RIYADH: The Saudi Al-Hilal team has officially requested to postpone its scheduled match on Sunday against its Iranian counterpart Shahr Khodro at Al-Janoub Stadium in the Qatari capital, Doha, in the fifth round of group stage of the AFC Champions League football competition.
The club published a statement on its official Twitter account saying it had contacted the AFC to request to postpone its match against the Iranian team after 10 players contracted COVID-19.
The club said it had “caused a major crisis in the team, after the number of players infected with the virus has now reached 15,” according to the statement.
Al-Hilal was looking to qualify for the next round, as they lead the group with 10 points from four matches, compared to seven points for Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor Tashkent and six for the UAE’s Shabab Al-Ahli Club club. Shahr Khodro are still without points.
Al-Hilal, who has suffered absences from many players due to coronavirus, needs to obtain only one point in order to qualify for the Round 16, pending the AFC’s response to the Saudi team’s request.
Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal says 10 players infected with COVID-19, requests match postponement
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Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal says 10 players infected with COVID-19, requests match postponement
- Al-Hilal contacted AFC to request postponing Sunday's match against Shahr Khodro
‘Proud’ Saudi fighters Basahel and Albrahim bask in PFL MENA wins
- Duo spoke after victories at the Dhahran Expo in Alkhobar
- In the main event Mohammad Alaqraa defeated Badreddine Diani to become PFL MENA welterweight champion
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia fighters Malik Basahel and Ahmed Albrahim have revealed their delight at winning their showcase bouts at “PFL MENA Finals: All or Nothing” at the Dhahran Expo in Alkhobar.
The night also saw four new PFL MENA champions crowned as this year’s season ended.
“Thank God for everything,” Basahel (3-0) told said after his flyweight showcase win over Mahmoud Atef (5-4, 1 NC) by TKO at 3 minutes, 13 seconds of round one.
“Of course, I’m proud of this performance. On record, my opponent has a stronger record. But glory to God, I got the win. My hard work paid off, and what’s coming will be even better, God willing.
“The MMA scene in the Kingdom, especially in Dhahran, is developing and God willing, we’ll see more and more fighters.”
“For sure, the sport is developing, you can see it,” he added. “There are many fighters coming up, even in the amateur divisions. The national team too, Masha Allah, is truly one of the strongest in the world, not just in the Arab region but worldwide.
“Our young athletes, ages 15 to 18 are incredibly talented. Every year, the level keeps improving. PFL is coming here and Insha Allah there will be more opportunities. Thank God, we have many great things happening and a lot of progress.”
Meanwhile, Albrahim (AM 4-1) defeated Mohamed Nabil (AM 2-1) by TKO at 2:45 of round two in their amateur welterweight showcase bout.
“The Eastern Province has always been known for sports in general,” the Saudi fighter said.
“Many athletes have come from there across various fields; football, bodybuilding, and many other sports. The Eastern Province has always been a treasure when it comes to sporting talent.”
“The technique and the talent have been there for a long time, but the media never really highlighted it properly,” Abraham added.
“But as you can see now, the media has started to shed more light on it, and fighters are beginning to emerge. And honestly, there are many people better than me, many talents.
“But once the media shines a light, people finally see it. The Eastern Province is full of fighters, full of gifted athletes, and you will see more coming very soon, God willing.”
Abraham dedicated his win to his parents and brothers. “They have always encouraged me,” he said.
“My father was the first to say, ‘people will wonder how he will come back,’ but that actually motivated me. They kept supporting me while I was training.
“I hope they can see this video, and I dedicate this victory to them. I didn’t make this decision to join PFL until I was fully ready. I entered this fight with a professional mindset. We are ready — Saudi always shows up ready.”
In the main event, Kuwait’s Mohammad Alaqraa (10-1) edged out Morocco’s Badreddine “Dreamchaser” Diani (10-4) by unanimous decision after five hard-fought rounds to win the PFL MENA welterweight championship.
In the co-main event, Morocco’s Salah Eddine “Supersalah” Hamli (11-0) kept his undefeated record intact as he submitted Iraq’s Mohammad “Soulkeeper” Fahmi (6-1) in the second round to become the new PFL MENA lightweight champion.
Also, Islam “The Egyptian Zombie” Reda (15-1) scored a second-round submission victory over Algeria’s Yanis “The Desert Warrior” Ghemmouri (13-4) to become the PFL MENA featherweight champion.
In addition, Jordan’s Nawras “Honey Badger” Abzakh (15-6, 1 NC) needed just 36 seconds to submit Islam “Moksha” Youssef (7-3) of Egypt and capture the PFL MENA bantamweight championship.
