Four talking points from dramatic week of Asian World Cup qualifiers

Analysis Four talking points from dramatic week of Asian World Cup qualifiers
Saudi forward Feras Al-Buraikan in action during the 0-0 draw with Japan in Tokyo. (X/@SaudiNT)
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Updated 27 March 2025
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Four talking points from dramatic week of Asian World Cup qualifiers

Four talking points from dramatic week of Asian World Cup qualifiers
  • Saudi Arabia desperately need a prolific goal scorer as Palestine keep unlikely dream alive with Iraq win
  • Indonesia’s Kluivert suffers rude awakening in debut, whilst Qatar’s struggles continue 

AUSTRALIA: Remember when critics of FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams claimed it would spell the end of the qualifying stages?

That the bloated tournament would make qualifying “easy”and remove any of the drama or jeopardy we normally associate with the marathon effort to reach football’s global showpiece?

Try telling that to fans of Asian football who, for the past six months, have endured one of the most hotly contested qualifying campaigns in recent memory.

There are just two matches remaining in June to determine which six sides will progress automatically, and which six will progress to the next round, where the final two automatic spots for Asia will be decided.

Remarkably, 17 of the 18 teams are still in contention heading into the final fixtures, with only Japan and Iran safely through to the finals next year.

After another frenzied week of action, this is what we learned.

Palestine keeps the fairytale alive

To say you could not script it would be a boringly inaccurate cliche, but if you were going to, you could not have scripted it any better.

One-nil down with 90 minutes on the clock approaching, Palestine’s campaign looked to be done and dusted. Failure to take a point off Iraq would have seen their campaign officially ended.

But this fairytale had another ending, a joyous one for a people so depraved of happiness for the last 18 months. Goals fron Wessam Abou Ali in the 88th minute and Ahmeed Mahajna in the 97th minute saw Palestine record one of their most famous victories.

To see the smiles and ecstasy on the faces of Palestinian players, coaches and fans alike was to witness something so unbridled it brought a tear to the eye of even the hardest of hearts.

After Oman’s win, they are still a long shot to qualify for the next round. But they kept the hope alive for another few months; a currency, sadly, in short supply in Palestine right now.

Kluivert’s baptism of fire

Welcome to Asian football, Patrick Kluivert. The Dutch legend with a patchy coaching record was a surprise choice to replace the popular Shin Tae-yong as Indonesia coach, but after seven crazy minutes in Australia it looked like a masterstroke.

Tim Garuda had knocked Australia around with a blistering start, and as Kevin Diks stood over the spot kick to give Indonesia an unexpected early lead, Kluivert must have been in dreamland.

The dream soon became a nightmare. Diks missed his spot kick, and in the blink of an eye Indonesia went from a chance to go 1-0 up to being 2-0 behind. It was 3-0 by the half-hour mark and Australia were out of sight.

It ended 5-1, and with the incredibly strong Indonesian crowd in Sydney chanting the name of Shin Tae-yong and booing Kluivert whenever he appeared on the big screen at Allianz Stadium.

It is hardly the environment you want heading into your first home game; no wonder the TV cameras caught the sweat pouring down his brow early in the first half. The pressure was well and truly on the former Barcelona striker.

Winning cures all, however, and a 1-0 win over Bahrain in front of almost 70,000 in Jakarta to cement fourth spot, which would see them progress to the fourth round, has Indonesian fans putting the pitchforks down for now.

Wanted: A Saudi goal scorer

To apply, please send your resume to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation marked “Attention: Herve Renard.”

We joke, but Saudi Arabia’s goalscoring woes will be no laughing matter for the Frenchman, with the Green Falcons scoring just one goal in their past six fixtures, coming in the 1-0 win over China last week.

Renard shook up his selection for this camp, hoping to find a spark to ignite their campaign and while four points from China at home and Japan away is a very healthy return, one goal is six is the opposite.

With Australia taking maximum points, Saudi Arabia’s destiny is out of their hands. All they can do is win both games and hope for the best. But to state the obvious, to win games first you must score, and that is where Saudi Arabia are falling down at the moment.

Firas Al-Buraikan is having a tough time at Al-Ahli this year. Saleh Al-Shehri was dropped from the latest squad, while the leading Saudi scorer this season, Al-Khaleej’s Abdullah Al-Salem made his debut off the bench against China and is untested at international level.

