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As it happened: Tunisia 2-5 Belgium

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Updated 23 June 2018
Arab News
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As it happened: Tunisia 2-5 Belgium

  • Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard score two goals each as the Red Devils demolish the Eagles of Carthage
  • Unless Panama beat England, Tunisia's World Cup looks like it is over
Updated 23 June 2018
Arab News

4.58PM: FULLTIME - Tunisia 2 Belgium 5. A resounding victory for Belgium, and Tunisia are now hoping for results elsewhere to go their way to stand any chance of progressing...

4.56PM: GOAL FOR TUNISIA - Khazri gets a consolation goal for the Eagles of Carthage, but that is all it will be...

4.52PM: GOAL FOR BELGIUM - A thoroughly bad day at the office for Tunisia as Belgium get a fifth goal through Batshuayi. Ominous for the rest of the World Cup. Unless Panama can do them a favor, Tunisia are heading home early...

4:38PM: A glimmer of hope for anyone facing Belgium in this World Cup will be how vulnerable they can be at the back. Fantastic going forward, but defensively they are not the finished article...

 

4.30PM: It's starting to look like a training game for Belgium now, who are finally showing the sort of form we expect from such a talented squad. Best two displays from one team of the World Cup so far? We think so...

 

 

4.15PM: GOAL FOR BELGIUM: Any hopes Tunisia had of saving their World Cup have been snuffed out by Eden Hazard, who strikes home with the goalkeeper beaten to put Belgium 4-1 up. Unless Panama pull off a miracle tomorrow, you feel Tunisia are out...

4.10PM: Tunisia with a promising attack, but the move breaks down at the vital moment. Tunisia doing the right thing here, they have to attack and find two goals. Quickly...

3.48PM: HALF-TIME - While they had their moments, Tunisia were second best during that first period. Belgium could have perhaps got a couple more and the Eagles of Carthage have it all to do now. 

3.47PM: GOAL FOR BELGIUM - Moments after he should have got a goal Lukaku finds the back of the net, with a neat dink over the Mustafa following a great ball from Meunier. 

3.40PM: Again there is a lot to like about this Tunisian performance. Khazri is coming more and more intot he game and they are showng more ambition in the first 40 minutes than they did in the entire match against England. 

3.37PM: LOTS OF SUPPORT BACK HOME

 

 

 

3.32PM: TUNISIA COMING BACK INTO IT - Sassi and Khazri both have good shots saved during a period of dominance for Tunisia. Things are looking better for the North Africans. 

3.30PM: The Tunisia defence is being opened up at will here. Lukaku should have got his second and Belgium's third but a heavy touch proves his undoing. 

3.25PM: COMEBACK ON THE CARDS?

 

3.22PM: SUBSTITUTION -  Bronn is down hurt after blocking a shot, it looks like his knee buckled at a horrible angle. He is replaced by Hamdi Naguez.

3.17PM: GOAL FOR TUNISIA -  What a response! Bronn gets his head on the end of a Khazri freekick - GAME BACK ON! 

3.15PM: GOAL FOR BELGIUM -  It is all too easy for Belgium as Lukaku makes a pretty simple run yet finds himself in acres of space before drilling the ball leftfooted into the bottom corner. THis is not the start Tunisia were looking for. 

3.11PM: Almost another for Belgium as Lukaku does well down the right to set uop Hazard whose poor shot is easily saved by Mustapha.

3.10PM: FRUSTRATED FAN

 

3.08PM: Tunisia now know what they need to do, they cannot just sit back and wait for things to happen, they need to take the game to Belgium or face an early exit. 

3.05PM: GOAL FOR BELGIUM. Hazard makes no mistake from the spot, slotting the ball home for his 23rd international strike and an early lead for the favorites. 

3.05PM: PENALTY TO BELGIUM. Ben Youssef faouls the rampaging Hazard on the right side of the area and the referee has no hesitation to point to the spot. It's referred to the VAR who confimrs the bad challenge took place in the area. 

3.01PM: Twenty seconds gone and already Tunisia have dished out a hard challenge on Hazard, setting their stall out for the rest of the match. Belgium waste the resulting free-kick. 

3PM: The nationals anthems are being sung with gusto in Moscow. Can the passion in their voices be matched by passion and panache on the pitch? 

2.45PM: THE MEN TUNISIA NEED TO STOP - Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne are the main threats facing the Eagles of Carthage today. Can they keep them quiet? 

