LONDON: Christian Gross hopes that Zamalek’s 2-1 victory over Al-Hilal in Riyadh in the first Saudi-Egyptian Cup final since 2003 can spur the team on to recapture the Egyptian league title for the first time since 2015.
The former Tottenham Hotspur boss left Jeddah giant Al-Ahli in 2017 and moved to Cairo to take over the 12-time Egyptian champions in August.
Al-Hilal had plenty of chances win the match in front of their own fans on Friday but could not make their dominance count when it mattered.
“I never expected to be winning a trophy so soon after coming to
Zamalek,” Gross said.
Hamdi Nagguez opened the scoring with a header. The Tunisian full-back then provided the cross for Kabongo Kasongo from Congo to score from close range as the visitors rode out the early storm to take a commanding half-time lead.
Syrian striker Omar Khribin pulled one back soon after the break but Zamalek held on, though it was touch and go in the final moments when Al-Hilal had a goal disallowed for offside after the referee consulted VAR.
The star of the show was Zamalek goalkeeper Mahmoud Abdel Rahim, who made a number of fine saves to keep out Al-Hilal.
“It was a fine goalkeeping performance but that is the kind of goalkeeper he is, and he proves that every week. He and Nagguez played really well and stood out in what was a strong team performance all round.”
Gross has led Zamalek to first place in the Egyptian Premier League after eight games this season. He acknowledged that there is still a long way to go but is happy with the confidence-boosting win.
“I hope now that we can use this success and build on this to have a good season at home,” Gross said.
“Al-Hilal is a strong team and it is very difficult to come to Riyadh and win.”
Defender Mahmoud Alaa expects the win will give Zamalek energy and belief going forward.
“This was a big game for us and we showed our determination to win. We came under serious pressure but we kept fighting to the end and it will drive us on to further success.”
There was some worrying news for Al-Hilal ahead of kick-off as star striker Bafetimbi Gomis picked up a muscle injury in the pre-match warm-up build-up with tests to determine how serious the knock is. There was still plenty of firepower in the team, however, and Carlos Eduardo and Salem Al-Dawsari were also guilty of missing chances.
The result was even more impressive as it was the first time this season that Al-Hilal failed to win. Under new coach Jorge Jesus, the Riyadh giants have been on a winning streak and the Portuguese boss was named manager of the month in September. The defending champions have won all four games in the Saudi Pro League so far, defeated Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup final in London and also beat Oman’s Al-Shabab in the Arab Club Championship.
Perhaps because of that success, new Al-Hilal president Prince Mohammed bin Faisal, who took the position in September, was philosophical about the defeat.
“We enjoyed the excitement and organization in this event and the strong match between the two teams,” he said. “We faced a great competitor, the Zamalek club, which was an excellent experience for us.”
The boss added that the injury to Gomis was a major factor in the defeat given the chances that were missed.
“We faced some adverse conditions like Gomez’s injury. Our fans understand that we played well and we created many opportunities. We were missing our main striker and we dominated against a good team.”
Coach Jesus has given the players three days off before training resumes on Wednesday with a number of players away on international duty.
Christian Gross wants surprise win to act as springboard for Zamalek
Christian Gross wants surprise win to act as springboard for Zamalek
Zverev beats injury scare to reach Rome Open semis as Collins sets up Sabalenka clash
- Zverev is the highest-ranked man left in the event after Daniil Medvedev’s elimination on Tuesday
- Tabilo will play his first-ever Masters 1000 semifinal at the age of 26, after seeing off unseeded Zhang Zhizhen of China 6-3, 6-4
ROME: Alexander Zverev reached his 18th Masters semifinal in Rome on Wednesday but only after a worrying fall which sparked memories of the horror injury he suffered at the French Open two years ago.
The world No. 5 from Germany defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 to set up a last-four duel with Alejandro Tabilo, the Chilean journeyman who had stunned Novak Djokovic earlier in the tournament.
Zverev’s moment of concern came in just the third game on center court at the Foro Italico when he fell on the clay and landed on his front.
The 2017 champion cut his left wrist and a finger in the tumble and required treatment from the tournament physio before he continued the match.
Zverev, 27, suffered a serious ankle injury at the 2022 French Open after falling on the clay of Roland Garros during his semifinal against Rafael Nadal and missed the rest of the season.
On Wednesday, however, he was able to dust himself down to defeat Fritz in 90 minutes, firing 20 winners with six aces and not facing a single break point.
