumptuous, dipping long-range strike, before rolling in the fourth after Sandy Baltimore watched her shot ricochet off both posts.

Sakina Karchaoui completed the scoring from the penalty spot in stoppage time.

“I’m having a good Euros, and it’s a real pleasure to play in a major tournament. I’m pleased and I hope that we can go a long way,” Cascarino told reporters.

In St. Gallen, England knew a win would be enough to seal a spot in the next round regardless of what happened in Basel, and once Stanway slotted home her penalty after being brought down by Carrie Jones there was no way back for Wales.

Eight minutes later Toone doubled England’s lead after Wales failed to clear and the Manchester United forward tapped home after her initial effort was blocked on the line by Lily Woodham.

Toone then turned provider on the half-hour with a perfect searching cross for Hemp, before Russo rolled home from close range just before half-time to get off the mark for the tournament.

Mead drilled home England’s fifth in the 72nd minute, but Hannah Cain gave Wales fans something to cheer about by lashing a fine consolation goal past Hannah Hampton.

And Beever-Jones completed the rout one minute from the end to send England through on a high.