VOLGOGRAD: Dead rubber? Dead wrong.
Saudi Arabia coach Juan Antonio Pizzi dismissed the suggestion that Monday’s night 2-1 World Cup victory over Egypt was of little consequence, stressing that Salman Al-Faraj and Salem Al-Dawsari have etched their names into history.
Pizzi’s Green Falcons claimed Saudi Arabia’s first World Cup win since 1994 when Al-Dawsari drilled a shot past Essam El-Hadary in added time with the score tied at 1-1.
Al-Faraj had earlier scored from the penalty spot to cancel out Mohamed Salah’s opener and as Al-Dawsari performed a celebratory forward-flip, his Argentine coach could be seen hugging his staff ecstatically.
It was a much deserved win after dominating their Middle East rivals throughout, finishing the match with 61 percent possession and having managed 22 shots at the opposition goal. The North Africans had scored with their only shot on target. It was put to Pizzi in his post-match press conference that perhaps his team had played free of their shackles because with neither side capable of progressing from Group A there was nothing at stake.
“You say there was nothing at stake,” said Pizzi. “But you don’t know what it is to play a World Cup. For me as a coach and my players, being at a World Cup is the most important thing. So there was a lot at stake for us.
“You really don’t understand what it means for Salem and Salman to be able to score at a World Cup. They will be able to tell this to their children, to their grandchildren, in 30 years: ‘I scored during a World Cup’. This is amazing. So there was a lot at stake. Every single match is important.
“That is why it’s so difficult, that’s why there’s so many media representatives here and many people supporting us and telling the world what is going on here. Because, in our job, this is the most important thing ever.”
For the third consecutive game here in Russia, Pizzi’s side conceded an early goal, this time Salah beating the offside trap to latch on to a long ball and lob Yasser Al-Mosailem. Yet rather than capitulating like against Russia or struggling to create any goalscoring opportunities like against Uruguay, instead Saudi rallied and started to pepper the goal of El-Hadary, who became the World Cup’s oldest ever player at 45 years and five months.
El-Hadary, who plays his domestic football in the Kingdom with Al Taawoun, made an excellent save from a Fahad Al-Muwallad penalty in the 41st minute, but five minutes later, could not replicate his heroics when Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan used VAR to hand the Saudi’s a second attempt. Al-Faraj, who had wanted to hit the first, demanded the ball, placed it on the spot and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
“I think before the first goal, they didn’t create chances and we made no mistakes,” Pizzi said. There was another chance for Salah afterwards, but these were the only two opportunities for Egypt. We kept the ball in the channels and played wide. We deserved to win.
“We saw in the first half that if we could speed up the pace of play, we’d have opportunities and that’s what we did. The players knew opportunities would arise. They saw Egypt’s weaknesses and took advantage.”
Juan Antonio Pizzi hails Saudi Arabia’s ‘history-makers’ after win over Egypt
Juan Antonio Pizzi hails Saudi Arabia’s ‘history-makers’ after win over Egypt
- Saudi Arabia coach Juan Antonio Pizzi dismissed the suggestion that Monday’s night 2-1 World Cup victory over Egypt was of little consequence
- Pizzi’s Green Falcons claimed Saudi Arabia’s first World Cup win since 1994
Elvira holds his nerve to win 2026 Dubai Invitational
- The Spaniard finished top after five players had shared the lead on the final day at Dubai Creek Resort
DUBAI: A nerveless display during a roller-coaster final round saw Nacho Elvira come out on top to claim his third DP World Tour title at the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
No fewer than five players shared the lead on a chaotic Sunday at Dubai Creek Resort, where overnight leader Elvira cruised into a three-shot lead following a third birdie of the day at the seventh.
He left the door ajar when finishing his front nine with successive bogeys as Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Daniel Hillier and Marcus Armitage joined the Spaniard at the summit at nine under down the final stretch.
Lowry made his move with a birdie at the 15th, only to double bogey the last and spectacularly fall out of contention.
Hillier was the clubhouse leader at nine under, but Elvira carded his first birdie of the back nine at the 17th to earn a one-shot lead down the last and calmly rolled a final par for a brilliant victory.
“It means the world,” the 38-year-old said. “If you told me on Tuesday that I’d be winning this tournament I’d have never believed you.
“It’s a dream come true, especially having the family here. I’ve always dreamed to have my kids walking up to me with a win and anything that happens after this, nothing compares to this.
“I knew at some point it was going to be difficult, especially with the great players playing in front of me. I somehow managed to make a par on 10, managed somehow to make a par on 11 and I guess I calmed down a little after this and stayed patient.
“To be honest with you, I wasn’t nervous until the very last putt — the one-footer I had for the win. I knew what I needed to do, I knew I needed to be patient. I think there are so many positives from this week and I couldn’t be happier.”
Elvira opened with a birdie to maintain his two-shot overnight lead at nine under, but it was reduced to nothing when Lowry birdied three of his first four holes.
The Spaniard became the first man to reach double figures with a birdie at the fourth and when he birdied the seventh, he led by three at 11 under.
Lowry had bogeyed the latter hole to slip back to eight under alongside Armitage, who had birdied the first and seventh to reach that mark, before Elvira twitched at the top.
Bogeys at the eighth and ninth saw him drop to nine under and he was joined by Armitage after the Englishman’s birdie at the tenth.
McIlroy seemed out of contention after two dropped shots and gain during his opening seven holes, but he surged into co-leadership after five straight birdies from the ninth.
Hillier, who had eagled the 13th, joined the party at nine under after his fourth birdie of the day at the 15th.
Lowry made it a five-way tie for the lead with a birdie at the 13th before Armitage dropped back one with a bogey at the 14th.
The Irishman jumped ahead on his own with a 27-foot birdie putt at the 15th before Hillier set the clubhouse target of nine under following a flawless 65.
The world No. 26 was inches from increasing his lead to two shots at his 16th, while McIlroy almost holed out from a greenside bunker to birdie the last, but two-putted to fall back to eight under.
Elvira still had the final two holes to play and piled the pressure on Lowry with birdie at the penultimate hole to rejoin the lead at ten under.
Just as the Spaniard drained his seven-foot birdie putt, Lowry’s bunker shot flew the final green and into the water to card a stunning double bogey. That meant Elvira only needed a par on the 72nd hole for victory and he showed nerves of steel to do just that from one foot.
Elvira was handed the trophy by tournament host Abdullah Al Naboodah, chairman of Al-Naboodah Investments and European Tour Group non-executive board member.
“Congratulations to Nacho Elvira on an outstanding performance and well-earned victory,” he said.
“The caliber of golf from both our professionals and amateurs has been remarkable. The pro-am format is what makes the Dubai Invitational special, and it remains an honor to host the world’s best here. Thank you to everyone who took part and to our global partners DP World and Rolex, along with our tournament partners Discovery Land Company, Dubai Basketball, Gulfstream and Silverlake.
“We also extend our thanks to the Wasl and World of Hyatt for providing the unparalleled backdrop of the Dubai Creek Golf Club and special thanks to the Dubai Sports Council and the Emirates Golf Federation for their continued support for the tournament and golf in the region. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2028."
Frenchman Julien Guerrier bounced back from a double bogey at the second with seven birdies to sit in a share of third at eight under alongside Spain’s David Puig, McIlroy and Lowry.
Armitage double-bogeyed the last to join Matt Wallace and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen at six under, while France’s Antoine Rozner and South African duo Thriston Lawrence and Dylan Frittelli were one shot further back to wrap up the top 10.
