Injury fears cast a shadow across Newcastle victory over Al-Hilal in Riyadh

Special Injury fears cast a shadow across Newcastle victory over Al-Hilal in Riyadh
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United donned their third jersey, often dubbed the “Saudi kit,” for the match against the Saudi Pro League champions. (Twitter/@NUFC)
Special Injury fears cast a shadow across Newcastle victory over Al-Hilal in Riyadh
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United donned their third jersey, often dubbed the “Saudi kit,” for the match against the Saudi Pro League champions. (Twitter/@NUFC)
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Updated 09 December 2022
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Injury fears cast a shadow across Newcastle victory over Al-Hilal in Riyadh

Injury fears cast a shadow across Newcastle victory over Al-Hilal in Riyadh
  • United cruised to a comfortable 5-0 victory over the Saudi Pro League champions but injuries to Chris Wood and Joelinton could cause headaches for coach Eddie Howe
  • The Magpies are due to face Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup in just 13 days and return to Premier League action against Leicester City three days later

RIYADH: Newcastle United look set to return to the UK from their training camp in Saudi Arabia facing a striker crisis, with Chris Wood becoming the latest casualty during the Magpies’ victory over Al-Hilal in their friendly on Thursday.

Joelinton, who also left the game following a knock, grabbed a first-half double at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium before Miguel Almiron netted another brace and youngster Dylan Stephenson rounded off a 5-0 victory that ensured the Magpies lifted the Diriyah Season Cup.

But the bigger news from a United perspective was the injury to New Zealander Wood, who in the absence of Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak, looked set to lead the Magpies when senior football resumes following the World Cup break. United are due to face Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup in just 13 days and return to Premier League action against Leicester City three days later.

The severity of the injury to Wood is yet to be determined but a lengthy spell for him on the sidelines would be a disappointing and troublesome end to what has otherwise been an incredibly positive trip to Riyadh.

United fans will also be hoping that Brazilian wonder Joelinton’s departure from the game was simply precautionary, although the sight of him limping midway through the second half will cause concern.

United donned their third jersey, often dubbed the “Saudi kit,” for the match against the Saudi Pro League champions and handed a debut to Loris Karius in goal, with Eddie Howe keen to extend the former Liverpool keeper’s stay on Tyneside. Matt Targett and Karl Darlow missed out through illness.

This is the second visit by the Magpies to the Kingdom this year, after spending two weeks in Jeddah in January, and they have enjoyed a warm welcome in the capital. This was more than evident in the stands on Thursday where local and foreign fans wearing black and white could be seen scattered among the Blue Power, the vocal heart of the lively home faithful.

Jacob Murphy, Howe’s most-used player during his 13 months as head coach, came within inches of breaking the deadlock with the first meaningful attack of the match. He clipped the ball under Abdullah Al-Mayouf in goal but the keeper got a touch that just prevented the ball from crossing the line and he gathered at the second attempt.

Murphy then turned provider and Joelinton made no mistake with a powerful header after the winger dinked the ball in from the right.

While the final result betrayed the gulf in class between the sides, it was far from evident during a close first 45 and the visitors had Karius to thank for keeping things level early on. They will doubtless have been delighted to see him display some surprise sharpness, despite not having started a competitive game since February 2021.

Star player Odion Ighalo was the first to test Karius, with a low drive that was stopped by the United keeper. Al-Hilal caused the visitors some problems down the left but it was a move down the right that should probably have been rewarded with a penalty. Sven Botman felled the tricky Matheus Pereira but referee Alturais Khalid was not interested.

Just before the break the lead doubled as Joelinton beat Al-Mayouf after breaking clear of the Al-Hilal back line thanks to a precise through ball from Joe Willock.

Karius then had to be at his best once again to deny Andre Carrillo, tipping the ball around the post as the hosts ended the half as the dominant force.

Changes during the break, including the introduction of Almiron, one of the most in-form players in the English top flight, had an immediate effect when play resumed.