“Taylor has been one of the best players on clay this year. To have a win like that is great for me, especially after the fall,” Zverev said.
“I still have a little bit of pain, so once the adrenaline settles I’m going to check out tomorrow what it is. But definitely happy with the win.”
Zverev is the highest-ranked man left in the event after Daniil Medvedev’s elimination on Tuesday.
As well as Djokovic’s exit, Italian world No. 2 Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz both dropped out injured before the tournament.
Holger Rune, who lost last year’s final to Medvedev, Madrid champion Andrey Rublev — ranked sixth in the world — and beaten finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime have also been eliminated.
Chile’s Tabilo will play his first-ever Masters 1000 semifinal at the age of 26, after seeing off unseeded Zhang Zhizhen of China 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 26 minutes.
“I just can’t believe it right now, still trying to soak this in... Definitely an unforgettable two weeks for me,” said a delighted Tabilo, the 29th seed who knocked out top-ranked Djokovic on Sunday.
“It’s definitely the best tennis of my life right now, trying to keep a poker face there because inside I’m just so nervous, every time trying to close out the match gets a little bit tighter.”
Tabilo, in fact, had far less trouble on Wednesday than he did in his battle with Karen Khachanov in the previous round, not facing a single break point on his way to the biggest match of his career at the last major tournament before the French Open.
Women’s second seed Aryna Sabalenka needed just an hour and 13 minutes to see off Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4 on her way to the semis, improving her record against her Latvian opponent to three wins and no defeats.
Sabalenka will next take on Miami Open winner Danielle Collins who eased past Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-3.
“With this amazing atmosphere and with this amazing support... that’s why I’m super motivated here and that’s why I always say that this is the dream tournament for me to win,” said Sabalenka.
The 26-year-old could get a rematch of the Madrid final which she lost in dramatic fashion to world number one Iga Swiatek earlier this month.
Sabalenka, who has won the two most recent Australian Opens, was in a different class to Ostapenko, a former French Open winner, who could do nothing in the face of some punishing hitting.
Rome is the first time since the 2013 French Open that the top three women have reached the last four of a WTA event of 250 level or higher, with Swiatek and world number three Coco Gauff in the other semifinal on Thursday.
The 30-year-old Collins, ranked 15 in the world, announced in January that this would be her final season on the tour before retiring.
She now has 19 wins in her last 20 matches, dating back to the start of Miami where she captured her first WTA 1000 title.
Her only loss since came against Sabalenka in three sets in the fourth round of the Madrid Open.
Ten Hag addresses Man United fans after winning last home game of season. Chelsea beat Brighton
- Ten Hag: As you know, it wasn’t an easy season, but one thing remained constant — and that was the backing of you for the team. But this season is not over yet
- Christopher Nkunku inflated a blue balloon and held it between his lips to celebrate his second-half goal that ultimately proved the difference for Chelsea at Amex Stadium
LONDON: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag had just seen his team win their last match at Old Trafford this season when he strode onto the field and took the microphone to address the club’s fans.
There might have been a smattering of boos but there was largely a backdrop of cheers as the under-pressure Dutch coach delivered a speech that felt like an audition to continue in the job next season.
“As you know,” he said after the 3-2 win over Newcastle in the Premier League, “it wasn’t an easy season, but one thing remained constant — and that was the backing of you for the team.
“But this season is not over yet.”
Indeed, United still have to go to Brighton in Sunday’s final round of Premier League games. Then, the following weekend, it’s another FA Cup final against Manchester City.
Two huge games. Two opportunities to qualify for Europe. Two final chances for Ten Hag to stake his claim to stay on as manager of England’s grandest club as it undergoes a shakeup.
United remained in eighth place in the league — hugely disappointing for a club of its stature — but moved level on points with Newcastle in seventh and three behind sixth-place Chelsea, who beat Brighton 2-1 away in Wednesday’s other game.
With Tottenham likely to finish in fifth place, Chelsea, Newcastle and Man United look to be fighting for the final two European qualifying positions. The teams finishing in sixth and seventh place should qualify for the Europa League and Europa Conference League, respectively.
Man United could also get in the Europa League by winning the cup final against City on May 25.
Chelsea’s win at Brighton was their fourth straight in the league. That hasn’t happened since October 2022.
NKUNKU CELEBRATION
Christopher Nkunku inflated a blue balloon and held it between his lips to celebrate his second-half goal that ultimately proved the difference for Chelsea at Amex Stadium.
