Saudi Arabia’s greatest World Cup moments

Special Saudi Arabia’s greatest World Cup moments
Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari goes up against Argentina’s Lionel Messi during a World Cup match in which the Saudi side scored a historical upset at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium on Nov. 22, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 12 December 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s greatest World Cup moments

Saudi Arabia’s greatest World Cup moments
  • Al-Owairan received the ball inside his own half and embarked on an astonishing run that saw one Belgian defender after another beaten, before finishing past Michel Preud’homme
  • Saleh Al-Shehri equalized straight after the break and just five minutes later Salem Dawsari sent Saudi and Arab fans wild with one of the tournament’s most stunning goals

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has taken part in six World Cup tournaments, an Arab record it shares with Morocco and Tunisia. Here are our favorite Green Falcons moments from football’s grandest stage.

5. Saudi defeat Egypt to end winless streak (Russia 2018)

Saudi Arabia returned to the World Cup after an absence of 12 years at Russia 2018 and while there would be no progress from the group stage as there was in the Green Falcons’ debut at USA 1994, there was a first win since that tournament 24 years earlier.

Saudi suffered a painful 5-0 defeat against the hosts on the opening day of the tournament and followed that up with a narrow 1-0 loss against Uruguay. It meant that while the final Group A match against fellow Arab qualifiers Egypt was a dead rubber, pride was very much still at stake.

 

Mohamed Salah, after a stellar season for Liverpool, gave Egypt a 1-0 lead, but deep into stoppage time at the end of the first half, Salman Al-Faraj equalized from the penalty spot.

As the clock passed the 90-minute mark it looked like both teams would be heading home without a win, but Salem Al-Dawsari scored in the 95th minute to make it 2-1 and end the Green Falcon’s 15-match winless World Cup streak.

4. Almost a perfect send-off for Sami Al-Jaber (Germany 2006)

It was almost the ideal end for arguably Saudi Arabia’s greatest ever footballer.

The 2006 World Cup in Germany may not have ended up being too fondly remembered by Saudi fans but it did provide an early moment which hinted at a repeat of the team’s 1994 heroics.

The Green Falcons’ opening match against Tunisia at the Allianz Arena in Munich saw the North African team take the lead from Ziad Jaziri after only 23 minutes but the Saudis struck back with a fine finish by Yasser Al-Qahtani on 57 minutes.

Enter Al-Jaber. Wearing his favored No. 9 green shirt, he was introduced as a substitute after 82 minutes and within moments he was bearing down on Tunisian goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel with the goal at his mercy. Al-Jaber did not disappoint, scoring Saudi’s second before being mobbed by his ecstatic teammates.

Unfortunately for the team managed by Marcos Paqueta, Tunisia equalized in the dying seconds and Saudi went on to lose their next two matches against Ukraine and Spain.

But at least Al-Jaber’s fourth and last World Cup had ended like his first, with a goal for his beloved Saudi Arabia.

3. Al-Ghesheyan stunner gives Saudi a fleeting dream (US 1994)

Saudi Arabia had already created history by progressing from the group stages at the US World Cup in 1994 and their reward was a round of 16 clash with Sweden, who would end up being one of the teams of the tournament.

In the stifling heat of Cotton Bowl in Dallas, the Green Falcons, fresh off a stunning win over Belgium in their previous match, put on brave display but found themselves two goals down after an early header from Martin Dahlin and a strike from Kennet Andersson six minutes after the break.

Just as it looked like an exhausted team was only minutes from heading home, up popped substitute Fahad Al-Ghesheyan to breathe life into Saudi Arabia’s World Cup campaign and allow the fans to dream again.

The 21-year-old collected the ball inside the Swedish penalty area and unleashed a right-foot strike into the roof of the net five minutes from time to suddenly give Saudi hope of a stunning comeback.

But just two minutes later, Andersson scored his second to give Sweden a 3-1 win and eliminate the Falcons from the competition. They had become the first Arab nation to reach the last 16 in their first attempt and no team from the region would progress further until 2022.

