UAE Pro League review: Al-Ain and champions Shabab Al-Ahli maintain perfect starts

UAE Pro League review: Al-Ain and champions Shabab Al-Ahli maintain perfect starts
Shabab Al-Ahli breezed past Al-Wahda 3-1 on Friday. (Twitter: @Shabab_AlAhliFC)
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Updated 01 October 2023
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UAE Pro League review: Al-Ain and champions Shabab Al-Ahli maintain perfect starts

UAE Pro League review: Al-Ain and champions Shabab Al-Ahli maintain perfect starts
  • Al-Wasl draw against Khor Fakkan sees them fall two points behind the top two

Holders Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai Club and Al-Ain maintained 100-percent starts to the season after heavyweight clashes, while Al-Wasl blew up theirs in unfathomable fashion against nine men, throughout ADNOC Pro League’s engrossing Matchweek 4.

Thursday’s sell-out crowd witnessed Al-Ain’s 10 men secure an epic 3-2 victory at shell-shocked Sharjah, courtesy of substitute Jonatas’ fierce clincher. Shabab Al-Ahli, meanwhile, breezed past Al-Wahda 3-1 on Friday, with emergent UAE force Yahya Al-Ghassani impressing former employers.

Saturday’s utterly chaotic second half at Khor Fakkan saw Wasl shockingly drop two points off leading pace. Switzerland striker Haris Seferovic’s first-half brace had sparked a 3-0 lead for the visitors by 14 minutes, but their collapse to 3-3 was completed by resurgent hosts in the 91st minute despite red cards for Uzbekistan midfielder Abdulla Abdullayev and Masoud Sulaiman.

Italy striker Manolo Gabbiadini’s brace earned a 3-0 victory for relieved Al-Nasr at rock-bottom Hatta; Morocco hit man Walid Azaro’s hat-trick proved in vain during Ajman’s 5-3 loss to grateful Ittihad Kalba; and Spanish playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo had a hand in all three goals when Al-Bataeh were downed 3-1 by Frank de Boer’s momentum-building Al-Jazira.

Spain icon Andres Iniesta went close when Emirates Club played out a goalless stalemate at Baniyas.

Here are Arab News’ top picks and a talking point from the latest action.

Player of the week: Al-Ghassani (Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai Club)

There was a poignancy to this breathtaking display from one of the Middle East’s finest.

Al-Ghassani’s first steps in senior professional football were taken with Wahda, after exiting the academy of the then-named Al-Ahli. But despite an undeniable talent, it never truly happened for the winger at Al-Nahyan Stadium from 2018 until January 2021’s move back home.

Only 12 top-flight starts, four goals and five assists were recorded.

Fast forward to the present and Al-Ghassani was a standout performer in last season’s title victory, plus scorer of a brace during August’s agonizing AFC Champions League play-off exit to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nasr.

A pair in coach Paulo Bento’s impressive UAE debut — a 4-1 thumping of Costa Rica with Paris Saint-Germain’s Keylor Navas between the sticks — augurs much for World Cup 2026 qualifying’s impending kick-off and winter’s Asian Cup.

Al-Ghassani’s punishing pace and flawless technique were showcased for Mu’nas Dabbur’s seventh-minute opener, a clipped assist shredding the visiting defense. A noteworthy maturity, too, for an entertainer approaching his prime at 25 years old.

In tandem with fellow outstanding UAE prospect Harib Abdalla on the opposite flank, Shabab Al-Ahli’s counter-punching approach — they ceded 59-percent possession — made perfect sense.

Wahda’s loss is, emphatically, Shabab Al-Ahli’s gain. It makes the former strong contenders to claim another result in Saturday’s glamour clash at Jazira.

Goal of the week: Gabbiadini (Al-Nasr)

A long-awaited breakout for a beleaguered club and a star addition.

Gabbiadini had suffered alongside his new teammates in a tortured start to this season, which featured three successive league losses. In that time, the summer addition from relegated Sampdoria accrued only one assist, amid opening defeat to Jazira.

The narrative shifted in the Hajar Mountains.

Gabbiadini’s sharp mind and acute skills were present before half-time, breaking the deadlock in this clash of great import.

Nasr’s quick free-kick caused a goal-mouth scramble. The ball eventually made its way toward the 13-times-capped attacker, who met it with a forceful back heel that flew through Hatta goalkeeper Salam Khairi from close range.

