Rating 10 Arab nations’ chances at AFC Asian Cup 2023

A screen displays the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup groups after the draw for the AFC Asian Cup in Doha (AFP)
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Updated 05 January 2024
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Rating 10 Arab nations’ chances at AFC Asian Cup 2023

  • Roberto Mancini’s Saudi Arabia look to have their best chance of a fourth title

With the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in Qatar only one week away, Arab News assesses the chances of 10 Arab nations taking part in the 24-team tournament.

Group A (includes China, Tajikistan)

Qatar (2019 champions. FIFA ranking 58)

It has been a long five years since the triumph in the 2019 edition of the competition but, for better or worse, most of the players from the tournament in the UAE are still around, including star forwards Almoez Ali and Akram Afif.

The disaster of the 2022 World Cup on home soil still looms large and coach Felix Sanchez’s replacement Carlos Queiroz has come and gone. Another Spaniard, Tintin Marquez, is now in place. Another title seems unlikely but home soil and the experience of 2019 could make a difference.

Arab News’ prediction is round of 16.

Lebanon (2019 group stage. FIFA ranking 107)

The buildup has not been the best for a team preparing for only a third finals appearance and hoping to get past the group stage for the first time. Just last month there was a change of coach with Miodrag Radulovic returning for a second spell to replace Nikola Jurcevic, who had been in place for just two months. The Montenegrin has little time to solve Lebanon’s goalscoring issues but the team is always organized, hard to beat and full of fight.

Arab News’ prediction is group stage exit.

Group B (Australia, Uzbekistan, India)

Syria (2019 group stage. FIFA ranking 91)

Bringing in former Inter Milan and Valencia boss Hector Cuper is a coup but the Argentine boss had previously frustrated fans in Egypt and Uzbekistan with his defensive focus.

He has already shocked supporters by leaving out Omar Al-Somah, one of the best strikers in the region, and it remains to be seen where the goals will come from. It may not be pretty but despite mixed results of late, including a 5-0 loss to Japan and a tough group along with Australia and Uzbekistan, Syria should not be underestimated.

Arab News’ prediction is round of 16.

Group C (Iran, Hong Kong)

UAE (2019 semifinal. FIFA ranking 64)

The shine of the so-called golden generation of the previous decade has faded with star striker Ali Mabkhout one of the few remaining, though he is still banging them in.

Recent times have been tough but Paulo Bento, the Portuguese boss who took South Korea to the second round of the 2022 World Cup, has come in and hit the ground running. Form is excellent and there is a real energy and optimism around the team. Could be a dark horse if the route is favorable.

Arab News’ prediction is quarterfinals.

Palestine (2019 group stage. FIFA ranking 99)

This is Palestine’s third appearance but there has yet to be a win, and it will not come easy against Iran, the UAE and Hong Kong. With the war on Gaza ongoing, any victory would be cause for the kind of celebration that would greet any other team winning the whole thing. The pressure is off and Palestine, led by star striker Oday Dabbagh and cheered on by neutrals, have what it takes to get to the second round.

Arab News’ prediction is round of 16.

Group D (Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam)

Iraq (2019 round of 16. FIFA ranking 63)

The question is the same every time: Can Iraq repeat their title-winning heroics of 2007? This squad is the most internationally experienced that the country has ever had — only eight play at home, including exciting teenage winger Ali Jasim. Much depends on whether Spanish coach Jesus Casas can bring it all together. He has been there since 2022 to ensure that preparations have been more settled than usual. He will be confident of second behind Japan and then, as 2007 showed, anything can happen.

Arab News’ prediction is quarterfinals.

Group E (South Korea, Malaysia)

Bahrain (2019 round of 16. FIFA ranking 86)

It is now 20 years since Bahrain were disappointed to lose the semifinal of the 2004 tournament. This time, just getting to the knockout stages would be seen as success but they do have Juan Antonio Pizzi in place, the man who led Chile to the 2016 Copa America. He has been in charge since the summer and has spent a lot of time trying to instill his usual attacking game based on possession. May be hard to do so against South Korea in the opener but real tests come against Malaysia and Jordan.

Arab News’ prediction is round of 16.

Jordan (2019 round of 16. FIFA ranking 87)

Results have been poor in the buildup, with five defeats and two draws in the last seven games of 2023 but Jordan tend to step it up when the tournament starts.

Pressure is on coach Hussein Ammouta. The Moroccan tactician was brought in amid high expectations to replicate the 2017 success he had in the African Champions League and elsewhere, which means he may adopt a more cautious approach. He needs a good start against a much-improved Malaysia.

Arab News’ prediction is round of 16.