The Paraguayan clipped the bar with a trademark curling effort on 50 minutes, before he stole the ball from Carrillo, jinked past another defender and stroked home a third goal for the Magpies.

Elliot Anderson then hit the upright but his deflected effort rebounded clear of danger despite the lurking United forwards.

It seemed like only a matter of time before United added to their tally, though, and, sure enough, Almiron latched onto a cross-field ball by Sean Longstaff and volleyed it home to make it 4-0.

The last word was reserved for one of the Newcastle youngsters to come off the bench, as Ryan Fraser, also introduced as a substitute, squared the ball for Stephenson to tuck in his first goal at senior level.

Fireworks and ticker tape greeted Newcastle as they raised the golden trophy, which they will be hoping is the first of many under Saudi ownership and head coach Howe.

While trophies are the ultimate ambition, of course, in the shorter term Howe will be hoping for good news about the injuries to Joelinton and Wood, both of whom have proved to be crucial cogs in the Newcastle machine over the past year.


Uganda qualify for T20 World Cup as Zimbabwe miss out 

Uganda qualify for T20 World Cup as Zimbabwe miss out 
Updated 42 sec ago
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Uganda qualify for T20 World Cup as Zimbabwe miss out 

Uganda qualify for T20 World Cup as Zimbabwe miss out 
  • Zimbabwe, who lost to both Namibia and Uganda, will miss out for the second time in three editions 
  • Pakistan are among 20 other nations that have qualified for next year's T20 World Cup in US, West Indies 

PARIS: Uganda will make their first appearance at a cricket World Cup next year after qualifying on Thursday for the T20 tournament to be hosted by the West Indies and the United States. 

A nine-wicket win over Rwanda secured Uganda second place in the African regional qualifying event, joining Namibia at the 2024 T20 World Cup while eliminating Zimbabwe from contention. 

Uganda bowled Rwanda out for just 65 and knocked off the runs in 8.1 overs to record their fifth win in six matches in Windhoek. 

Qualifying hosts Namibia sealed their spot on Tuesday with a 58-run win over Tanzania, ensuring they will play at a third consecutive T20 World Cup. 

Zimbabwe, who lost to both Namibia and Uganda, will miss out for the second time in three editions. 

They did not participate in the 2021 showpiece after the ICC suspended Zimbabwe's membership because of government interference. 

Zimbabwe also failed to reach the last two 50-over World Cups. Their recent absence in India cost them the chance to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy.  

List of the teams qualified for next year's T20 World Cup: 

Afghanistan 

Australia 

Bangladesh 

Canada 

England 

India 

Ireland 

Namibia 

Nepal 

Netherlands 

New Zealand 

Oman 

Pakistan 

Papua New Guinea 

Scotland 

South Africa 

Sri Lanka 

Uganda 

USA 

West Indies 


PIF-backed Professional Fighters League in multi-year US media partnership with ESPN

PIF-backed Professional Fighters League in multi-year US media partnership with ESPN
Updated 30 November 2023
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PIF-backed Professional Fighters League in multi-year US media partnership with ESPN

PIF-backed Professional Fighters League in multi-year US media partnership with ESPN
  • Agreement includes live event distribution of PFL MMA Global Regular Season, Playoffs, World Championship on ESPN platforms
  • Combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30 percent of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class

NEW YORK: The Professional Fighters League and ESPN have announced a new multi-year media rights agreement which includes live event distribution of the PFL Regular Season, Playoffs, and World Championship on ESPN linear networks and ESPN+.

ESPN+ PPV will also distribute the new PFL PPV Super Fight Division in the US when it launches in 2024.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed PFL features some of the sport’s top fighters who will also be highlighted across ESPN platforms in pre- and post-fight coverage, as well as shoulder programming on linear and digital channels.