 

 

2.42PM: Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul swapped his goalkeeper with Farouk Mustapha taking over from Mouez Hassen, who played in the opening 2-1 defeat to England, failing to stop Kane scoring the late winner for the Three Lions.
In the only other change, Troyes midfielder Saif-Eddine Khaoui replaced Naim Sliti in the middle of the park for Tunisia.

Belgium coach Roberto Martinez started with the same team which beat Panama for Saturday's World Cup group match against Tunisia in Moscow.
Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku is looking to add to the two goals he scored in their opening 3-0 rout of Panama for the clash at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow.

2.40PM: TEAMS ANNOUNCED. 

BELGIUM - Thibaut Courtois; Toby Alderweireld, Dedryck Boyata, Jan Vertonghen; Thomas Meunier, Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne, Yannick Carrasco; Eden Hazard (capt), Dries Mertens; Romelu Lukaku

TUNISIA - Farouk Mustapha; Syam Ben Youssef, Yassine Meriah, Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, Ali Maaloul; Dylan Bronn, Ellyes Skhiri, Ferjani Sassi; Saif-Eddine Khaoui, Wahbi Khazri (capt), Anice Badri

2.30PM: The Eagles of Carthage suffered last-minute heartache against England on Monday, when a Harry Kane header in injury-time sealed a 2-1 win for his side in the opening clash of Group G.

Nabil Maaloul’s men now face highly fancied Belgium knowing another defeat would end their interest in the tournament after just one game. They looked solid, without ever being spectacular against England. Can they find another gear and cause a shock against Eden Hazard and Co?

Topics: 2018 FIFA World Cup Arab Nations at Russia Tunisia football team Belgium football

Saudi Arabia exit 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, fail to reach Paris Olympics 

Saudi arabia are out of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup after a 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan. (X/@SaudiNT)
Updated 26 April 2024
Arab News
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Saudi Arabia exit 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, fail to reach Paris Olympics 

  • A 2-0 defeat to Uzbekistan saw Saad Al-Shehri’s team depart at the quarterfinal stage of competition they won in 2022
Updated 26 April 2024
Arab News

DOHA: Saudi Arabia exited the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup on Friday after a 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan at Khalifa International Stadium in Al-Rayyan.

The defeat means that the Green Falcons, winners of the the last edition of the tournament in 2022, cannot reach the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris — a bitter blow for coach Saad Al-Shehri who had led the team to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

For Uzbekistan, the win brings a small measure of revenge having lost the last AFC U-23 Asian Cup final 2-0 to Saudi Arabia in Tashkent two years ago.

Uzbekistan took the lead through Khusayin Norchaev two minutes into first-half stoppage time, and Saudi Arabia’s task became harder when Ayman Yahya was sent off on 70 minutes.

Saudi’s 10 men could not find an equalizer, and Uzbekistan put the game to bed thanks to Umarali Rakhmonaliev’s goal on 84 minutes.

In Monday’s first semifinal at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Uzbekistan will face Indonesia, who beat South Korea 11-10 on penalties after their quarterfinal ended in a 2-2 draw.

In the other semifinal, Japan, who beat hosts Qatar 4-2 after extra time, will await the winner of the last-eight clash between Iraq and Vietnam.

Topics: football soccer Saudi Arabia 2024 U-23 Asian Cup 2024 Paris Olympics

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Meet Rima Al-Harbi, the first Saudi female to win at the AlUla Camel Cup

Updated 26 April 2024
Jasmine Bager
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Meet Rima Al-Harbi, the first Saudi female to win at the AlUla Camel Cup

Updated 26 April 2024
Jasmine Bager

ALULA: “Our dream, as athletes, is to be able to represent our country; and for me to live my dream for my country — in my country — is the ultimate triumph,” Rima Al-Harbi told Arab News after making history this week as the first Saudi woman to win at the AlUla Camel Cup.

At last year’s inaugural competition, Al-Harbi was the only woman to compete in a field full of male riders. This year, the event included a women’s category. Al-Harbi returned. And this time she won.

“Most of the women I competed against this year have way more experience than me; it was truly a difficult race, in general,” Al-Harbi said. “But somehow, thanks to Allah, I didn’t feel like anyone challenged me. From the moment we started to when we reached the finish line, I was in first place.”