2. Al-Owairan scores one of the World Cup’s greatest goals (USA 1994)

To Diego Maradona’s iconic solo goal against England in 1986 and Roberto Baggio’s international career-launching strike against Czechoslovakia in 1990, you can add Saeed Al-Owairan’s remarkable winner against Belgium in 1994.

Saudi Arabia’s debut at the World Cup had ended with a 2-1 loss to reigning European champions the Netherlands at the RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., but in their second Group F match, they managed an excellent 2-1 win over Morocco at the Giants Stadium in New York.

It meant that progress to the last 16 would depend on their result against Belgium, and the Green Falcons would go on to record one of their greatest ever results back at the RFK.

Only five minutes into the match, Al-Owairan received the ball inside his own half and embarked on an astonishing run that saw one Belgian defender after another beaten, before the forward finished past stranded goalkeeper Michel Preud’homme.

The stunned Belgians had no answer to that goal in the next 85 minutes. Saudi Arabia, in their first World Cup, were heading to the last 16 and Al-Owairan had written his name alongside the World Cup greats.

1. Saudi claim greatest win over Messi’s Argentina (Qatar 2022)

There can be few debates about Saudi Arabia’s greatest World Cup moment.

Few people would have given Herve Renard’s team much hope of a victory when they took on Lionel Messi and Argentina at Lusail Stadium on Nov. 22, 2022.

And sure enough it was the Argentine maestro who gave the South Americans the lead on 10 minutes from the penalty spot. But the expected Argentinian procession did not materialize. Instead, the Falcons, through gritty defending and smart counterattacks, slowly grew into the game.

The second half would be a revelation. First Saleh Al-Shehri equalized straight after the break and just five minutes later Salem Dawsari sent Saudi and Arab fans in the stadium and around the world wild with one of the tournament’s most stunning goals.

Messi and his colleagues would go on to win the World Cup, but that day they had no answer to Saudi Arabia’s tigerish performance.

There would be no progress from the group stage for the Falcons, but the 2-1 scoreline gave them their most famous victory and they would end the tournament as the eventual world champions’ only conquerors.


Wembanyama returns to Paris for NBA games as a global star

Wembanyama returns to Paris for NBA games as a global star
Updated 23 January 2025
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Wembanyama returns to Paris for NBA games as a global star

Wembanyama returns to Paris for NBA games as a global star
  • Wembanyama admitted on Wednesday it was a reassuring feeling being back in the Bercy Arena where he helped France to the Olympic silver medal in August, when they were beaten by the USA in the final
  • The games in Paris — the second takes place on Saturday — have attracted spectators from 53 countries, reflecting the interest in Wembanyama, who is averaging 24.4 points and 10.8 rebounds a game this season

PARIS: Victor Wembanyama will take to the court in Paris on Thursday with the San Antonio Spurs in front of an adoring home crowd, having gone from the French league to global stardom.

The 21-year-old 7ft 3in (2.21m) center was playing for the Metropolitans 92 on the edge of the French capital a year and a half ago before being chosen as the No.1 NBA draft pick, putting him on the path to global stardom.

In just his second year in the NBA, he returns home as a Spurs player and as one of the US league’s brightest stars for two regular-season games against the Indiana Pacers.

The towering Frenchman is also a big part of the US league’s efforts to project its reach beyond its borders — and basketball is growing fast in France.

Since stepping foot back on French soil, “Wemby” has visited his former teammates, opened an outdoor basketball court in his home town of Le Chesnay on the Paris outskirts and been guest of honor at an LVMH fashion show.

Wembanyama admitted on Wednesday it was a reassuring feeling being back in the Bercy Arena where he helped France to the Olympic silver medal in August, when they were beaten by the USA in the final.

“I can feel a different energy,” he said at a press conference. “It’s great to be back here. It’s a venue that’s close to my heart.