PFL CEO Peter Murray said: “We’ve had five successful seasons on ESPN, and we’re excited for the next phase of growth for MMA (mixed martial arts) and the Professional Fighters League with this agreement.

“Our innovative sport-season format, elite roster of athletes, and the launch of the PFL PPV Super Fight Division, which will feature some of the world’s greatest combat sports stars such as Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul, are ushering in the new era of MMA as a mainstream global sports entertainment platform.”

The PFL PPV Super Fight Division will be a global platform for some of the best MMA fighters and combat sports stars.

Ngannou, considered one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in the world today, is under an exclusive MMA contract to fight in the division and is joined by one of the most influential figures in combat sports, Paul, and women’s star fighters Claressa Shields, Amanda Serrano, and Savannah Marshall.

The first PFL PPV Super Fight will be in early 2024 with headlining fighters and location to be announced later.

The PFL is the only organization in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30 percent of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class.

The PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the Champions League of MMA with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development.

In addition, the PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, artificial intelligence scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. It is on ESPN/ESPN+ in the US and is broadcast and streamed in 150 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.


Cricket’s uneasy relationship with the environment

Cricket’s uneasy relationship with the environment
Updated 30 November 2023
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Cricket’s uneasy relationship with the environment

Cricket’s uneasy relationship with the environment
  • Sport is not only a victim of climate change but also a contributor to it
  • Anyone who attended World Cup matches in Delhi, as did your columnist, cannot have failed to have noticed or been affected by the appalling air quality

Fallout from the 2023 World Cup continues. Some Indians have been enraged by pictures of an Australian player resting his leg on the trophy, labeling him disrespectful.

One supporter has lodged an official complaint to high level authorities calling for the player to be banned from playing in India. Needless to say, Australians have retorted by accusing Indians of being poor losers.

On the Indian cricket analysis sites which I access, reactions to India’s loss have ranged from highly emotional — one bizarrely suggesting a link between change of sponsor and failure to win trophies — to a recognition that Australia’s tactical plan was perfectly executed.

A form of redemption for India has come in the shape of winning the first two of five matches in a T20 series with Australia in India. This has come hard on the heels of the World Cup final and features few of the players who competed in that match.

Currently, New Zealand are playing a two-match test series against Bangladesh, England embark on a ODI and T20 series in the West Indies on Sunday, Pakistan travel to Australia for three tests before going to New Zealand, India will visit South Africa, all before the end of the year. Women’s cricket also has a busy schedule. England visit India, as do Australia, while Pakistan go to New Zealand and Bangladesh to South Africa in the next four weeks.

Those who wish to see the game grow and expand will be heartened by these schedules. Others are not so sure. In England, the Professional Cricketers’ Association has reacted to the 2024 domestic schedule as “unrelenting, involving dangerous travel windows and a feeling from the player body that the game is prioritizing commercial revenue over player welfare.”

Australia’s all-conquering captain, Pat Cummins, puts a different spin on it in saying that “realistically, the word rest and rotated gets thrown around a lot but you never miss a test if you are fully fit.”

Perhaps there is a different perspective on life in the domestic and international circuits.

There is another aspect to the substantial growth that has taken place in cricket, which is driven by the different formats and the expansion of women’s cricket.

As COP28 opens in the UAE, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Monday it is joining the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. It is the first national cricketing governing body to do so and joins two English county clubs, Gloucestershire and Surrey. Marylebone Cricket Club has also signed up, along with Melbourne Cricket Club and the ILT20 franchise, Desert Vipers.

Signatories are encouraged to embed environmental thinking into their decision-making, along with targets of halving greenhouse emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2040.

Prima facie, the list of signatories within cricket is short. The sport is not only a victim of climate change but also a contributor. Examples of measures taken to reduce contribution by those who have signed up include reducing direct emissions, especially electricity consumption, improving operational processes and increasing amounts of recycling.

