LONDON: There is much more than three points at stake in the opening match of the 2018 AFC Champions League meeting between Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal and Al-Ain of the UAE in Riyadh on Tuesday.
For Al-Hilal it is an opportunity to show the strength in depth of a squad that has been beset by injuries while Al-Ain can avenge a humiliating defeat suffered just five months ago. And perhaps most importantly of all, there is a chance for both to gauge whether they have what it takes to go all the way in the continental competition.
These rivals have tasted defeat in the last two finals, Al-Ain in 2016 and Al-Hilal in November. Now they are desperate to go one step further to add to the continental titles that last went to Riyadh in 2000 and Al-Ain three years later. Beating one of the best teams in Asia in the opening round would at least hint that they are on the right track..
“We know that Al-Ain are a very good team,” said Al-Hilal coach Ramon Diaz. “We will have to be at our best but these are the games that you have to look forward to as players and coach.”
Favourites to progress from a group also containing Al-Rayyan of Qatar and Iran’s Esteghlal, the Saudi and UAE giants could meet in the latter stages as they did in the quarter-finals of the 2017 edition.
With the first leg in UAE ending 0-0, Al-Hilal brushed aside Al-Ain in September’s return match with a 3-0 win. All three goals came courtesy of the team’s Brazilian talisman Carlos Eduardo.
Unfortunately, the attacking midfielder picked up a serious injury in the first leg of the final loss to Urawa Reds and is still out. Had that not been the case then the trophy could now be residing in Riyadh rather than Saitama. Also injured is star forward and reigning Asian Player of the Year Omar Khribin and midfielder Salman Al-Faraj. International winger Salem Al-Dawsari is on loan at Spanish club Villarreal.
Despite the injuries, coach Diaz has plenty of back-up especially in attack due to the recent signings of Moroccan marksman Achraf Bencharki, who scored a fine and late debut goal in Friday’s 2-2 draw with Al-Nassr and Ezequiel Cerutti of Argentina. If these two find their continental feet quickly then the firepower is there. There is also good news in the shape of Nawaf Al-Abed. The playmaker has returned to Riyadh from treatment in France and is back training.
“We know each other well but there have been changes in both teams since we last met,” said Ismail Ahmed, Al-Ain’s veteran center-back. “The circumstances surrounding this game are also very different from the last time. This is not the quarter-final and the two teams will approach it differently.”
It could be a cagey encounter. Neither team will want to start with a defeat, especially with Al-Hilal at home in front of an expected sell-out 25,000 crowd for a first game at the King Saud University stadium where the fans will be closer to the pitch than is often the case in Asian stadiums.
Al-Ain, like their Saudi opponents, are leading the way at home. Star playmaker Omar Abdulrahman, who missed Friday’s 3-0 win over Emirates, is expected to feature in Riyadh but there are some less familiar faces for Al-Hilal fans to watch out for.
Hussein El-Shahat is one. The Egyptian has arrived on-loan but has scored six goals in five games so far in the UAE league. Add that to the recruitment of UAE star striker Ahmed Khalil and Abdulrahman’s predeccessor as AFC player of the Year in 2015, then this version of Al-Ain has a little more firepower than last season’s version especially with Swedish striker Marcus Berg in fine form.
Despite the rivalry between these two heavyweights, the test they provide each other should give both coaches an idea of his team’s respective strengths and weaknesses going forward over what should be a long continental campaign. We may get an idea of just how long on Tuesday.
Al-Hilal out to prove their AFC Champions league pedigree in Al-Ain clash
Al-Hilal out to prove their AFC Champions league pedigree in Al-Ain clash
100 aspiring young golfers in Saudi Arabia set for next phase with ROSHN Rising Stars
- Arab News spoke to Tyler Jacobson, director of corporate communications at ROSHN Group, about the program’s growth and its long-term vision
RIYADH: With LIV Golf Riyadh 2026 in the books, the success of 22-year-old Australian Elvis Smylie — who claimed victory at Riyadh Golf Club last weekend — has certainly inspired more than just the professionals on the leaderboard.
ROSHN Group, title partner of LIV Golf Riyadh 2026, is now looking to build on that momentum by expanding the ROSHN Rising Stars program, an initiative designed to create opportunities for the next generation of young Saudi golfers.
Following months of training and exposure across LIV Golf events in the UK and US, including participation in the Riyadh Pro-Am tournament, the program is set to enter its next phase, expanding to support a total of 100 aspiring golfers across the Kingdom.
Arab News spoke to Tyler Jacobson, director of corporate communications at ROSHN Group, about the program’s growth and its long-term vision.
“The ROSHN Rising Stars are a group of kids who have come together to learn golf,” Jacobson said. “Many of them have never played golf before in their lives, but last summer, when we partnered with LIV Golf as an international pillar partner, we decided to do something bigger and more meaningful.”
The program focuses not only on developing golfing ability, but on personal growth beyond the course.
“We wanted to give young people the opportunity to grow and learn in the sport of golf, as well as learn new skills on and off of the golf course.”
Golf’s footprint in the region has grown in recent years, with millions tuning in for events in the Middle East as kids partake in the sport through initiatives like the ROSHN Fan Village. For ROSHN Group, that growth aligns naturally with its broader quality-of-life objectives.
“We have seen a real appetite and hunger to engage with the sport. Golf teaches you patience, discipline and values that carry far beyond competition,” Jacobson said. “Quality of life and sport go hand-in-hand, and that’s exactly why we’ve partnered with LIV Golf.
“They’re elevating not only their skills, but their aptitude for life, for traveling, for exposure to new things. This is where we believe the program has offered a lot to the children.”
Participants in the program range in age from 8 to 15, with the program offering an unprecedented level of opportunities to youth in Saudi Arabia.
During the course, which lasts six months, they will receive professional coaching and access to elite golfing facilities in Saudi Arabia, in addition to hands-on competitive experiences. The program is set to support a total of 100 aspiring golfers across Saudi Arabia.
Jacobson believes that events such as LIV Golf play a key role in inspiring youth-focused initiatives like ROSHN Rising Stars.
“LIV Golf is a young league, but it’s doing things like creating new formats and exposing new people across the world to the sport of golf,” he said.
“Traditionally, the sport has been more Westernized, so (allowing) Saudi youth to grow at this stage of the game is a huge opportunity,” Jacobson added. “You see it in our projects, in our communities. It aligns completely with Saudi Vision 2030.”
That quality-of-life aspect has been a strong selling point for golf in breaking into new audiences. In a world where sports are increasingly dominated by success, fame and money, golf also provides an opportunity to grow from a human perspective.
“Ultimately, your skills are not what truly matter,” Jacobson said. “What matters is the desire to learn, to commit and to grow. That’s what we value, and that’s what this program is about.”