“All in all, I haven’t been out much in Paris. I haven’t had a chance to see it for myself yet.

“But yes, it’s different from last time. We know it’s a different fanbase. Fans who wait all their lives, all year, for the chance to see an NBA game. So it’s different.”

The games in Paris — the second takes place on Saturday — have attracted spectators from 53 countries, reflecting the interest in Wembanyama, who is averaging 24.4 points and 10.8 rebounds a game this season.

Chris Paul, the 12-time All-Star guard recruited this season to bolster a Spurs team packed with young, raw talent, said playing with Wembanyana had been a revelation.

“Vic is so unique. Everybody expects him to dunk because he’s so tall, but that is not him by any means,” the 39-year-old said.

“He can dribble, he can pass, he can shoot, he does a little bit of everything. That’s why it has been so fun to play with him.”

As a rookie, Wembanyama generated 1.3 billion views on NBA social media channels, becoming the fastest player ever to one billion views.

He is currently the third most-viewed NBA player globally on social media with 735 million views, trailing only LeBron James and Steph Curry.

After the game in Paris on Thursday, he will learn whether he has landed a place in the starting five for this year’s the All-Star game. If he doesn’t make the cut, he is almost guaranteed a spot on the bench.


Olympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sportOlympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sport

Olympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sportOlympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sport
Updated 23 January 2025
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Olympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sportOlympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sport

Olympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sportOlympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sport
  • Kho kho, a catch-me-if-you-can tag sport, has been played for over 2,000 years in southern Asia but saw its rules formalized in the early 20th century
  • Although it was played as a demonstration sport at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, it did not gather enough support to be included in the Summer Games

New Delhi: The ancient game of kho kho is enjoying a resurgence in India, with organizers of the first international tournament hoping their efforts will secure the sport’s place in the Olympics.
Kho kho, a catch-me-if-you-can tag sport, has been played for more than 2,000 years across southern Asia but only saw its rules formalized in the early 20th century.
It was played as a demonstration sport at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin but did not gather enough support to be included in the Summer Games and since then has been largely eclipsed by India’s ferocious love of cricket.
Nearly a century later, enthusiasts have sought to raise its profile with the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup featuring teams from 23 nations competing in India’s capital New Delhi.
The tournament’s opening ceremony saw a gala of song, dance and an Olympic-style team parade, reflecting the aspirations of organizers and athletes to take the sport global.
“My elder sister played the sport, but was not able to pursue her dreams,” Indian women’s team player Nasreen Shaikh, 26, told AFP.
“We have crossed the first barrier of playing in a World Cup. The next big step would be an entry in the Olympics.”

In this photograph taken on January 8, 2025, members of India's men's kho kho team take part in selection trials ahead of the upcoming Kho Kho World Cup in New Delhi. (AFP)

Kho kho is traditionally played outside on a rectangular court, divided in two by a line that connects two poles at either end of the field.
Teams switch between attack and defense, with the former chasing and tagging defending players around the field.
Only one player can give chase at a time and attacking players can only move in one direction around the court, forcing them to tag in team-mates crouched on the center line to take over pursuit.
The match is won by whichever team can gain the most points, primarily by tagging defenders faster than the opposing team.
The franchise-based Ultimate Kho Kho League, founded in 2022, brought the sport off grassy fields and onto indoor mats, also boosting its profile with a television audience.
Since then the league has become the third most-watched non-cricket sports tournament in the world’s most populous country after the Pro Kabaddi League — another ancient Indian tag sport — and the Indian Super League football competition.
“The turning point was when it transitioned from mud to mat. It made it into a global game,” Kho Kho Federation of India president Sudhanshu Mittal told AFP.
“Today we are in 55 countries... Native players in countries like Germany, Brazil, and Kenya are embracing the game because of its speed, agility and minimal equipment required.”
Mittal said he expected the sport to gain a foothold in dozens more countries by the end of the year, giving it a strong claim to be featured in the Olympics in the coming decade.
That would coincide with India’s audacious bid to host the 2036 Games in the city of Ahmedabad, 100 years after kho kho last appeared at the Olympics.
The United States, England and Australia were among the nations that competed in this month’s World Cup in New Delhi, with expatriate Indians heavily represented after taking the game to foreign shores.
But Pakistan is a glaring omission from the competition despite the sport being popular there — a reflection of the deep animosity between the nuclear-armed archrivals.
World Cup organizers refused to comment on the absence, which failed to dim the sense of optimism at the competition that the sport is destined to thrive.
“There has been a sea change in the sport,” Indian men’s team captain Pratik Waikar, 32, told AFP.
“Cricket has a rich history and they developed it well by going live on TV, and now our sport has also gone live,” he said. “In the next five years it will be on another level.”