Such refinement attracted the Blue Wave to Gabbiadini, following the briefest of summer attachments with Cedric Bakambu prior to joining Galatasaray.

It could yet prove adroit business for a 12th-placed sleeping giant who must awaken from perpetual slumber. Sleepwalk back into bad habits and harsh punishment should await versus Al-Ain on Sunday, before another international break.

Coach of the week: Gerard Zaragoza (Khor Fakkan)

Zaragoza experienced the startling highs and lows of club management, in this unforgettable Khor Fakkan debut.

A promotion from assistant coach was bequeathed by Abdulaziz Al-Anbari’s mid-September exit. That occurred after fitful ADNOC Pro League form, plus landslide ADIB Cup elimination by Kalba.

This change at the helm — whatever its permanence — looked misguided when on-song Wasl raced into an early three-goal lead. A comeback appeared impossible against visitors, surely, posed to extend a perfect start to the season.

But the ex-Shabab Al-Ahli tactician had a different idea. Lourency and Mohammed Al-Junaibi — one of two 24th-minute substitutes as Zaragoza attempted to catalyze a comeback — exchanged goal contributions before the hour mark, moving Khor Fakkan within striking distance.

This wind was taken out of their sails by twin dismissals. Yet, Khor Fakkan and Zaragoza were not done.

Another replacement, Juninho, took advantage of uncharacteristic dallying from Morocco center-back Soufiane Bouftini in injury time to poke home the unlikeliest of levelers.

Cosmin conundrum continues at Sharjah

We’ve been here before.

Last season featured an unprecedented haul of four different cup trophies for Sharjah under Cosmin Olaroiu, but an underwhelming seventh-placed finish for a side that contained Miralem Pjanic, Kostas Manolas and Paco Alcacer.

This season has featured a gritty 3-1 AFC Champions League play-off victory in front of 80,898 partisan Tractor S.C. supporters and a creditable goalless group-stage opener at Qatar’s Al-Sadd. Yet in the topflight, they already sit six points off the pace in fifth after defeat at home to an Al-Ain team reduced to 10 men by Kouame Autonne’s 37th-minute dismissal.

This represents an intractable problem for Sharjah’s board.

Olaroiu’s reputation as a serial trophy hoarder is unmatched across Asia, but paltry league form is a growing concern.


‘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.


Magic win eighth in a row while Embiid ill as Sixers fall

Magic win eighth in a row while Embiid ill as Sixers fall
Updated 30 November 2023
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Magic win eighth in a row while Embiid ill as Sixers fall

Magic win eighth in a row while Embiid ill as Sixers fall
  • Ignited by their star Serbian center’s triple double, Denver improved the NBA’s best home record to 9-0 and reached 13-6 overall
  • The Phoenix Suns saw a seven-game win streak snapped while NBA-worst Detroit lost their 15th game in a row

WASHINGTON: German forward Franz Wagner’s 31-point performance sparked Orlando to an eighth consecutive victory on Wednesday, ripping Washington 139-120 to move one game behind NBA overall leader Boston.

The Magic connected on 60.7 percent of their shots in improving to 13-5 and matching Milwaukee for second in the Eastern Conference behind the Celtics (14-4).

“We believe we can win every day and we want to play up to our standards,” Wagner said after achieving back-to-back 30-point games for the first time in his NBA career.

“It’s a lot of fun. We would like to keep that going.”

Orlando can match the club’s record win streak by beating the Wizards again on Friday.

“It would be awesome,” Wagner said. “But we’ve still got one to go so we’ve got to lock in on that.”

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley agreed, saying: “I’m a ‘one game at a time’ guy. We’ll enjoy this one but we’ve got to get to work tomorrow.”

Cole Anthony came off the bench to add 25 points and Jalen Suggs scored a season-high 22 points for Orlando.

But forward Paolo Banchero, last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, suffered an ankle sprain and had only six points.

“We’ve got a young team,” Wagner said. “We’re just a tight-knit group. We’ve got a lot of characters and we just enjoy playing with each other.”

The Philadelphia 76ers also could have reached 13-5 but with NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid out with illness, the Sixers lost 124-114 at New Orleans.

Cameroonian seven-footer Embiid, the NBA’s top scorer with 32.0 points a game, was dearly missed as Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson struck for 33 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. He shot 11-of-12 from the floor and the free throw line.

Pelicans guard C.J. McCollum scored 20 points in his return after missing more than three weeks with a collapsed lung and fractured rib.

Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points for the 76ers in a losing cause.

