DUBAI: If you had suggested two years ago that Al-Jazira would tonight be lining up to face Real Madrid in the semifinal of the FIFA Club World Cup you would have been laughed out of town or had your sanity questioned.
Back in December 2015 “The Pride of Abu Dhabi” were a rag-tag team of has-beens and never-weres, struggling to see off their UAE rivals, let alone beating some of the world’s best clubs sides.
But they find themselves ready to face Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. thanks to a remarkable turnaround and, more specifically, after beating Asian champions Urawa Red Diamonds on Saturday.
They have become the first Emirati team to reach the last four of the tournament — the host nation’s representatives qualified for the competition after winning the 2016-17 Arabian Gulf League, and began their campaign with a 1-0 win over New Zealand’s Auckland City.
Rewind 24 months and tonight’s scene — lining up to take on the most famous club in world football — would have been unimaginable even for the most optimistic Al-Jazira fan.
Granted Al-Jazira did not win the AFC Champions League, but instead benefited from FIFA’s selection of the UAE as host country for the third time in the competition’s history. However, to get to this stage, Al-Jazira had to undergo a complete makeover.
When minnows Al-Dhafra scored two first-half goals to beat Al-Jazira 2-1, Brazilian coach Abel Brage knew his time at the club was over. A seventh defeat in 13 matches left the side in tenth place in the 14-team league table.
Sure enough, Braga was let go and an intriguing appointment was made; Dutchman Henk ten Cate had worked as an assistant coach to Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona and to Avram Grant at Chelsea. His most notable success until then was winning domestic cups in Hungary and the Netherlands.
Upon his arrival in Abu Dhabi, ten Cate inherited a crumbling squad. The team had just lost talisman Manuel Lanzini to West Ham and key midfielder Khamis Esmail to Dubai’s Al-Ahli. An aging foreign quartet was recruited, and ten Cate was unimpressed.
“We decided to wave goodbye to some players who were not fighting for the team colors,” he remembers.
“We welcomed new players from the academy and this became part of our identity.”
The club’s budget was being stretched by highly-paid has-beens who were more interested in getting paid than in playing football. In his first six months at the club, ten Cate axed Jefferson Farfan, Angel Lafita, Thiago Neves and Kenwyne Jones, all of whom were on the wrong side of 30. Instead he focused on promoting youth from within.
When Al-Jazira defeated Auckland City last week, 19-year-old Eisa Al-Otaibah was partnered by 20-year-old Mohamed Al-Attas at the heart of midfield. It was testament to the success of the Dutchman’s approach and his continued belief in homegrown talent.
“We may not have the best players, but we have the best team. We play with a lot of passion and we like to always be that way,” said the 63-year-old, ahead of Saturday’s win over AFC Champions League winners Urawa Reds. This statement symbolized the identity of Al-Jazira under ten Cate.
The side continued to get results while rebuilding. Crucial to that
was ten Cate’s “single-tasking” approach. In his first season, Al- Jazira prioritized cup success over the league and the approach delivered a third President’s Cup title in the club’s history, and as a result an AFC Champions League spot despite finishing seventh in the league.
The following season, Al-Jazira were demolished by arch-rivals Al-Wahda 0-6 at the President’s Cup quarter-final. Two weeks later, they put on their league hat and thrashed the same opponents 5-1. The intent was clear and by May, Ten Cate’s men were celebrating the league title that paved the way to the upcoming historic Real Madrid clash.
Win or lose, Al Jazira have come a long way under their Dutch mastermind. And with their place in the competition’s history sealed as the first ever Emirati semifinalists, the Dutchman writes his own name in the club’s hall of fame as their best coach of all times.
History boys Al-Jazira have Henk to thank
History boys Al-Jazira have Henk to thank
FIA President Ben Sulayem welcomes Trump to Miami Grand Prix
- The former US president witnessed maiden Formula 1 win for McLaren’s Lando Norris
MIAMI: Former US president Donald Trump was welcomed to the Miami Grand Prix by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, where he saw McLaren’s Lando Norris notch up his first Formula 1 victory.
Sunday’s race saw British driver Norris take the checkered flag from three-time world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull Racing car. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came third.
Trump, along with a number of famous athletes and other celebrities, delighted the audience by engaging with fans and attendees. He was also invited behind the scenes to tour the McLaren pit garage accompanied by the team’s CEO, American Zak Brown.
A spokesman for the Miami Grand Prix said the race weekend had sold out, with more than 275,000 fans in attendance to witness the high-octane atmosphere and exciting result.
Sandhagen to face Nurmagomedov at UFC fight night in Abu Dhabi
- The event will take place at the Etihad Arena on Aug 3
ABU DHABI: UFC has announced that its return to Abu Dhabi will see No. 2 ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen face No. 9 ranked Umar Nurmagomedov on Saturday, Aug. 3 at Etihad Arena.
Tickets for the event, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi go on sale from on Tuesday, May 7
Sandhagen, with a record of 17-4 and fighting out of Aurora, Colorado, returns to the UAE capital to cement his status as top contender in the bantamweight division. The Colorado native boasts wins over Rob Font, Chito Vera, and soon-to-be UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar. He now hopes for a convincing win over rising star Nurmagomedov to make his case for a title shot.
Nurmagomedov, 17-0, fighting out of Chelyabinsk, Russia, looks to put the division on notice by taking out a top-ranked opponent and making his first Octagon appearance in Abu Dhabi. He made his mark in the division after delivering dominant performances over Raoni Barcelos, Brian Kelleher and Sergey Morozov.