Ludvig Aberg cards an opening-round 63 for a 2-shot lead at the Farmers Insurance Open

Ludvig Aberg cards an opening-round 63 for a 2-shot lead at the Farmers Insurance Open
Updated 23 January 2025
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Ludvig Aberg cards an opening-round 63 for a 2-shot lead at the Farmers Insurance Open

Ludvig Aberg cards an opening-round 63 for a 2-shot lead at the Farmers Insurance Open
  • The 25-year-old Swede capitalized on playing the easier North Course at Torrey Pines, hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation while making eight birdies and an eagle on the coastal links
  • Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, the highest-ranked player in the field and the winner at The Sentry at Kapalua, shot a 68 on the South Course

SAN DIEGO: Ludvig Aberg shot a 9-under 63 Wednesday in what he calls his favorite place in the world, taking a two-shot lead over Danny Walker and Hayden Springer in the opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

Aberg took a first-round lead on the PGA Tour for the first time after posting the best opening-round score of his short career. The 25-year-old Swede capitalized on playing the easier North Course at Torrey Pines, hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation while making eight birdies and an eagle on the coastal links.

“I like when you hit a lot of drivers, and I feel like I did that a lot today, and probably going to do the same tomorrow,” Aberg said. “(I love) any golf course when it looks like this, when you have the views, and Torrey Pines is a really, really cool place.”

The 25-year-old Walker was outstanding in his fourth career PGA Tour start. He posted the opening day’s best round on the tougher South Course, where the scoring average was 72.487 compared to 70.218 on the North.

Walker and Springer finished one shot in front of Lanto Griffin, Zac Blair, 48-year-old Zach Johnson and 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter — all of whom played the North Course.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, the highest-ranked player in the field and the winner at The Sentry at Kapalua, shot a 68 on the South Course.

Aberg, who finished ninth last year in his Torrey Pines debut, began the new season with a fifth-place finish in Maui after undergoing knee surgery last fall. After winning the tour’s rookie of the year award in 2023, he went winless last year despite posting six top-five finishes, including runner-ups at the Masters, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the BMW Championship.

While many top players aren’t at Torrey Pines this week, Aberg couldn’t wait to get out to the beautiful coastal course, calling San Diego “my favorite place in the world” earlier this week.

Aberg also said he would love it if the Genesis Invitational is held here in three weeks. The tournament is expected to announce its 2025 home soon after being moved away from Riviera Country Club because of the deadly wildfires that destroyed part of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, near the famed course.

“I haven’t had any issues since the surgery, so it’s really nice,” Aberg said. “I think Maui was the ultimate test for that. I got some blisters on my feet. That’s another story, but the knee was holding up nice. Really looking forward to coming back and playing a lot of tournaments. ... I’m looking forward to a nice stretch of golf.”

Walker, a rookie who who earned his PGA Tour card on the Korn Ferry Tour, turned in a bogey-free round after missing his first two cuts of the season.

Johnson hasn’t won on tour since the 2015 British Open at St. Andrews, but he started impressively at Torrey Pines after getting in on a sponsor’s exemption.