At Denver, two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic struck for 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds while Michael Porter Jr. added 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to power the defending champion Nuggets over visiting Houston 134-124.

Ignited by their star Serbian center’s triple double, Denver improved the NBA’s best home record to 9-0 and reached 13-6 overall, moving into second place in the Western Conference only a game behind Minnesota (13-4).

“We play good at home,” Porter said. “There’s good energy in the building and we like to play at the crib. We’ve got to bring the same energy on the road.”

The Phoenix Suns saw a seven-game win streak snapped while NBA-worst Detroit lost their 15th game in a row.

Toronto got 23 points from Scottie Barnes and 22 from Pascal Siakam to beat visiting Phoenix 112-105.

The Raptors led 108-105 when Devin Booker missed a tying three-pointer with 50 seconds remaining.

German Dennis Schroder hit a jumper for Toronto and Kevin Durant — who scored a game-high 30 points — then missed a three-pointer for Phoenix. Barnes added two final free throws to seal the Raptors’ triumph.

At Detroit, D’Angelo Russell had game-highs of 35 points and nine assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers over the Pistons 133-107. Detroit drop to 2-16.

Anthony Davis added 28 points and a game-high 16 rebounds for the Lakers while LeBron James, coming off the most lopsided loss of his 21-year career at Philadelphia on Monday, added 25 points and eight rebounds.

At Sacramento, Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and James Harden scored 17 of his 26 points in the first quarter as the Los Angeles Clippers routed the host Kings 131-117.

De’Aaron Fox scored 40 points in a losing cause while Paul George netted 19 for the Clippers.


IOC lines up French Alps to host 2030 Winter Olympics and Salt Lake City for 2034 edition

IOC lines up French Alps to host 2030 Winter Olympics and Salt Lake City for 2034 edition
Updated 30 November 2023
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IOC lines up French Alps to host 2030 Winter Olympics and Salt Lake City for 2034 edition

IOC lines up French Alps to host 2030 Winter Olympics and Salt Lake City for 2034 edition
  • France’s partial win Wednesday is a full victory for its national Olympic committee leader David Lappartient, the president of cycling’s governing body
  • The modern way of picking Olympic hosts leaves IOC members to rubber stamp a single option presented by the executive board chaired by Bach

NEW YORK: Salt Lake City being preferred as a shoo-in to host the 2034 Winter Olympics was expected. The surprise was the IOC favoring the French Alps bid for the 2030 edition on Wednesday.

Aiming to finalize back-to-back Winter Games hosts next year, the International Olympic Committee executive board has decided to enter exclusive talks with Olympic officials in France and the US for Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake was alone in the 2034 race to bring the games back to Utah, which hosted the 2002 Winter Games, and the American bid’s support from all levels of government up to President Joe Biden was praised Wednesday.

“He would guarantee all the expenses,” said IOC member Karl Stoss, who chaired the Olympics panel assessing potential candidates, adding “and they stand really in a strong, strong status behind these games.”

A French bid uniting the snowy Alps region and the French Riviera resort Nice came together only in the past few months to compete with Sweden and Switzerland for the IOC’s support.

The IOC also has now pointed the Swiss bid toward the 2038 Olympics with “privileged dialogue” status.

By mapping out a Winter Olympics future for almost two decades, the next opportunity for Asia to host looks to be in 2042 — perhaps in Sapporo, Japan or even Saudi Arabia, which is creating the Trojena ski resort to stage the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

The IOC last month aimed to make a double award picking the 2030 and 2034 hosts together in July when about 100 members meet in Paris on the eve of the Summer Games.

France’s partial win Wednesday is a full victory for its national Olympic committee leader David Lappartient, the president of cycling’s governing body.

Lappartient worked to build close ties with IOC President Thomas Bach even before last year when he became one of the about 100 IOC members.

It would be the fourth time France has hosted a Winter Olympics, after Chamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968 and Albertville in 1992.

The modern way of picking Olympic hosts leaves IOC members to rubber stamp a single option presented by the executive board chaired by Bach.

The 2030 Winter Games is barely six years away, already making it the latest Olympic hosting decision taken in recent decades. A decision next July would be just over 5½ years before the scheduled opening ceremony.

Longtime 2030 favorite Sapporo faded then was formally withdrawn last month as Japan’s feeling for the Olympics soured amid investigations of bribery linked to preparing the Summer Games in Tokyo held in 2021.