The 22-year-old, who was raised in nearby Madinah, where she still resides, grew up around camels. Both her father and grandfather competed in camel racing and she has a fierce love for the animal and for the sport. She credits her grandfather for encouraging her to learn how to ride when she was just seven years old. Now, she trains with her camel, Auf, for about two hours every day. She is continuing the family tradition and breaking records along the way.

Al-Harbi said that three of her sisters also ride camels, but “as a hobby.” She is the only one of her siblings to compete professionally.

Al-Harbi has opened a small training club for local women who want to try their hand at camel racing. Her aim is to strengthen the community and to find fellow Saudi women to join her journey.

“Since I have a deep love for the sport and have the opportunity and capability, why wouldn’t I want to help other women also get into the sport? These women want to try it as a hobby and we all have to start somewhere. I don’t take any funds for this; it is done out of pure passion. It is just about introducing the sport to women who are interested. I offer them guidance and advice, and we walk through the sport,” she said.

The four-day AlUla Camel Cup ends on Saturday. Al-Harbi did return the day after her victory to soak up the atmosphere and cheer on other riders, but don’t count on her being back for the final day.

“I will stay home to rest,” she told us with a laugh.

Topics: camel racing

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Saudi, UAE and Qatar secure wins on second day of AlUla Camel Cup

Updated 26 April 2024
Jasmine Bager
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Saudi, UAE and Qatar secure wins on second day of AlUla Camel Cup

  • Minister of Interior’s entry takes first race in the Hagayeg category
Updated 26 April 2024
Jasmine Bager

ALULA: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar provided the big winners on Day 2 of the second annual AlUla Camel Cup.

Held in unseasonably hot conditions, Thursday’s competition consisted of two 5 km categories, the Hagayeg and the Lagaya, with two races run in each.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif won the first Hagayeg race, much to the delight of spectators.

The Prince’s camel, aptly named AlUla, won in a time of 5 minutes 59.3 seconds. In the second Hagayeg race of the day, Shart, owned by Emirati Mohammed Al-Kutbi, took first place in a time of 5:57.8.

The day’s total prize pool of $6.83 million was split equally between the two categories.

Winners in each of the races received $870,000, second-place finishers earned $266,666, and those in third place received $133,333. The balance of the prize pool was distributed among the other finishers.

The event was organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla as part of the AlUla Moments calendar, in partnership with the Saudi Camel Racing Federation.

The 2024 AlUla Camel Cup offers spectators and participants a new and more expansive experience after the inaugural edition in March last year.

This year, designated Year of the Camel by the UN and the Ministry of Culture, the event pays homage to the desert animal that is so integral to the Kingdom’s heritage.

“The AlUla Camel Cup attracts the best riders and the best camels throughout not just the region, but the world,” said Mahmoud AlBalawi, executive director of the SCRF. “Qualification for the AlUla Camel Cup is deliberately challenging, with 11 camel races taking place under the federation’s jurisdiction throughout the season to qualify for this illustrious competition.”

AlBalawi said that the Saudi Camel Racing Federation’s programs “target all corners of Saudi Arabia in a bid to continue to grow and improve the cherished sport of camel racing. There are more than 50 camel racing tracks across the country, including the elite AlUla venue where the AlUla Camel Cup takes place.”

RCU’s chief sports officer, Ziad Al-Suhaibani, praised the participants and said: “The AlUla Camel Cup reflects the importance of camel racing as a symbol of the Kingdom’s heritage and culture.”

While the heritage sport dates from the seventh century, the event this year includes a more contemporary setup that caters to all the family. There are opportunities to take camel selfies, sample camel smoothies or listen to live folk music by local performers.

The final races take place on Saturday.

Topics: camel racing Saudi Arabia Qatar UAE AlUla Camel Cup

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Phil Foden to fore as Man City thrash Brighton 4-0 to stay on course for another Premier League title

Updated 26 April 2024
AP
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Phil Foden to fore as Man City thrash Brighton 4-0 to stay on course for another Premier League title

  • It’s 16 goals for the campaign and 24 in 48 games in all club competitions this season for Foden, who delivered another clinical display in front of England coach Gareth Southgate
  • City have five games remaining — one more than Arsenal and Liverpool — and, on current form, are showing no sign of slipping up in the final stretch
Updated 26 April 2024
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BRIGHTON, England: Manchester City chalked up another big win in their pursuit of an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title, with Phil Foden continuing his career-best scoring season with two goals in a 4-0 thrashing of Brighton on Thursday.