The France striker’s 64th-minute strike added to Cole Palmer’s 22nd goal of the campaign in the 34th minute.
Second-half Chelsea substitute Reece James was shown a straight red card in the 88th — following a VAR review — after he kicked out at Joao Pedro while on the ground.
Danny Welbeck grabbed Brighton’s consolation goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
HOJLUND STRIKES
A strike by substitute Rasmus Hojlund in the 84th minute proved to be the clinching goal for Man United in a match between direct rivals for Europe.
Kobbie Mainoo put United ahead in the 31st after a pass was slipped through the Newcastle defense by Amad Diallo, who regained the lead for the home side with a fierce left-footed shot through a crowd of players after a 57th-minute corner wasn’t fully cleared.
Anthony Gordon had scored Newcastle’s equalizer in the 49th and Lewis Hall ensured a nervy finish to the game for Man United by making it 3-2 in stoppage time.
FAREWELLS
French players Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane waved goodbye to Man United’s supporters after the game against Newcastle.
They are leaving the club at the end of the season because their contracts are expiring.
Iraqi car bomb survivor eyes gold in Paris Paralympics
- Najlah was just three years old when a 2008 sticky bomb ripped into her father’s car — an ex-military — in the city of Baquba northeast of Baghdad
- In 2021, she went to Tokyo for the Paralympic Games, and in 2023, she won a gold medal in the 2022 Asian Para Games in China
BAQUBA, Iraq: When car bomb survivor Najlah Imad first took up table tennis, her relatives warned against it. But a decade later, the Iraqi teenager who lost three limbs is gunning for gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
“Table tennis was a turning point. Since I started playing, my life has changed,” the 19-year-old athlete told AFP.
Najlah was just three years old when a 2008 sticky bomb ripped into her father’s car — an ex-military — in the city of Baquba northeast of Baghdad.
In a split second, like tens of thousands of Iraqis, Najlah became a victim of bombs that have ripped through the conflict-scarred country for decades.
She lost most of her right leg, her left leg at the knee, and her right forearm.
Remarkably, she now recounts the life-altering incident with a sense of calm.
“Table tennis has improved my mental health,” she said from a dilapidated sports center in Baquba.
Najlah’s face lights up when she speaks of her sports journey. But her smile disappears when she stands on her prosthetics in front of the blue table, focused and ready to speedily hit the ball with utmost precision.
The young athlete, with black hair cut to the neck, discovered her love for the game at the age of 10 when a trainer visited her house looking to form a local Paralympic team.
Her family was initially hesitant and cautioned her, predicting that she would be exhausted and “wouldn’t achieve anything.”
But the warnings did not stop her.
“When I first started, I saw other people with disabilities playing sports despite losing limbs,” she said.
She admired their positive energy. “They were always smiling, which encouraged me.”
After six months of intensive training, Najlah played her first match in a local Baghdad tournament.
“I won,” exclaimed Najlah. “I was the surprise of the competition.”
A first triumph fueled her passion, and she became a fierce competitor. Over the years, Najlah has participated in 30 international tournaments, winning medals and trophies, which she proudly displays on a shelf in her modest home.
In 2021, she went to Tokyo for the Paralympic Games, and in 2023, she won a gold medal in the 2022 Asian Para Games in China.
A rising star, Iraq’s Paralympic committee provides Najlah with a modest monthly stipend and travel expenses to competitions when the budget allows it.
Najlah trains twice a week in Baquba and another two days in Baghdad with her father by her side. She also travels abroad to practice ahead of international competitions taking advantage of better sports facilities.
In March, she traveled to Qatar to prepare for the Paris Paralympics in August.
“I always aim for gold,” Najlah said.
Despite her success, she still trains at Baquba’s modestly equipped sports center where walls are adorned with posters of international table tennis players.
Eight players share four secondhand ping-pong tables in a squalid hall with broken windows in a country where decades of conflicts, neglect and endemic corruption have left the infrastructure in despair.
The center sourced the tables from a junkyard. “We had to repair them to use them,” lamented trainer Hossam Al-Bayati, who joined the national Paralympic coaches team in 2016.
Najlah “will represent Iraq” in the Paralympics, but the tables she trains on are flimsy,” said Bayati. “This is wrong.”
During a recent training session at the Baquba center, Najlah wrapped her right arm at the elbow with a black cloth to help pad her crutch as she carefully attached her prosthesis. Once standing, she gripped her racket with her left hand and smoothly struck a ball into play.