At Surrey, one stand has had solar panels installed on the rooftop and measures to reduce the significant proportion of emissions generated by external sources have been introduced. Similar concerns have been addressed at Edgbaston, Birmingham, which has no direct metro stop. The number of car parking spaces at the ground has been reduced and for big match days a shuttle bus service has been initiated. Changing people’s habits in this way is not an easy task.

At the recreational level, the ECB has made funding available to encourage water management and energy saving, including the use of electric mowers and rollers. It introduced extreme heat regulations after such conditions occurred in 2022, while assistance is available to alleviate the impact of drought, storms and floods, for which reparations have become increasingly costly.

Air quality is another issue. Anyone who attended World Cup matches in Delhi, as did your columnist, cannot have failed to have noticed or been affected by the appalling air quality. Training was canceled for the Sri Lankan and Bangladesh teams on Nov. 5 and there was talk of the match being canceled.

On match day, Delhi’s air quality index exceeded 400, officially hazardous. A representative of the International Cricket Council said it was monitoring the situation. Separately, India’s captain and England’s Joe Root expressed public concerns. Root commented that in Mumbai it was difficult to “get your breath.” A former West Indian captain, Daren Ganga has urged administrators to adopt measures to ensure player protection. He also called on them to be more explicitly concerned about the game’s environmental footprint.

Unless the ICC, the game’s governing body, displays leadership in this respect, addressing the issues will be left to local initiatives. There is no systematic approach across cricket. Indeed, there are actions which pull in the other direction. One is the amount of air travel generated by international cricket.

In this respect, it has been eye-opening to learn about the strategy of the Desert Vipers in the DP World ILT20. The franchise is the only one not owned by Indian interests. Its owners and leaders have placed sustainability at the heart of its operations. They seek to promote sustainability within the UAE and the broader cricketing community. Their motivation derives from awareness of climate change, pollution and natural resource depletion.

In 2018, the Climate Coalition reported that cricket would be the pitch sport most impacted by climate change. Five years on more evidence of this is apparent. As such, cricket has the potential, some would say responsibility, to acknowledge the relationship between environmental, social, economic and technological factors and address them for the long-term viability of the game. Slowly, very slowly, in the face of powerful, dissenting voices, parts of cricket’s ecosystem are waking up.


‘I want to score goals all the time,’ says Al-Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic

‘I want to score goals all the time,’ says Al-Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic
Al-Hilal's on-form Serbian forward Aleksandar Mitrovic. (SPL)
Updated 30 November 2023
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‘I want to score goals all the time,’ says Al-Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic

‘I want to score goals all the time,’ says Al-Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic
  • The only player ahead of the Serbian striker in the Roshn Saudi League scoring charts is Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo
  • Mitrovic looking to maintain goal-scoring streak in the season’s first Riyadh derby on Friday

RIYADH: Al-Hilal’s deadly striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is out to bring down Al-Nassr in the Roshn Saudi League’s first Riyadh derby of the season on Friday. 

Mitrovic has scored 11 goals in 12 games since signing from Fulham in the summer — and was recently dubbed “merciless” by Al-Hilal manager Jorge Jesus.

Only Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is ahead of the Serbian striker in the Saudi top flight’s scoring tables, with 15 goals in 13 league games to date during this campaign.

Al-Hilal will go into Friday night’s derby at the King Fahd International Stadium four points ahead of their Riyadh rivals. However, “merciless Mitrovic” has vowed to keep on the goal-hunting trail. 

“I want to score goals all the time and I’ve been lucky to score a lot of goals so far,” he said. “Hopefully there are more to come. It’s my job to score goals. It’s what I do and what I love to do.

“Scoring a goal is something every striker dreams of and every striker wants that feeling, that adrenaline of scoring game by game,” Mitrovic added. “The more you score, the better you feel, and I have scored a lot — I could have scored more, though. It can always be better. There are still a lot of games to play, and big games, such as the derby, so hopefully that’ll include a lot of goals.”