Foden’s first-half double came between goals by Kevin De Bruyne and Julian Alvarez as City extended their unbeaten run in the league to 18 games and trimmed the gap to leader Arsenal to one point. Liverpool are two points further back in third after their title chances were damaged by a 2-0 loss at Everton on Wednesday.

City have five games remaining — one more than Arsenal and Liverpool — and, on current form, are showing no sign of slipping up in the final stretch that still contains trips to Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Tottenham as well as home matches against Wolverhampton and West Ham.

Win all five of those games and City are the champion again. No team have ever won four successive top-flight titles in the history of English soccer.

“I trust my team,” De Bruyne said. “All respect to Arsenal and Liverpool, they are amazing ... but we need to do our job.

“We just need to keep going, not get ahead of ourselves, be humble and work hard.”

Since a 0-0 draw with Arsenal at home on March 31, City have won four straight league games and scored 17 goals in the process.

Pep Guardiola’s team kept up that hot streak without the injured Erling Haaland — the league’s joint-top scorer with 20 goals — and that allowed Foden to potentially join the race for the Golden Boot.

It’s 16 goals for the campaign and 24 in 48 games in all club competitions this season for Foden, who delivered another clinical display in front of England coach Gareth Southgate at Amex Stadium — seven weeks out from the start of the European Championship.

“This year I’ve moved inside and it’s helped my game massively,” Foden said of a positional tweak that sees him often play centrally rather out on the wing. “I feel I can get a lot of goals there.”

De Bruyne scored his first-ever headed goal in the Premier League when he met Kyle Walker’s right-wing cross to give City the lead in the 17th and Foden made it 2-0 in the 26th when his shot from a free kick deflected in off the back of Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross.

Foden added a third in the 34th by curling home a low finish from just inside the area after Brighton lost possession attempting to play out from the back.

Alvarez, starting up front in place of Haaland, slotted in for 4-0 in the 62nd after Walker was given space to roam down the right wing and cut inside before sliding in to challenge goalkeeper Jason Steele and get the ball across to the Argentina striker.

The Premier League is the only one of Europe’s top five leagues where the title race is still realistically up for grabs. Bayer Leverkusen have won the German league, Inter Milan have clinched the Italian title, while Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have 11-point leads in Spain and France, respectively.

“Many things can happen,” Guardiola said about the title race. “What happened with Liverpool (losing recently) against Crystal Palace and Everton can happen to us. It can happen to Arsenal. No one is safe.”

Topics: Phil Foden Man City Brighton

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Brazil’s Romario returns to training at age 58, scores twice and keeps sharp tongue

Updated 26 April 2024
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Brazil’s Romario returns to training at age 58, scores twice and keeps sharp tongue

  • Romario: My biggest goal here is to have the chance to play with my son
  • America will play their first league match on May 18. Romario became its president in 2023, aiming to get the club back in the state’s first division
Updated 26 April 2024
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SAO PAULO: Brazilian soccer hero Romario returned to training on Thursday at age 58, almost two decades after he retired from the sport, and needed just a few minutes to show he remains a prolific scorer.

The 1994 World Cup winner turned politician netted two goals as he practiced with much younger players at struggling Rio de Janeiro club America, of which he is the president.

America will play in Rio state’s second division championship this year. Romarinho, one of the sons of the former Barcelona star, is in its squad.

“My biggest goal here is to have the chance to play with my son,” an exhausted Romario told journalists after the training. “Many athletes have that objective. LeBron James wants to play with his son next year (in the NBA). Rivaldo also had that chance. I want that too.”

Also famous for his sharp tongue, which has Pele, Zico and Mario Zagallo among its victims, Romario chose himself as a target this time.

“I am very tired. I will soon need a stretcher to pick me up,” he said. “For a man who has not trained for 16 years, in general, I managed to run a little. But I want to make one thing very clear — I will not play the entire championship. My idea is to play for a few minutes in some matches. What matters the most in this competition is America.”

America will play their first league match on May 18. Romario became its president in 2023, aiming to get the club back in the state’s first division with local giants Flamengo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama and Botafogo.

Both goals Romario scored came in a reduced pitch section of the practice, both in his old style; sharp finishes from close range in the penalty box.

Famously not a fan of penalty kicks, Romario has apparently changed his mind for his return to the sport.

“If there is a penalty, our club president will ask to take it,” Romario jokingly said. “If the coach says no, he will be fired and the club president will take the penalty anyway.”

 

Topics: Brazil Romario football

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