Group F (Thailand, Kyrgyzstan)

Saudi Arabia (2019 round of 16. FIFA ranking 56)

Roberto Mancini has been in charge since August. Expectations are always high but it was 1996 when they won their third and last trophy. The Italian named a relatively young and forward-looking squad though still needs star player Salem Al-Dawsari to shine. The Green Falcons need to do better than 2019’s second-round finish and should do so, but will need all Mancini’s tactical knowhow and the best from the players to get past the likes of Japan and South Korea.

Arab News’ prediction is a final spot.

Oman (2019 round of 16. FIFA ranking 74)

The Reds want to confirm that they are one of the continent’s best after a fine performance in qualification for the 2022 World Cup. A surprise November loss to Kyrgyzstan has, however, seen coach Branko Ivankovic criticized for the first time in his four years in charge — with questions surrounding team selections and his preference for lengthy training camps. Getting past the round of 16 for the first time is the target but more would be welcome.

Arab News’ prediction is round of 16.


After Wasim, Pakistan cricketer Amir retires from international cricket 

Updated 14 December 2024
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After Wasim, Pakistan cricketer Amir retires from international cricket 

  • Amir came out of retirement in April after nearly four years to participate in T20 World Cup 2024
  • Amir, 32, has played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is for Pakistan since his international debut in 2009

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir has announced his retirement from international cricket, a day after all-rounder Imad Wasim did the same, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Thursday. 

Left-arm pacer Amir, 32, returned to international cricket after nearly four years in April this year for the T20 World Cup. He has featured in 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is for Pakistan since making his international debut in June 2009. 

Amir has also taken 271 international wickets and scored 1,179 runs across the three formats. His retirement announcement follows a day after Wasim publicly said he was retiring from international cricket after putting much thought and reflection into the matter. 

“All-rounder Imad Wasim and left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir have announced their retirements from international cricket,” the PCB said. “Both players last featured for Pakistan in this year’s ICC T20 World Cup held in the USA and West Indies.”

The PCB said Amir and Wasim have both been “key members of the Pakistan men’s cricket team” over the years and also represented the Pakistan U-19 team. 

Amir was also part of the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup winning squad, and with Wasim, both were an integral part of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy winning squad. 

“It has been a great honor to play for Pakistan across all three formats,” Amir said. “I know this is a difficult decision, but I feel this is the right time for the next generation to take the baton and elevate Pakistan cricket to new heights.”

The Pakistani pacer thanked the PCB for extending “much-needed support” over the years and the Pakistani fans. 

After rising as one of the most promising talents in international cricket in 2009, Amir was one of three Pakistan players banned from cricket for five years for spot-fixing during a Test match in England after being caught in a newspaper sting. 

He was later jailed in the UK for six months.

He returned to the squad years later and proved instrumental in helping Pakistan win the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in England. 


Pacers defeat Sixers as Embiid injured after blow to face

Updated 14 December 2024
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Pacers defeat Sixers as Embiid injured after blow to face

  • The Cameroon-born big man was fighting for a rebound under the Pacers’ basket when he was inadvertently elbowed by Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin

LOS ANGELES, United States: Joel Embiid’s tough season took another turn for the worse on Friday as Philadelphia’s star center exited early in the 76ers’ 121-107 NBA loss to Indiana after being struck in the face.
The Cameroon-born big man, who won Olympic gold with the United States in Paris this year, was fighting for a rebound under the Pacers’ basket when he was inadvertently elbowed by Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin.
Embiid had 12 points with four rebounds and five assists before departing moments before halftime and the Sixers said after the game he had been diagnosed with a sinus fracture and would be evaluated further over the weekend.
Embiid was playing just his second game back after missing seven contests. He has played just six games this season as he battled a troublesome left knee and served a three-game suspension for an altercation with a journalist.
The Pacers, fueled by 32 points and 11 assists from Tyrese Haliburton, led most of the way. Pascal Siakam added 23 points and eight rebounds and Obi Toppin chipped in 20 points off the bench for Indiana.
Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points to lead Philadelphia, who also saw rookie Jared McCain take a scary hit to the back of the head.
McCain needed help from teammate Paul George to get to the free throw line before briefly exiting, but he cleared concussion protocol and returned to the game.
The league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back from a loss to Miami with a 115-105 victory over the Washington Wizards, who suffered their 18th defeat in 19 games.
Darius Garland scored 24 points and Jarrett Allen added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavs, who improved to 22-4 to bolster their lead over reigning champions Boston atop the Eastern Conference.
Washington, led by 27 points from forward Bilal Coulibaly, kept it close and led by three early in the third quarter.
Cleveland connected on just 39.6 percent of their shots from the field, but they out-shot Washington 28-9 from the free-throw line and parlayed 18 Wizards turnovers into 26 points.
Despite their stellar record, Allen said the Cavs need to “keep improving on the little things.”
“I still think we have a long way to go to be the team that we want to be,” he said.
Elsewhere, Kevin Durant scored 30 points in his return from injury to help the Phoenix Suns beat the Utah Jazz 134-126.
Devin Booker scored 34 points to lead the Suns, who had lost all three games with Durant sidelined by a sprained left ankle.
Anthony Edwards scored 23 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 97-87 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, who were without superstar LeBron James for a second straight game.
Julius Randle scored 21 points, Jaden McDaniels added 18 and Rudy Gobert contributed 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who beat the Lakers for the second time this month.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, was sidelined again by a sore left foot, but the 39-year-old has also been excused from team activities because of personal reasons and coach JJ Redick said before Friday’s game he didn’t know when James would return.
Anthony Davis carried the Lakers’ scoring load with 23 points and 11 rebounds and Austin Reaves returned from a five-game injury absence to score 18.
But the Lakers, who coughed up 22 turnovers, never led.
The Memphis Grizzlies grabbed a fourth straight win, beating the Brooklyn Nets 135-119 behind 28 points and 10 assists from Ja Morant.


