DOHA: Palestine conceded a goal after just 64 seconds in their opening match at the Asian Cup as Iran launched their title bid with a clinical 4-1 win on Sunday.
The match in Qatar coincided with the 100th day of the Israel-Hamas war, the grim milestone adding extra significance to an occasion that went beyond football.
Palestinian flags were scattered among the crowd of nearly 28,000 at Education City Stadium, one of the venues for the 2022 World Cup, and their consolation goal just before half-time got the biggest cheer of the night.
Loud cries went up for the Palestinian anthem before the game and the team’s players put their arms around each other’s shoulders.
A brief moment’s silence was held before kick-off, the quiet punctuated by cries of “free Palestine.”
Captain Musab Al-Battat said on the eve of the game that the players were determined to “put a smile on the faces of the Palestinian people” despite the team’s difficult build-up.
Some players have lost loved ones in Israel’s bombardment of the besieged, Hamas-run territory of Gaza, a response to Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel.
The Palestinian team have been forced to play matches and train overseas in the lead-up to their third Asian Cup.
The war began when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack which resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Hamas, considered a “terrorist” group by the United States and the European Union, also seized about 250 hostages, 132 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including at least 25 believed to have been killed.
Israel launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 23,968 people in the Palestinian territory, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Palestine were chasing a first victory in their seventh attempt in the Asian Cup.
But they were behind after little over one minute, attacker Karim Ansarifard rattling the ball into the bottom corner for an Iran team who are among the favorites in Qatar.
Iran, who are pursuing a record-equalling fourth continental crown, made it 2-0 on 12 minutes when Shojae Khalilzadeh swept home unmarked from close range following a free kick.
The defender went to celebrate but then appeared to hold back, before he was congratulated by his teammates.
Loud cheers erupted on the rare occasions that the Palestinians, ranked 99th in the world to Iran’s 21, went on the attack.
Iran looked like scoring every time they went forward and they made it 3-0 seven minutes before half-time, Feyenoord winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh playing in Mehdi Ghayedi to side-foot into the bottom corner.
But the biggest roar of the night came right on the stroke of half-time when Tamer Seyam headed in from close range.
The Palestinian pointed skyward in a muted celebration, tears in his eyes.
Iran scored a fourth soon after the break through Roma’s Sardar Azmoun.
Palestine’s next game is on Thursday against the UAE. Iran play Hong Kong the following day.
Palestine score but well beaten by Iran at Asian Cup
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Palestine score but well beaten by Iran at Asian Cup
- Loud cries went up for the Palestinian anthem before the game and the team’s players put their arms around each other’s shoulders
- A brief moment’s silence was held before kick-off, the quiet punctuated by cries of “free Palestine”
Kuwait football federation suspends bosses over Iraq match chaos
- Kuwait Football Association expressed ‘deep regret’ for ticketing and other logistical problems that marred the game on Tuesday
- The federation said it had suspended its secretary-general, Salah Al-Qanai, and public relations boss Mohamed Bou Abbas
KUWAIT: Kuwait’s football federation has suspended one of its top bosses and its PR chief over failings that left fans in sweltering temperatures for hours during a World Cup qualifier against Iraq.
In a statement late Wednesday, the Kuwait Football Association expressed its “deep regret” for ticketing and other logistical problems that marred the game at the 60,000-capacity Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium on Tuesday.
It also said it would launch a probe into the shortcomings, which resulted in fans fainting in temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) as they pleaded with staff for water, with videos of the incidents shared on social media.
Ticketing problems also meant some fans without tickets were allowed in, while others who had purchased tickets were refused entry.
The federation said it had suspended its secretary-general, Salah Al-Qanai, and public relations boss Mohamed Bou Abbas over the “unacceptable events.”
Mbappe rejects mediation offer in $60m financial dispute with PSG
- Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer, says PSG owes him €55 million ($60 million)
- PSG has argued that it does not owe money to the World Cup winner under an agreement when Mbappe was sidelined ahead of the 2023-24 season
PARIS: Kylian Mbappe is not ready to compromise with Paris Saint-Germain.
The France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the French soccer league’s legal commission on Wednesday in his dispute with his former club over wages and bonuses.
PSG officials and Mbappe’s representatives met in Paris after Mbappe asked the commission to get involved. Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer, says PSG owes him €55 million ($60 million).
In a statement to The Associated Press, Mbappe’s representatives said the player asked the commission to take note of the non-payment of three months’ salary and the last third of a loyalty bonus.
“The eventuality of a mediation was mentioned this morning,” the statement read. “This possibility was rejected during the meeting by the player’s representative. A mediation would be useless to record a lack of payment that would be seen from a simple analysis of the player’s payslip.”
PSG, which said it was pleased with the two-hour hearing at the commission on Wednesday, said in a statement it recalled that Mbappe had formerly made “clear, repeated public and private commitments that must be respected, having been afforded unprecedented benefits by the club over seven fantastic years in Paris.”
PSG has argued that it does not owe money to the World Cup winner under an agreement when Mbappe was sidelined ahead of the 2023-24 season — following his decision not to prolong his contract with the club — with the player allegedly stipulating that he would relinquish bonuses over his reintegration into the team.
“To avoid its payment obligation, the club seeks to demonstrate the existence of a secret agreement that would justify it. But the club fails to demonstrate the existence of such an agreement,” Mbappe’s representatives said.
PSG said that the league’s legal commission recommended “mediation between the parties,” which the club said it had been seeking for months.
The French league did not respond to a request for comments from the AP.
The player’s representatives did not say what action they will now take. In light of the current deadlock, it’s likely the case will ultimately be settled by an employment court.
Mbappe’s relationship with PSG ended amid deep tensions during his final season at the club.