Defending champion Matthieu Pavon shot a 73 on the South Course.

This famed tournament on the northern coast of San Diego has fewer stars than normal in its field this year. World No. 2 and San Diego native Xander Schauffele didn’t enter, while fifth-ranked and Southern California native Collin Morikawa withdrew on Sunday, followed by former Torrey Pines runner-up Will Zalatoris on Wednesday morning.

The Farmers Insurance Open starts on a Wednesday and ends on a Saturday to avoid a final-round conflict with the NFL’s conference championship games.


Elimination stares Man City in the face, Real Madrid rout Salzburg to advance

Elimination stares Man City in the face, Real Madrid rout Salzburg to advance
Updated 23 January 2025
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Elimination stares Man City in the face, Real Madrid rout Salzburg to advance

Elimination stares Man City in the face, Real Madrid rout Salzburg to advance
  • Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 and Inter won 1-0 at Sparta Prague that lifted both to 16 points, three clear of ninth-place Aston Villa
  • Celtic secured their place in the knockout rounds by winning 1-0 against last-place Young Boys, the other team to lose seven times

LONDON: Manchester City are on the brink of a humiliating Champions League exit after a stunning loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, and Real Madrid are no longer at risk after routing Salzburg.

Man City blew a two-goal lead in a high-stakes clash of super-wealthy underachievers that PSG won 4-2 in Paris yet still could be eliminated alongside the English champions after the final round of games next week.

Only the top 24 in the 36-team standings will advance and Man City, the 2023 champion, will kick off in 25th place but will squeeze into the knockout playoffs round by beating Club Brugge.

“We will do everything there and if we don’t do it we don’t deserve it,” manager Pep Guardiola said of the game in Manchester in one week’s time. Brugge needs just a draw to advance.

PSG rose to 22nd place to set up another tense challenge, at 24th-place Stuttgart which likely needs to win.

Early in the second half in Paris, it was Man City looking set to send PSG close to elimination by taking a two-goal lead. Jack Grealish, a halftime substitute, scored in the 50th minute then his pass across the goalmouth was deflected toward Erling Haaland for a second four minutes later.

Within six remarkable minutes PSG were level, from goals by Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola, and a stunning turnaround was completed in the 78th when Joao Neves headed the decisive goal. Gonçalo Ramos added a fourth in stoppage time.

Madrid advance to knockout phase

After winning a record 15th European title last season, then signing France star Kylian Mbappe in the offseason, it probably should not have been such a drama for Real Madrid to reach the knockout stages in the new Champions League format.

But three losses in six games — to Lille, AC Milan and Liverpool — left Madrid in 22nd place at kickoff Wednesday, before swatting aside Salzburg 5-1 to rise into 16th.

Brazil stars Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior each scored twice, either side of a goal for Kylian Mbappé, in a mismatch ahead of the teams meeting again in the FIFA Club World Cup, in Philadelphia on June 26.

Arsenal, Inter and Milan secure wins

Arsenal and Inter got expected wins to rise to third and fourth, respectively, though not sure yet to join Liverpool and Barcelona among the top-eight teams advancing direct to the round of 16.

Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 and Inter won 1-0 at Sparta Prague that lifted both to 16 points, three clear of ninth-place Aston Villa.

AC Milan quietly went about its business rising to sixth place with a 1-0 win against Girona at San Siro, on a powerful strike in the first half by Rafael Leão.

Bayern slump , risk tough path ahead

Bayern Munich fell to a 3-0 defeat at Feyenoord and dropped to 15th in the mid-table morass of storied clubs — currently including Madrid and Juventus — who risk facing each other in the knockout playoff rounds in February.

The teams that finish Nos. 15-18 in the standings next week will be drawn against each other in the playoffs — for the right to face Liverpool and, likely, Barcelona in the round of 16.

Bayern are fortunate to have one of the easier-seeming final games, at home to Slovan Bratislava, which have lost seven straight.

