Al Ahli terminates sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways
Updated 07 August 2024
Arab News
JEDDAH: Saudi football club Al Ahli announced the termination of a Qatar Airways sponsorship deal after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with the Gulf country on Monday.
The football club posted a message on its Twitter account sharing the news of the termination.
Al-Ahli announces the termination of the sponsorship contract between the club and Qatar Airways. pic.twitter.com/lwmrDuSQPp
Al Ahli FC signed the three-year deal with Qatar Airways on October 1, 2014 and renewed it in May of this year.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic ties with Qatar early Monday morning over Doha’s alleged support for extremist groups.
The four allies announced they would withdraw their diplomatic staff from Qatar and announced plans to cut air and sea traffic to the peninsular country.
A number of air carriers have suspended flights to Doha after the announcement was made, including FlyDubai and Etihad Airways.
Kane helps Bayern past Leipzig into German Cup semis
Bayern join defending champions Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg in the last four of this season’s competition
Updated 12 February 2026
AFP
MUNICH, Germany: Harry Kane scored a penalty and Luis Diaz struck again as Bayern Munich beat RB Leipzig 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the German Cup semifinals for the first time since 2020.
Already on the wrong side of two Bayern thumpings this season, Leipzig were much improved but the hosts grabbed hold of the match with two goals in four second-half minutes.
Bayern join defending champions Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg in the last four of this season’s competition.
Kane’s penalty was his 39th goal in all competitions for Bayern this season, while Diaz’s goal was his fifth in his past three matches.
Winners of this competition a record 20 times, 14 more than any other club, Bayern had failed to make it past the quarter-finals since 2020, when they beat Leverkusen in the final.
Bayern Munich's English forward #09 Harry Kane is fouled by Leipzig's Austrian midfielder #14 Christoph Baumgartner during the German Cup (DFB-Pokal) quarter-final football match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, southern Germany on February 11, 2026. (AFP)
Leipzig had won two of the past four German Cups but Bayern had form over the visitors this season, winning their two Bundesliga clashes by a combined score of 11-1.
Leipzig pressured the hosts early and were celebrating a goal after just four minutes, but an acrobatic Christoph Baumgartner strike was disallowed for a narrow offside.
Bayern immediately made the most of the let-off, Kane forcing a last-ditch clearance from Ridle Baku with the Leipzig goalkeeper laying on the turf.
The home side gradually wrestled control of the match and were unlucky not to take the lead with 57 minutes gone when Leipzig ‘keeper Maarten Vandevoordt denied Serge Gnabry with a stunning save.
Bayern were in front just five minutes later, Kane converting from the spot after Vandevoordt felled an advancing Josip Stanisic in the box.
Kane’s spot-kick, his fifth goal versus Leipzig this season, was his 12th penalty in all competitions this campaign.
Bayern’s goals this season have come in bursts and the Bavarians scored again just four minutes later, when Michael Olize found Diaz on the counter to help book a spot in the final four.
The German Cup final will be held at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on May 23.