PSG felt let down by Mbappe after offering him the most lucrative contract in the club’s history when he signed a new contract in 2022. But Mbappe was frustrated because he felt promises to sign key players were not kept.
When he signed the new deal, he was paraded in front of fans holding up a jersey with 2025 on it. Mbappe was reportedly annoyed about this because the contract was until 2024 with the option for an extra year.
Mbappe stunned PSG in June last year by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year. With his contract effectively into its final year, it put PSG in the position of needing to sell Mbappe to avoid losing him for free when the contract expired.
His PSG career could have ended in the summer of 2023 amid a tense transfer standoff. After telling the club he would not extend his contract for an extra year, Mbappe was left off a preseason tour to Japan and South Korea and forced to train with fringe players. PSG said it would rather sell him than let the player leave for free in 2024, but he rejected a €300 million move to Saudi team Al-Hilal.
PSG left Mbappe out of the team’s opening league game of that season as the standoff continued but eventually let him return to the lineup after “constructive and positive talks” between the two parties, PSG said at the time.
Argentina goalkeeper Martinez under fire for hitting TV cameraman after loss to Colombia
- Jackson: Out of the blue he slapped me. I felt angry, very angry. I was working, just like he was
- Footballers have been suspended from games in similar situations, and that is what Colombia’s association of sports journalists — known as ACORD — wants FIFA to do
- Martinez and South American soccer body CONMEBOL did not make comments
BOGOTA, Colombia: A TV cameraman said Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez “slapped me” after Colombia’s 2-1 win in a World Cup qualifying match.
Jhonny Jackson told Colombian media he approached Martinez after the final whistle in Barranquilla on Tuesday as the goalkeeper greeted another player. Footage he captured shows the World Cup winner who Argentines know as Dibu hitting the camera, which quickly shakes to the ground after the impact.
“Out of the blue he slapped me,” Jackson told RCN Deportes on Wednesday. “I felt angry, very angry. I was working, just like he was. He was playing and I was shooting with my camera.”
He also sent a message to Martinez: “Dibu, my brother, how are you? I am Jhonny Jackson, the cameraman you assaulted in the match against Colombia. I wanted to tell you it is all good, my brother. Everyone has lost a match in their life. This defeat clearly meant a lot to you. But look ahead, Dibu.”
Jackson works for a company that delivers footage to channels Caracol Television and RCN Deportes.
Footballers have been suspended from games in similar situations, and that is what Colombia’s association of sports journalists — known as ACORD — wants FIFA to do. Its president Faiver Hoyos Hernandez said in a statement that Martinez attacked freedom of expression.
“As the journalistic authority in this country, ACORD wants FIFA to produce an exemplary sanction against Mr. Emiliano Dibu Martinez, who is no role model for new generations,” the statement said.
Martinez and South American soccer body CONMEBOL did not make comments.
Argentina lead the South American World Cup qualifying with 18 points after eight matches, two points ahead of Colombia. All teams have two more qualifying matches next month. The top six teams will get automatic spots at the 2026 World Cup.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez gets 6-month driving ban
- The 23-year-old Fernandez did not appear in court for sentencing on Wednesday
CARDIFF: Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has been banned from driving for six months because of motoring offenses in Wales.
The 23-year-old Fernandez did not appear in court for sentencing on Wednesday. He had been found guilty earlier this year on two charges of failing to identify the driver of a Porsche Cayenne.
A driver of the car allegedly ran a red light in the town of Llanelli in November and was caught speeding in Swansea last December.
It was not proven that Fernandez was the driver of the vehicle.
Fernandez, who played for Argentina in Colombia on Tuesday, was the vehicle’s registered owner but did not respond to police requests for information.
He also was ordered to pay 3,020 pounds ($4,000) in fines and costs.
Manchester United vow to improve on and off pitch after fifth year of losses
- United have embarked on a slew of changes since British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe bought a 25 percent stake in the club
- Newly appointed CEO Omar Berrada said: “Our clear objective is to return the club to the top of European football“
LONDON: Manchester United’s new chief said on Wednesday the club were working toward improving performance on and off the pitch after a fifth consecutive year of net losses following a poor 2023-24 season and heavy investments in the new squad.
The English Premier League soccer club’s shares slipped 8 percent in early US trading as net losses widened to more than 113 million pounds ($147 million) in the year to June, making it only the second time since its New York listing in 2012 that losses topped 100 million pounds.
United have embarked on a slew of changes since British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe bought a 25 percent stake in the club and under his stewardship had a busy summer in the transfer market, securing several promising young players.
“We are working toward greater financial sustainability and making changes to our operations to make them more efficient, to ensure we are directing our resources to enhancing on-pitch performance,” newly appointed CEO Omar Berrada said.
“Our clear objective is to return the club to the top of European football.”
The Premier League has clamped down on big spending by clubs with its Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) to try to level the playing field and prevent rich owners from spending vast sums on players.
To comply with PSR, clubs must rack up no more than 105 million pounds of losses over a three-year period, although investments in infrastructure, academies, charity foundation and women’s soccer can be deducted.
United have recorded losses of more than 257 million pounds in the past three years, and more than 370 million pounds over five years. The club said they were committed to and compliant with the PSR, as well as European governing body UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Regulations.
United finished eighth in the Premier League last season, their lowest position since the league’s inception in 1992. This season has not started any better, with two losses from the first three games.
For fiscal 2025, the club expect an adjusted core profit of 145-160 million pounds and revenues of 650-670 million pounds. They reported adjusted core profit of 147.7 million pounds on record revenues of 661.8 million pounds in fiscal 2024.
The forecast reflects the impact of recent restructuring that included 250 job cuts.
