JEDDAH, 20 January 2006 — Al-Nasr of Riyadh forced Jeddah’s Al-Ittihad to a 1-1 draw in a match played at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh last night.

Nasr scored an early goal in the 14th minute on a header from a corner kick by Deya Haroon. The goal was a warning message to Ittihad not to underestimate the same team that lost 3-0 against Al- Ahli last week.

Nasr’s good performance was in large part due to the effective game strategy crafted by the new coach Yousuf Khamis, who replaced Khaled Al-Gorooni after the Ahli match.

Nasr were in control for most of the first half and all Ittihad efforts to score in the first half failed. Ittihad’s only goal came in the 63rd minute from an own goal when a Nasr defender deflected a cross by Mohammad Nur. Ittihad pushed forward in search of an equalizer but was met by strong Nasr defense line. Nasr scored a goal in the 80th minute but the goal was canceled because of a controversial offside. Nasr increased their points to 11 and remained in 10th place. Ittihad are still in fifth position with 17 points.

In Makkah, Al-Abha held Al-Wehda to 2-2 draw. The draw was an advantage to Ahli who are in 3rd with 21 points. It pushed Wehda down to fourth place with 18 points. Abha remain in 11th position with 9 points. In Dammam, Al-Hazem shocked critics and defeated Al-Qadiseya on their home ground 1-0. Al-Hazem jumped to seventh position with 15 points and Qadiseya stayed on sixth position with 16 points.

Tomorrow, Al-Shabab will try to keep the lead when they meet Ahli in an explosive match in the round. The match will be played in Riyadh. Shabab are on top with 31 points and Ahli third with 21 points. Ahli will be looking to claim the full three points and strengthen their grip of third place. Al-Hilal will face Al-Ittifaq in the second match in Dammam. Hilal need no less than a victory and hope for a draw or a defeat for Shabab for them to have a chance of regaining the lead. Ittifaq are fighting relegation. Last match in the round will be between Al-Taie and Al-Ansar of Madinah.

Germans Worried About World Cup

Traffic, Hooligans

In Berlin, Germans are worried about policing, transport problems and hooligans at this year’s World Cup, according to a survey published yesterday. Reuters adds.

The 1,000 Germans questioned by the TNS Emnid polling institute were surprisingly gloomy about the problems that could affect the month-long finals starting on June 9.

Germans have previously expressed optimism about the tournament, saying in polls it should highlight the country’s efficiency, and attract investors and tourists. The latest study found 96 percent agreed it was “highly likely” or “likely” there would be a massive police clampdown in Germany during the tournament while 94 percent fear extremely long queues due to security checks outside the venues.

Some 89 percent expressed fears of over-filled buses and trains to the stadiums and a similar number said there would be traffic chaos on roads all around the stadiums.