The powerful No. 9 has netted 18 goals in 19 games for Al-Hilal across all competitions this season — the exact same tally as Al-Nassr rival Ronaldo. Mitrovic’s phenomenal scoring record includes two hat-tricks — his memorable Roshn Saudi League treble in the 4-3 triumph over Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad, and in the 6-0 win against Mumbai City in the AFC Champions League.

Each goal has been greeted with deafening chants of “Mitro’s on fire,” to the tune of Eurodance classic “Freed From Desire,” from the adoring Al-Hilal fans. Mitrovic is not only delighted that the Al-Hilal faithful have adopted the song from his time in England but is also overjoyed to hear it as often as possible.

“I didn’t expect that but it’s amazing, to be honest — every game it’s a full stadium and I score goals and you can hear a big roar,” he said. “Of course, I like the song. It’s something (I’ve had) since Newcastle and it’s something that every time I score the people sing, so it’s something I’ve gotten used to. I’m glad they’ve adopted this here and always glad to hear it.”

The Riyadh derby between current Roshn Saudi League leaders Al-Hilal and second-placed Al-Nassr kicks off at 9 p.m. Saudi time on Friday. The match at the 68,000-capacity King Fadh International Stadium is sold out, while millions will watch the game as it is broadcast across the globe.


Local favorite Shelbayh upsets Mickelsen at Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah

Local favorite Shelbayh upsets Mickelsen at Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah
Abdullah Shelbayh of Jordan during his win over Alex Michelsen at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah. (ATP Tour)
Updated 30 November 2023
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Local favorite Shelbayh upsets Mickelsen at Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah

Local favorite Shelbayh upsets Mickelsen at Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah
  • ‘The crowd was one of the main reasons I won today’: 20-year-old Jordanian
  • Saudi Arabia’s 1st pro tennis event taking place at King Abdullah Sports City

JEDDAH: Jordan’s Abdullah Shelbayh captured the headlines on day two of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM with a victory against Alex Michelsen in front of a supportive crowd in Jeddah.

The top seed Arthur Fils and Hamad Medjedovic remain unbeaten to hold the lead position in the green and red groups, while Dominic Stricker righted his loss yesterday with a dominant performance.

Shelbayh thrilled the crowd at King Abdullah Sports City with his shot making, showcasing his immense potential on Wednesday night. The 20-year-old downed Michelsen 4-2, 1-4, 4-0, 4-0 to pick up his fourth Top 100 win.

After the match, he said: “Having the opportunity to play here now to finish the year, I couldn’t ask for a better end to the year.

“I appreciate all the support throughout the week that I’ve been receiving already, of course throughout the year, and from the Arab world especially.”

Dominic Stricker soared to victory in the fastest match in tournament history. After a disappointing start to his Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM campaign, Stricker wasted little time bouncing back on Wednesday in Jeddah. The third-seeded Swiss player eased past Italian Luca Nardi 4-1, 4-1, 4-2 with a clean-hitting performance in only 54 minutes.

In an on-court interview, Stricker said: “We had a long discussion yesterday evening about how to do it today. I think it was really good that we talked a lot after what maybe wasn’t my best performance.

“Now to come out today like that, I think nobody expected that. I’m just happy that I did it and now I’m going to try my best to recover for the third group match.”

Frenchman Fils continued to demonstrate his top-seed credentials when he overcame Flavio Cobolli 4-1, 4-2, 4-2 in 59 minutes. He came out firing in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with the Italian, out-maneuvering Cobolli to improve to 2-0 in Green Group play.

Fils said: “I played very nice today. I served very good, and I was moving well on the court, so I am very happy about it. Tomorrow, I have a good match against a great opponent. He already beat me once this year, so let’s what I can do.”

In the final match of the day, Medjedovic overcame the Red Group top seed Luca Van Assche in four sets, 4-2, 2-4, 4-3, 4-1. The Serbian will now face fan favorite Shelbayh in the final match of the group stage.