Hendricks’ maiden hundred leads South Africa to T20 series win over Pakistan

Updated 14 December 2024
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Hendricks’ maiden hundred leads South Africa to T20 series win over Pakistan

  • Opener Reeza Hendricks scored maiden T20 century to chase Pakistan’s 206 score
  • Win in second match earns Proteas first bilateral T20 series win in more than two years

CENTURION, South Africa: South Africa won a bilateral Twenty20 series for the first time in more than two years when it chased down Pakistan’s 206 on Friday.
Opener Reeza Hendricks’ maiden T20 century, 117 off 63 balls, drove the Proteas to 210-3 with three balls to spare.
Pakistan’s 206-5 was braced by an equally brilliant unbeaten 98 off 57 by opener Saim Ayub, who was desperately unlucky not to notch his maiden T20 century. He was stranded, unable to face the last nine balls of the innings.
South Africa won the series 2-0 with a game to spare for its first T20 series victory since August 2022.
The teams’ combined 416 runs were the most in the 17-year history of their T20 matchups.
Hendricks has been a T20 Protea for 10 years and a prolific scorer and striker but he’d been on a mediocre run of late. When South Africa was 28-2 after four overs, he stepped up.
“First over, five dots and got away, and so the moment I got that away, things started to click,” Hendricks said. I’m happy that I found the middle and things worked out in the end. (It’s) one of those nights, the shots I played came off.”
Hendricks hit 10 sixes and seven boundaries, targeting the shorter boundary on the leg side with pulls and flicks and the odd sweep.
He and Rassie van der Dussen shared a chanceless stand of 157 runs for the third wicket until the 18th over when Hendricks was caught near the midwicket boundary off Abbas Afridi.
Van der Dussen reached his fifty off 33 balls in the same over, and finished the chase with his fifth six, over deep backward square. He was 66 not out from 38 balls.
Pakistan opted to bat first after failing in the chase on Tuesday, and Saim was dropped on 3 in the third over.
He didn’t give another chance. While he lost four partners, Saim put on a show with pulls, flicks, drives, sweeps and even a ramp shot for his 11th and last boundary.
On 98, double his previous best T20 score, he couldn’t get back on strike as Irfan Khan and Afridi blasted the death bowling.
Saim missed out on adding a maiden T20 hundred to the maiden one-day international ton he scored 2 1/2 weeks ago in Bulawayo.
South Africa pacer Dayyan Galiem led on debut with 2-21 but an inexperienced battery — 42 caps between six bowlers — suffered from conceding 15 wides.
The last T20 is on Saturday in Johannesburg.


Campbell on the charge going into final-day shootout in LIV Golf Promotions event

Updated 14 December 2024
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Campbell on the charge going into final-day shootout in LIV Golf Promotions event

  • A 7-under 64 secured his place in the 36-hole final day alongside a number of regulars on The International Series in Riyadh

RIYADH: In-form Ben Campbell kept his hopes of a LIV Golf League 2025 roster spot alive after an impressive second-placed finish on day two of the LIV Golf Promotions event.

A flawless seven-under 64 secured his place in the 36-hole final day alongside a number of regulars on The International Series in Riyadh, with a final field of 20 now battling it out for one spot on the LIV Golf League next season.

Campbell entered the tournament in round two as International Series Morocco champion, and highest ranked player on The International Series at three, after narrowly failing to secure an outright spot on LIV Golf last week at the season-ending PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.

There, on the same Riyadh Golf Club course, he finished one shot off a three-man playoff that ultimately saw LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann crowned tournament winner and The International Series Rankings champion.

The New Zealander proved he was over that disappointment, carding his third 64 in a row, after posting two when it mattered last weekend, to finish one shot behind Scott Vincent, the 2022 International Series Rankings winner, and comfortably earn a place in the top 20 for the final day.