It leaves Salem Al-Dawsari as the man shouldering the goalscoring burden, unless Renard can conjure a little bit of magic, because it feels like Saudi Arabia are going to need something supernatural if they are to finish second and qualify automatically.

From champs to chumps

It has been a miserable old campaign for Qatar. They have lost half the games they have played, conceded the most goals and were humbled this week by a Kyrgyzstan side ranked 59 places lower in the FIFA rankings.

All this, let us not forget, and they are still the Asian champions. How is that even possible?

Qatar seem devoid of direction. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the World Cup in 2022 was an endpoint, not the beginning of a bright new future for Qatari football.

Four coaches in three years, all with different tactical ideals, will attest to that.

Last year’s Asian Cup success was seen as wiping the slate clean after their World Cup embarrassment; proof again that this team was good enough on the international stage, and that the World Cup was just an aberration.

But it is becoming increasingly obvious that their Asian Cup successes are the exception, not the norm. While winning a tournament is one measure of a good team, so is consistency of performance across a multi-year campaign, and Qatar has failed at that.

They will likely still make it through to the next round, largely on the back of the generational talent that is Akram Afif, but they have lost the benefit of the doubt when it comes to trusting them to perform when it matters. The World Cup next year looks a long way away.


Bayern’s Kompany wants focus on Hoffenheim before Sunday’s title party

Bayern’s Kompany wants focus on Hoffenheim before Sunday’s title party
Updated 16 May 2025
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Bayern’s Kompany wants focus on Hoffenheim before Sunday’s title party

Bayern’s Kompany wants focus on Hoffenheim before Sunday’s title party
  • “Now I am only focused on the Hoffenheim game,” said Kompany
  • “That is the absolute priority and the preparation we are doing”

MUNICH: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany’s focus is firmly on the last Bundesliga game of the season at Hoffenheim on Saturday and not the following day’s title party in the Bavarian capital, he said on Friday.

Bayern secured the Bundesliga title almost two weeks ago in Kompany’s first season in charge, but Saturday’s match could see the Bavarians go for the 100-goal mark this season. They have currently scored 95 league goals this term.

It will also likely mark the second straight top Bundesliga scorer title for Bayern striker Harry Kane in his first two seasons in Germany, with no Bundesliga player ever having managed that feat in their first two seasons.

Kane has netted 25 Bundesliga goals so far this season ahead of Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy with 20.

It is, however, a far more important game for the struggling hosts Hoffenheim, who are three points above the relegation playoff spot currently occupied by Heidenheim.

“For me the anticipation (for the title party in central Munich) is great because that was the goal; to bring the league trophy back to Munich,” Kompany told a press conference.

“But now I am only focused on the Hoffenheim game. That is the absolute priority and the preparation we are doing. We will enjoy what happens after that because we earned it.”

Last season Bayer Leverkusen won a domestic league and Cup double without defeat, snapping the Bavarians’ 11-year title run.

Bayern traditionally present the trophy from the balcony of Munich’s city Hall to thousands of cheering fans.

“I see every title as the first so that’s why I’m looking forward to it,” Belgian Kompany said.

The Bavarians will then go into a two-week break before the squad comes together in early June for the Club World Cup in the United States starting later that month.


Motor racing-Piastri leads McLaren one-two in first Imola practice

Motor racing-Piastri leads McLaren one-two in first Imola practice
Updated 16 May 2025
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Motor racing-Piastri leads McLaren one-two in first Imola practice

Motor racing-Piastri leads McLaren one-two in first Imola practice
  • Australian Piastri lapped the Imola circuit with a fastest time of one minute 16.545 seconds
  • Carlos Sainz was third on the timesheets for Williams

IMOLA, Italy: Formula One leader Oscar Piastri led Lando Norris in a McLaren one-two in first practice for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix that ended early on Friday after Gabriel Bortoleto crashed his Sauber.

Australian Piastri, winner of four of the last five races, lapped the Imola circuit with a fastest time of one minute 16.545 seconds on the softest tire compound with Norris 0.032 slower on a sunny afternoon.

Piastri leads Norris by 16 points after six races, with the 24-round season now starting its European phase after an opening run in Asia, the Middle East and United States.

The session was red-flagged and did not restart after Brazilian rookie Bortoleto crashed into the tire wall with some three minutes remaining. He stepped out unhurt.

Carlos Sainz was third on the timesheets for Williams, 0.052 off the pace, with Mercedes’ George Russell a further 0.002 slower.

Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, limbering up for his first race in Italy as a Ferrari driver, was fifth and 0.096 off the pace.

Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine with Red Bull’s four times world champion Max Verstappen seventh, William’s Alex Albon eighth and Bortoleto ninth with team mate Nico Hulkenberg completing the top 10.

“I can’t rely on the rear. It feels like I’m drifting everywhere,” complained Verstappen, last year’s winner at Imola, over the radio.

Mercedes’ 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli, the only Italian on the starting grid and preparing for his home debut, was 13th fastest.

Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto, making his debut for Alpine after replacing dropped Australian Jack Doohan, lapped 17th fastest.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who was unwell on Thursday and skipped his media duties, was 12th and ran wide into the gravel at one point. He also complained that his helmet was lifting.


Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series

Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series
Updated 16 May 2025
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Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series

Jokic, Strawther star as Nuggets down Thunder to tie series
  • Serbian star Jokic was once again the anchor of a composed Denver performance, finishing with 29 points

LOS ANGELES: Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and unheralded bench player Julian Strawther produced a crucial late burst of scoring as the Denver Nuggets scored a series-leveling 119-107 victory over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.
A hardfought NBA Western Conference semifinal series will now go to a decisive game seven in Oklahoma City on Sunday after another ferocious duel between the two sides.
Serbian star Jokic was once again the anchor of a composed Denver performance, finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists to shepherd the Nuggets to victory.
Jamal Murray added 25 points while Christian Braun finished with 23. But arguably the most significant contribution came from the bench, with Strawther scoring 15 points.
Oklahoma City, leading 3-2 in the series, looked ready to clinch a series victory after surging into a 12-point lead late in the second quarter at Denver’s Ball Arena.
But Denver once again refused to roll over and rallied to trim the Thunder lead to 61-58 at the break.
There was little to choose between the teams for most of the third quarter, and with just under two minutes remaining in the frame, the score was level at 80-80.
Yet within moments Denver had suddenly opened a double-digit advantage after a 10-0 run that put the Nuggets into a 90-80 lead.
The scoring spree came from an unlikely source, with the 23-year-old Strawther, in only his second season in the league, suddenly finding his scoring range.
Strawther knocked down back-to-back three-pointers followed by a layup to rattle in eight of the 10 points in the Denver run.
With their noses in front, 2023 NBA champions ruthlessly kept a firm grip on the contest through the fourth quarter, keeping the Thunder safely at arms length to close out the win.


Back on the pitch: Pakistan Super League resumes after conflict-forced suspension

Back on the pitch: Pakistan Super League resumes after conflict-forced suspension
Updated 16 May 2025
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Back on the pitch: Pakistan Super League resumes after conflict-forced suspension

Back on the pitch: Pakistan Super League resumes after conflict-forced suspension
  • The Indian Premier League, also suspended due to the outbreak between the countries, will also resume this weekend
  • PSL organizers first proposed moving the tournament to Dubai but later decided to postpone it after foreign players were reluctant to participate in the tournament due to security concerns

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s premier Twenty20 cricket tournament resumes Saturday after a ceasefire between India and Pakistan was achieved. There will be a handful of foreign players returning for the remaining eight games.

The Pakistan Super League was suspended on May 9 but last weekend Pakistan and India agreed to a ceasefire after talks to defuse their most serious military confrontation in decades.

The Indian Premier League, also suspended due to the outbreak between the countries, will also resume this weekend.

PSL organizers first proposed moving the tournament to Dubai but later decided to postpone it after foreign players were reluctant to participate in the tournament due to security concerns. Around 43 foreign cricketers — competing on six PSL teams — were flown out of Pakistan from an air base in Rawalpindi.

Rawalpindi will host the remaining four league matches between May 17-19 before Lahore hosts the playoffs from May 21, including the final at Qaddafi Stadium on May 25.

Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikander Raza is among some of foreign players who have returned to Pakistan. Raza, who plays for Lahore Qalandars, is available for Lahore’s crucial last league game against Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday before he flies to England for test duty starting next week.

Raza will not be available for Lahore if the two-time champions qualify for the playoffs due to his test commitments.

He said that if the PSL resumed, he planned to return to Pakistan, even for just one match.

“I was very clear in my head that I was always going to go back,” Raza told The Associated Press as he trained with his teammates at Islamabad Club ground on Thursday.