Now, he sets his sights on securing the biggest win of his career by getting his hand raised against Sandhagen.
Al-Itttihad fined $37,000 for King’s Cup misconduct
- The reigning Saudi Pro League champions lost 2-1 to Al-Hilal last week in the semifinals of the Kingdom’s renowned competition
RIYADH: Al-Ittihad Football Club have been fined $37,000 (SR140,000) for misconduct by players and fans in its recent 2-1 defeat by Al-Hilal in the semi-final of the King’s Cup.
A statement issued by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s disciplinary and ethics committee said Abderrazak Hamdallah and Saad Al-Mousa were each fined around $5,300 for not fulfilling their post-match media duties.
The committee also imposed a fine of $27,000 on the Jeddah club after fans threw bottles at opposition players from the stands. Nobody was harmed as a result of the incidents.
The authorities stressed that the three decisions are not subject to appeal.
Mitchell rallies Cavs for series-clinching Game 7 win over Magic
- Cavs move on to second round a year after a stinging first-round loss to the New York Knicks
- The Celtics will host Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday
LOS ANGELES: Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers silenced the young guns of Orlando, beating the Magic 106-94 in Game 7 of their NBA playoffs first-round series Sunday to book a meeting with Eastern Conference top seeds Boston.
It was another magisterial performance from Mitchell, who scored 39 points two days after pouring in 50 in the Cavs’ Game 6 defeat.
This time he had plenty of scoring support from teammates as the Cavs erased an 18-point second-quarter deficit to clinch a series in which the home team won every game.
Caris LeVert scored 15 points off the bench and Max Strus scored 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter, when the Cavs outscored the Magic 33-15 to take charge.
Evan Mobley scored 11 points with 16 rebounds and five blocked shots and Darius Garland chipped in 12 points to help Cleveland withstand a 38-point performance from Paolo Banchero.
The Cavs, with starting center Jarrett Allen sidelined a third straight game with bruised ribs, moved on to the second round a year after a stinging first-round loss to the New York Knicks.
“I didn’t want to go home,” Mitchell said of the mindset that saw him score 17 points in the third quarter as he virtually willed Cleveland to the lead.
The Magic delivered a strong first punch, Banchero scoring 10 points in the first period as Orlando grabbed a 24-18.
In the face of Orlando’s suffocating defense the Cavs connected on just six of 22 shots in the first quarter and didn’t make a three-pointer until Sam Merrill drilled one midway through the second quarter.
The Magic pushed their lead to as many as 18 points in the second quarter before the Cavs clawed back to cut the lead to single digits.
Banchero’s layup in the closing seconds of the first half saw Orlando take a 10-point lead into the break, but momentum was on Cleveland’s side and they overwhelmed the Magic in the third.
“I didn’t feel our confidence waver much, even when we had 18 points in the first quarter,” Mitchell said.
“They came out and jumped on us,” he added, saying the key was for the Cavs “to respond the way we did, keep plugging, just keep chipping away.”
Mitchell, again relentless in the paint, tied it at 64-64 with a floater and LeVert drained a pair of free throws to give the Cavs their first lead since the first quarter.
Strus hit back-to-back three-pointers as Cleveland built a 76-68 lead going into the final period.
The Cavs pushed their advantage to 14 points in the final frame, fans chanting “We want Boston” as the final minutes ticked off.
The Celtics will host Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday, and Mitchell vowed the Cavaliers will be ready for the team that posted the best record in the regular season.
“We didn’t make the group we made just to win the first round,” he said. “We accomplished one goal. Now we have to do it again.”
It was a crushing end to a strong season for the Magic, collectively the second-youngest team in the playoffs behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Wendell Carter Jr. scored 13 points and Jalen Suggs added 10 for the Magic, but Franz Wagner was held to just six as Orlando remained in search of a first playoff series victory since 2010.
Mitchell heaped praise 21-year-old Banchero, the top pick in the 2022 draft.
Banchero himself said the Magic’s fight back from 0-2 down in the series to force game seven “just shows where we’re headed.”
Sporting Lisbon win Portuguese league after Benfica stumble
- Last season’s victors stumbled 2-0 at Famalicao to complete Sporting’s triumph after Ruben Amorim’s triumphant side thrashed Portimonense 3-0 on Saturday
- Sporting will face Porto in the Portuguese Cup final on May 26, aiming to secure a double
LISBON: Sporting Lisbon were crowned champions of Portugal for only the second time in 21 years on Sunday after second-placed Benfica lost.
Last season’s victors stumbled 2-0 at Famalicao to complete Sporting’s triumph after Ruben Amorim’s triumphant side thrashed Portimonense 3-0 on Saturday.
Sporting, the division’s top scorers by far with 92 goals in 32 matches, are eight points clear of Benfica with just two games remaining.
Amorim’s side have lost just two times this season on the way to securing the club’s 20th league title, trailing Porto on 30 and record winners Benfica on 38.
Swedish forward Viktor Gyokeres’ goals have powered Sporting’s title success and he netted his 27th of the campaign on Saturday to wrap up their victory.
The striker signed from Coventry City last summer for a club record fee of 20 million euros ($21.5 million) plus add-ons.
It is the second league trophy brought to the club by former Benfica player Amorim, who led Sporting to glory in the 2020/21 season.
Sporting will face Porto in the Portuguese Cup final on May 26, aiming to secure a double.