Celtic secured their place in the knockout rounds by winning 1-0 against last-place Young Boys, the other team to lose seven times.

Leipzig ended their six-game losing run with a 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon, though the champion of Portugal still is favored to advance. Shakhtar Donetsk stayed in contention — just — with a 2-0 win against Brest, who will be in the knockout phase.

Final round

All 36 teams will be in action at the same time next Wednesday in 18 games kicking off at the same time — 9 p.m. Central European Time (2000 GMT).

The top eight in the final standings get a break until March, waiting for the round of 16. Teams that finish from ninth to 24th enter the knockout playoffs. Those two-leg pairings are drawn Jan. 31 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.


Olympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sport

Olympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sport
Updated 23 January 2025
Follow

Olympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sport

Olympic push for kho kho, India’s ancient tag sport
  • Nearly a century later, enthusiasts have sought to raise its profile with the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup featuring teams from 23 nations competing in India’s capital New Delhi

NEW DELHI: The ancient game of kho kho is enjoying a resurgence in India, with organizers of the first international tournament hoping their efforts will secure the sport’s place in the Olympics.
Kho kho, a catch-me-if-you-can tag sport, has been played for more than 2,000 years across southern Asia but only saw its rules formalized in the early 20th century.
It was played as a demonstration sport at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin but did not gather enough support to be included in the Summer Games and since then has been largely eclipsed by India’s ferocious love of cricket.
Nearly a century later, enthusiasts have sought to raise its profile with the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup featuring teams from 23 nations competing in India’s capital New Delhi.
The tournament’s opening ceremony saw a gala of song, dance and an Olympic-style team parade, reflecting the aspirations of organizers and athletes to take the sport global.
“My elder sister played the sport, but was not able to pursue her dreams,” Indian women’s team player Nasreen Shaikh, 26, told AFP.
“We have crossed the first barrier of playing in a World Cup. The next big step would be an entry in the Olympics.”
Kho kho is traditionally played outside on a rectangular court, divided in two by a line that connects two poles at either end of the field.
Teams switch between attack and defense, with the former chasing and tagging defending players around the field.
Only one player can give chase at a time and attacking players can only move in one direction around the court, forcing them to tag in team-mates crouched on the center line to take over pursuit.
The match is won by whichever team can gain the most points, primarily by tagging defenders faster than the opposing team.
The franchise-based Ultimate Kho Kho League, founded in 2022, brought the sport off grassy fields and onto indoor mats, also boosting its profile with a television audience.
Since then the league has become the third most-watched non-cricket sports tournament in the world’s most populous country after the Pro Kabaddi League — another ancient Indian tag sport — and the Indian Super League football competition.
“The turning point was when it transitioned from mud to mat. It made it into a global game,” Kho Kho Federation of India president Sudhanshu Mittal told AFP.
“Today we are in 55 countries... Native players in countries like Germany, Brazil, and Kenya are embracing the game because of its speed, agility and minimal equipment required.”
Mittal said he expected the sport to gain a foothold in dozens more countries by the end of the year, giving it a strong claim to be featured in the Olympics in the coming decade.
That would coincide with India’s audacious bid to host the 2036 Games in the city of Ahmedabad, 100 years after kho kho last appeared at the Olympics.
The United States, England and Australia were among the nations that competed in this month’s World Cup in New Delhi, with expatriate Indians heavily represented after taking the game to foreign shores.
But Pakistan is a glaring omission from the competition despite the sport being popular there — a reflection of the deep animosity between the nuclear-armed archrivals.
World Cup organizers refused to comment on the absence, which failed to dim the sense of optimism at the competition that the sport is destined to thrive.
“There has been a sea change in the sport,” Indian men’s team captain Pratik Waikar, 32, told AFP.
“Cricket has a rich history and they developed it well by going live on TV, and now our sport has also gone live,” he said. “In the next five years it will be on another level.”