“This PSL is not just about winning a trophy, there’s a lot more to it. All the overseas (players) that have come back, whether they’re in Pakistan or India, I think credit must be given to them because cricket unites and the whole purpose of sports all around the world is to unite cultures, countries.”

Lahore will also have Sri Lanka batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for its must-win last league game against the Babar Azam-led Peshawar side after Tom Curran and Daryl Mitchel were ruled out due to injuries.

Raza said it was tough for the families of all the players living abroad after there was escalation at the borders.

“Whether it’s Pakistan or India, what happened was tough for everybody,” Raza said. “Sometimes when you’re on the ground, things may not be as bad, but (for) people back home watching TV, sometimes it’s very hard to control what media tells you.”

Lahore team director Sameen Rana said it was important that the PSL returns to finish the season.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty and the conditions which were happening on the ground was not the best, it’s unfortunate,” Rana said. “But from our perspective . . . the important thing is that the PSL is resuming, and that’s what matters.”

Defending champions Islamabad United has brought in Alex Hales of England and Rassie van Dussen of South Africa after initially picking both of them in the supplementary draft while Ben Dwarshuis of Australia is flying back to rejoin the team.

Islamabad, the three-time PSL champions, won five games in a row at the start of the season before four successive defeats.

Finn Allen of New Zealand and Rilee Rossouw of South Africa are rejoining first-place Quetta Gladiators, who have 13 points, three points ahead of Karachi and Islamabad.

Karachi is expecting to have its captain David Warner back from Australia in time to lead the team against Peshawar on Saturday.


De Bruyne seeks fitting Man City farewell in FA Cup final

De Bruyne seeks fitting Man City farewell in FA Cup final
Updated 16 May 2025
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De Bruyne seeks fitting Man City farewell in FA Cup final

De Bruyne seeks fitting Man City farewell in FA Cup final
  • He has expressed his “surprise” that City did not seek to extend his stay, filled with the belief that he can still perform at the high

MANCHESTER: Kevin De Bruyne can add another honor to his haul as Manchester City’s most decorated player of all time with a fitting farewell in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.
The Belgian’s trophy-littered decade in Manchester will come to an end at the conclusion of the Premier League season.
But Wembley’s showpiece is the 33-year-old’s final chance to lift silverware at the club where he grew into one of world’s best players.
A six-time Premier League winner, De Bruyne could add a third FA Cup to his five League Cups and 2023 Champions League win with City.
He has expressed his “surprise” that City did not seek to extend his stay, filled with the belief that he can still perform at the highest level.
De Bruyne rolled back the years when City rallied from 2-0 down to thrash Palace 5-2 just last month with a goal and an assist.
City will be hoping for more of the same to give him a fitting farewell and save some face from a season to forget for Pep Guardiola’s men.
After an unprecedented run of four consecutive Premier League titles, City are 18 points adrift of champions Liverpool and embroiled in a battle just to finish in the top five to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.
De Bruyne’s decline has played a factor in City’s downturn.
Of his 108 goals and 177 assists for the club in 419 appearances, only six and eight respectively have come this season.

However, he remains “irreplaceable” due to his impact in City’s rise to being the dominant force in English football, according to the club’s prolific striker Erling Haaland.
“To get the balls from him is a dream,” said Haaland. “It has been really special playing with him. Such a joy, and I am going to do everything I can to have this joy in the last few games.
“The future will be different with different players. When Kevin leaves we will need someone to replace him, although Kevin is irreplaceable in so many ways.”
Guardiola has appeared almost apologetic for overlooking De Bruyne at times this season as he searched for solutions to fill the gaps in City’s aging midfield.
“The gratitude I have, we have, is huge,” said Guardiola.
“Kevin is the player in the history of the club with the most titles and that defines what Kevin has done with us.”
A giant mural of De Bruyne alongside his trophy haul as a City player was unveiled in Manchester city center on Thursday.
Guardiola has suggested a statue outside the club’s Etihad Stadium is also just a matter of time.
But after a decade most characterised by a relentless thirst to keep on winning, the most fitting tribute would be for De Bruyne to go out with another medal around his neck.
“The whole team only has one thought and that’s to try and get the trophy and to make the day special for Kevin,” said City midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
“For what he’s done, he deserves to leave like a champion which he obviously is.
“He is a massive figure in City’s success, and he will be remembered as one of the best.”