Vancouver, the 2010 Winter Games host, also dropped out and Salt Lake City’s focus switched to 2034. That was to avoid a clash for the United States hosting back-to-back Olympics after the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.

With the IOC seeming to have few options in January, Swedish Olympic officials were approached about making a ninth bid for the Winter Games. The most recent loss was with Stockholm in 2019 when IOC members chose Italy’s Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo for 2026.

That Stockholm bid was revived but an apparent caution in moving forward quickly left the door open for bids from France and Switzerland closer to the IOC’s home in Lausanne.

“I am incredibly disappointed,” Swedish bid leader Hans von Uthmann said in a statement. “We had a strong concept to stage the most sustainable games of all time, but are now not getting the chance to showcase that vision to the world.”

The IOC has declining options for Winter Games hosts because of climate change.

The Olympic body estimates only 15 countries on three continents can meet the criteria of having at least 80 percent of existing venues for snow sports and a “climate-reliable” outlook to stage events in future decades.

A longer-term IOC plan is a rotation policy for a small pool of regular Winter Games hosts, like Salt Lake City.

“For more than a decade, our state and community leaders have united toward this goal,” said Fraser Bullock, president and CEO of this Salt Lake City bid and also a senior official on the 2002 project.

The last time Salt Lake pursued the Olympics the city got caught in a bribery scandal that nearly derailed plans for those 2002 Winter Games and led to several IOC members being expelled and resigning.

The bid committee doled out $1 million in cash, scholarships, medical care, gifts and other favors to IOC members and their families. That included ski trips, NBA tickets, plastic surgery, knee replacements, violins and housing and salary for children of IOC members, according to report by an ethics panel.

Wide-ranging campaign reforms included stopping IOC voters from visiting bid candidates. Later, vote-buying scandals implicating back-to-back Summer Games hosts Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo led to further changes.

The 2026 Olympics were the last to have a traditional contested vote in 2019. The next Winter Games will be spread across northern Italy, focused on the city of Milan and ski resort Cortina d’Ampezzo, the 1956 Olympics host.

Those games are set to use an ice sliding track in neighboring Switzerland or Austria because Italy does not have a functioning venue.

That fits with the IOC’s modern insistence on Olympic hosts using existing or temporary venues to avoid construction costs that typically run over budget.

The reported $51 billion in spending by Russia on the 2014 Sochi Winter Games — including building new roads, a railway and much of a ski resort — scared off some potential bidders in Europe and forced another rethink of Olympic campaigning and hosting.


Ledecky rules 800m freestyle again at US Open

Ledecky rules 800m freestyle again at US Open
Updated 30 November 2023
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Ledecky rules 800m freestyle again at US Open

Ledecky rules 800m freestyle again at US Open
  • Ledecky’s time was more than 11 seconds shy of her world record, set in 2016, and almost two seconds behind her winning time from last year’s US Open
  • The meet continues until Saturday and features several international stars alongside American Olympians

WASHINGTON: Seven-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky eased to victory in the 800-meter freestyle on Wednesday in the opening race of the US Open Swimming Championships at Greensboro, North Carolina.

Ledecky, the three-time defending Olympic gold medalist and current world champion in the 800 free, posted a time of 8mins 15.91secs to win by almost 15 seconds.

Ledecky’s time was more than 11 seconds shy of her world record, set in 2016, and almost two seconds behind her winning time from last year’s US Open.

But the meet is a staging post for the 26-year-old Ledecky as she builds up toward next year’s Olympics, where she hopes to become the first woman ever to win four Olympic gold medals in one event.

The US Olympic team trials will be held in Indianapolis on June 15-23, 2024.

Fellow Olympian Paige Madden of Arizona State University, who is guided by former Michael Phelps coach Bob Bowman, finished second in 8:29.91.

Jillian Cox, a 19-year-old Texan who finished sixth at the World Championships in Fukuoka in July, was third.

Ledecky will be back in the pool for the 400m freestyle heats on Thursday.

In the men’s 800 free, the withdrawal of world champion Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia left Tokyo Olympic champion Bobby Finke as the favorite, but he surprisingly finished off the podium.

Charlie Clark came from behind to beat David Johnston with a time of 7:50.49 while Ilia Sibirtsev’s time of 7:54.36 was enough to pip Finke for third.

The meet continues until Saturday and features several international stars alongside American Olympians with Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh, a 17-year-old four-time world champion, set to challenge Ledecky in the 400m free.

Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel will race as he continues his return to the sport after a lengthy break.