Initially concerned about his daughter’s choice, Najlah’s father was against her playing the sport. However, after witnessing her first triumph, he quickly realized the importance of standing by her and endorsing her passion.
“She resisted and she challenged herself and the world,” the proud father Imad Lafta said.
Najlah’s dedication and hard work have paid off.
“Whenever she walks through the streets, people recognize her and congratulate us. Some girls even ask to take photos with her,” the father said.
Despite her busy training schedule, Najlah remains an avid reader and is supposed to graduate from high school this year.
As Najlah sets her eyes on the gold medal in Paris, her father is confident she will excel.
“When she promises something, she delivers,” he said.
Celtic secures third straight league title in Scotland and stays on course for a trophy double
A 5-0 win at Kilmarnock gave Celtic an unassailable six-point lead over fierce Glasgow rival Rangers.
It’s the first silverware of Brendan Rodgers’ second spell in charge and moved Celtic onto 54 league titles — one behind Rangers’ record total in Scotland.
Celtic could also secure a league-and-cup double because it plays Rangers on the Scottish Cup final on May 25.
Celtic had fallen behind in the title race in February despite being seven points clear of Rangers after Rodgers’ first seven league matches back in charge.
But the team got back into first place midway through April and Wednesday’s triumph at Rugby Park made it 22 points from the last eight games.
“It was so good and it was a joy to watch. To make us champions, I’m so proud,” said Rodgers, who won a treble of trophies in each of his first two seasons in charge in his first spell from 2016-19.
“I would have probably been dreaming of that moment over the time I was away and hoping it would happen again. It’s a really good feeling.”
Late in the game, the Celtic supporters reprised their song about Rodgers “coming home to lead the green and white” — a staple during his first spell in charge but a chant he had not heard for some time following the mixed reaction to his return.
The misgivings from Celtic fans arose because of the way he left for Leicester in February 2019 — just when the team was on course to win the Scottish title.
Rodgers got emotional when asked about that moment.
“It felt really good,” he said. “I thought they had forgotten my name! But it was about the team and the support staff.
“There was so much stuff in the first six months, it felt a little bit awkward, I have got to be honest. And awkward for everyone. I think it was a bit surreal. And there was a lot of challenges from a management perspective, a lot of tedious stuff that took place. I have never had that before in my career.”
Curran stars for Punjab as Rajasthan lose four in row
- Chasing a tricky 145 on a sluggish pitch, Punjab depended on Curran’s unbeaten 63 to achieve their target
- Impact substitute Ashutosh Sharma smashed 17 and the winning run to hand Rajasthan their fourth successive defeat
GUWAHATI, India: Skipper Sam Curran starred with bat and ball as Punjab Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by five wickets for a consolation win in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.
Chasing a tricky 145 on a sluggish pitch, Punjab depended on Curran’s unbeaten 63 to achieve their target with seven balls to spare in Rajasthan’s adopted home ground in Guwahati.
Left-handed Curran put on a key 63-run stand with Jitesh Sharma, who made 22, and despite losing his partner in the 16th over steered the team home to lift them from the bottom of the 10-team table.
Impact substitute Ashutosh Sharma smashed 17 and the winning run to hand Rajasthan their fourth successive defeat in this edition of the T20 tournament.
“To be very honest, we have to sit back and accept that we are going through some failures,” Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson said.
“You have to find out what’s not working well as a team. When you are getting to the business end, we need someone to raise their finger up and say I am going to win the game for the team. We have the players who can do that.”
The loss for Rajasthan hurt their chances of a top-two finish in the league stage a day after they confirmed their play-off spot.
Rajasthan, who stay in second place with one game in hand, and table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders are the only two teams to have booked their play-off berth.
The top four teams make the play-offs, but the first and second-placed sides have the advantage of two chances to qualify for the final on May 26 in Chennai.
Punjab, who had already bowed out of the play-off race, kept the opposition down to 144-9 despite a 34-ball 48 by Riyan Parag.
Left-arm quick Curran bowled Yashasvi Jaiswal, for four, in the first over and then Samson departed for 18 off Nathan Ellis after a slow start.
Parag found Ravichandran Ashwin, who hit 28 off 19 balls, for company and the two attempted to push the scoring in their partnership of 50.
The rest of the batting faltered against a disciplined attack as Curran, fellow quick Harshal Patel and spinner Rahul Chahal took two wickets each.