Campbell, also runner-up when defending his title at the Link Hong Kong Open last month, will go into the 36-hole shootout along with fellow qualifiers from The International Series, Gunn Charoenkul of Thailand (66), Richard T Lee of Canada (67), and Lee Chieh-po of Chinese Taipei (67).

Taichi Kho of Hong Kong (67) also made it alongside Asian Tour 2024 champions Steve Lewton of England (67) and Suteepat Prateeptienchai of Thailand (67), and all 20 players will start equal with the scores being reset once again ahead of the final day.

Campbell said: “I felt like I played pretty well. I got off to a good start, made a few birdies, turned four-under, and yes, I felt like I swung it pretty well all day. A couple of things to tidy up before tomorrow, but yes, I did the job I needed to do today.

“You’re going to have 20 guys firing at flags but I still think you have got to stay patient out there. It is one of those courses if you do not have your game, as long as you get through with a few pars, you can go on a few birdie runs out there.”

Charoenkul, who carded a five-under 66 to qualify for round two before the scores were reset, admitted he was playing with freedom and “zero expectations.”

He said: “With all the winners from 2024 coming in, and the guys from the LIV Golf League, it was like a one-day event, and I must admit I didn’t expect too much.”

The Thai has the big game in his locker — especially on the final day. He carded a 10-under round on the final day of the Black Mountain Championship, the fifth event of The International Series, then shot a final-round 63 the following week at International Series Thailand and a last-day 64 at the BNI Indonesian Masters.

He said: “I have to keep believing. I’m not too confident on the greens, but the way to combat that is to hit the ball as close as possible to the flag. I did that today, and hopefully can do the same over 36 holes on the final day.”


Manchester derby brings sleepless nights for Guardiola and problems for Amorim

Updated 14 December 2024
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Manchester derby brings sleepless nights for Guardiola and problems for Amorim

LONDON: Riddled with anxiety about Manchester City’s shocking decline, Pep Guardiola will endure another sleepless night as he tries to pose more problems for Ruben Amorim in the Manchester United manager’s first taste of the Premier League’s most explosive rivalry.
For the first time in years, City go into the Manchester derby mired in even more turmoil than United after a dismal run of one win in 10 games in all competitions.
Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Juventus was City’s seventh loss in that period, an astonishing collapse for a club that has won six of the last seven Premier League titles, including their current streak of four in a row.
United are hardly in peak form themselves, having won just three of Amorim’s six games in charge since he replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag.
But Amorim has already inflicted one painful blow to Guardiola this season when his Sporting side crushed City 4-1 in the Champions League in Lisbon on November 5.
City squandered an early lead on that occasion, blown away by Viktor Gyokeres’ hat-trick as Amorim ruthlessly exposed the gaping holes in Guardiola’s ramshackle defense.
That chastening loss came just days before Amorim officially took charge at Old Trafford and Guardiola would love to exact avenge at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.
Whether Guardiola’s injury-plagued team, whose confidence appears to be in tatters, are in any shape to deliver a sixth win in their last seven league meetings with United is another matter.
The strain of the worst run of his glittering managerial career is taking a toll on Guardiola as well.
In an interview before the Juventus game, Guardiola said his state of mind was “ugly,” his sleep was “worse” and he was eating lighter as his digestion has suffered during City’s collapse.
On Friday, Guardiola, who recently signed a new two-year contract, insisted he was “fine” despite the stress.
“In our jobs we always want to do our best. When that doesn’t happen you are more uncomfortable than when the situation is going well,” said Guardiola, who could have just three fit defenders available on Sunday.
“In good moments I am happier but when I get to the next game I am still concerned about what I have to do.
“There is no human being that makes an activity and it doesn’t matter how they do.”
There is no question another loss to Amorim would be a huge blow for Guardiola, whose fourth-placed side are eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
Yet Amorim has plenty of issues of his own to resolve after a rocky first month in Manchester featuring only one league victory in four matches.
United are languishing in 13th place after successive league losses to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest underlined the extent of the rebuilding job faced by Amorim.
They struggled to find any fluency in a nervy 2-1 victory at minnows Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday.
Given United’s mediocrity before and since his arrival, Amorim is in no position to cast aspersions about City’s woes.
“I never think about these things. We will face a great opponent and I’m more focused on our problems, so we have a lot of issues here,” he said.
“I’m more focused on what we should do on Sunday to win the game, so I’m really focused on my team.”
And the 39-year-old believes City are capable of hitting back if United allow them to rediscover their rhythm amid the sound and fury of the derby.
“The great teams can respond in any moment. I think they are in a better place than us in the type of understanding the game,” he said.
“The way they play, the confidence they have. Even in these kind of moments.”