RIYADH: Igor Biscan says it will be strictly business when he faces former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard in a fascinating clash in the Roshn Saudi League.

Biscan, appointed Al-Shabab manager in mid-October, goes head-to-head in a home game against Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq on Thursday night. The two played together at Anfield for five years, helping the English club to a memorable Champions League triumph in 2005.

Al-Shabab, currently 12th in the table, go into Thursday’s game after three matches without a win. Al-Ettifaq, five places above them, are four league games without victory.

Biscan said: “It’s a big, important game for us because of the points, first and foremost. The other things are always interesting — seeing a former teammate, somebody like Steven — but we will not have too much time to enjoy ourselves.

“We’re not really in a position to think about anything else apart from getting as many points as we can as soon as we can. They have many more points than us in the table, but they are also not in a great period — in the last few games they have lost or didn’t win.”

Biscan was critical of his team following a 2-1 home loss to Al-Taawoun last weekend. Al-Shabab led 1-0 at the interval through a cheeky Panenka penalty by Yannick Carrasco that clipped the underside of the bar. But “a different team came out of the dressing room for the second half,” and Al-Taawoun came back strongly to run out deserved winners.

Speaking about Al-Ettifaq, Biscan added: “They’re a tough team to play against and we need to prepare ourselves not only for one half, but for 90-plus minutes. That’s the only way we can win any game in the future.”

Gerrard also criticized his side after their recent loss. Al-Ettifaq went down 1-0 at Al-Okhdood, who climbed to 15th in the 18-team league.

Gerrard said: “I apologize to our fans. The performance was far from what we intended.”

Al-Shabab versus Al-Ettifaq kicks off on Thursday at 9 p.m. Saudi time at Al-Shabab’s stadium in Riyadh.

RIYADH: There were celebrations for Al-Shabab’s women’s futsal team, who took gold following a 4-0 triumph over Al-Nassr in the final of the competition.

The medal was awarded by Adwaa Al-Arifi, assistant minister for sports affairs, witnessed by Lamia Bahaian, vice president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. The bronze medal was clinched by Al-Hilal after an impressive 11-0 victory over Al-Qadisiyah.

Sahari snatches paralympic table tennis gold

Rami Sahari from Al-Riyadh took gold in the men’s paralympic table tennis competition, with clubmate Thamer Habshan winning silver. Bronze went to Al-Sharqiya’s Abdulrahman Bamusa.

The medals were awarded by Abdulaziz Baeshe, CEO and secretary-general of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, in the presence of Dr. Abdullah Al-Bar, president of the Saudi Table Tennis Federation.

Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr advance to basketball finals

The upcoming men’s basketball tournament finals, set for Dec. 7 at 6 p.m., will see Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr face each other in the green hall at Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex.

Al-Hilal emerged victorious in yesterday’s semifinals with an 81-51 win against Al-Ahli, while Al-Nassr narrowly defeated Ohud 75-73. Ohud and Al-Ahli will compete at 4 p.m., ahead of the final, to decide third place.

Three wins in youth handball

Al-Khaleej secured a 33-23 victory over Al-Ibtisam in the group 3 matches as part of the youth handball competitions, hosted at King Saud University’s main arena on Tuesday. Mudhar emerged victorious in group 2, scoring 31-20 against Al-Ahli, while in the same group, Al-Hilal narrowly overcame Al-Qarah 20-18.

There are two matches scheduled in group 1 on Dec. 6. Al-Hazem will face Al-Hada in the first, with Al-Wehda later going up against Al-Noor.

Men’s handball qualification battles begin

In men’s handball, Al-Noor defeated Al-Rawdah 38-26 during the group 3 matches. In Group 4, Al-Hada emerged victorious against Al-Adalah with a score of 32-24, and Al-Wehda overpowered Al-Hazem 32-19.

The schedule for Wednesday, Dec 6., features four exciting matches. In group 1, Al-Jeel will go head-to-head with Al-Zulfi, while Al-Qarah will face off against Mudhar. In group 2, Al-Njoom is set to compete against Al-Muheet and Al-Safa take on Al-Khaleej.

Women’s basketball final to feature Jeddah United and Al-Asima

The final showdown in the women’s basketball competition will be between Jeddah United and Al-Asima. The game, scheduled for noon on Dec. 7, will take place in the Ministry of Sport hall at Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex. Third place will be determined between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad in a match starting at 10 a.m.

Today’s semifinals saw Jeddah United, last year’s champions, take a convincing 53-29 win over Al-Ittihad, while Al-Asima triumphed 58-41 over Hilal.

Eight groups in padel

The padel competition kicked off yesterday morning at Riyadh’s N1 padel center, with competitors divided into four men’s and four women’s groups. The group stage will conclude today, Dec. 6, with the quarterfinals on Thursday and the semifinals on Friday. The finals in each category will take place on Dec. 9. 

Three weight categories in mixed martial arts

The two-day mixed martial arts contest starts today at King Saud University’s swimming hall in Riyadh with its quarterfinal weight categories, including the 61 kg, 70 kg, and 83 kg divisions. The finals for each category will take place on Thursday.

Jujitsu begins today

The jujitsu competitions, which start today, Dec. 6, at King Saud University’s multipurpose hall in Riyadh, will include women’s under 60 kg and over 60 kg categories alongside the men’s under 66 kg, under 77 kg, and over 88 kg divisions.

Boxer Majrashi’s inspiring comeback

The boxing ring at King Saud University bore witness to a remarkable comeback spanning an entire year. Saudi boxer Zeyed Majrashi, representing Al-Shabab, faced numerous challenges and setbacks following his defeat by Mohammed Al-Kreedis of Al-Hilal the previous season. Majrashi settled for silver in the 57 kg category in the 2022 Saudi Games.

Determined to secure the gold this year, Majrashi embarked on a year-long journey of rigorous training, intensive camps and both domestic and international competitions.

The pivotal moment arrived on Nov. 29, with Majrashi facing the same opponent who had defeated him previously. When the final bell rang Majrashi was awarded the gold, marking an incredible achievement following a year of relentless dedication. Speaking about his comeback, Majrashi said every goal was achievable when hard work met determination and desire.