RIYADH: Ahead of the SAFF Women’s Cup final on Wednesday night, Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah coaches and players have spoken to Arab News about their football journeys, and predicted a bright future for the women’s game in the Kingdom.
Taking place on March 19 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the match will feature two of the top teams in Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning women’s football scene.
Manar Fraij, Al-Ahli’s football coach, said that the Saudi league was competing to be one of the best leagues in the Arab world, even at the level of Africa and Asia.
“The presence of players who meet high standards supports the Saudi league and draws more attention to it,” she said. “It has helped Saudi players to interact with experienced players, those who’ve played in the biggest international and global events. All of this benefits the Saudi players, the Saudi league, and the Saudi national team. I expect that in about three years, the Saudi women’s national team will reach a very high level.”
She highlighted the growth of female players in the Kingdom, noting a surge in new players under the age of 15.
“It’s all part of the infrastructure that the Saudi federation is working on in a sequential, excellent manner. Today, the mindset of the Saudi player has changed … Today, I’m seeing professionalism in the game. Saudi Arabia has started to show up on the scene.
“Their commitment beyond training, even off the field, is reflected in their performance, and it’s clear, whether in the achievements of the Saudi national team or the Saudi league. When I see a 19-year-old Saudi player running alongside a 30-year-old professional who’s played in Europe and the Champions League, that’s something truly impressive.”
Fraij said that the Saudi league had become desirable for players internationally, but she emphasized that the Kingdom’s players should be given the opportunity to play.
“We’ve seen this year’s signings — clubs have brought in players of a very high level,” she said. “Of course, it’s good; the more professionals there are, the better. But on the condition that Saudi players still get their chance in the league and in the cup, so that cohesion remains clear, and we keep building the foundation and gaining experience for the Saudi national team.”
Morocco international and Al-Ahli captain, Ibtissam Jraidi, said that the league this year was different to last year, pointing out that there had been major improvement and development.
“Even the efforts from the Saudi Federation to support Saudi girls in achieving their dreams, letting them play matches and play football, have made a difference,” she said. “Honestly, even the Saudi players themselves have improved a lot. I can see it clearly, even among the girls in my team and in other teams as well. They’ve developed so quickly, and that’s really nice and positive. The attention and support from the Saudi Federation are what helped them develop like this.”
The captain, who became the first Arab to score a goal at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, said that she prepares herself by focusing solely on the match.
“I don’t think about anything else so that I can perform at my true level on the field — to help my team and my teammates. My mind is on the match, and specifically on what I need to do on the field, and nothing else.”
Luis Andrade, head coach of Al-Qadsiah, told Arab News that the journey to the final had been built on belief, teamwork and determination.
“We have overcome big challenges to be here, and we are ready to take the next step,” he said. “Our players have shown incredible character throughout this competition, and we aim to make history for the club and our fans.”
Meanwhile, Al-Qadsiah captain Rayanne Machado said that playing in the final was a dream come true for their team.
“We have worked so hard to reach this stage, and we are fully prepared to fight for the title,” she said. “We respect Al-Ahli’s quality, but we believe in ourselves and our ability to bring this trophy home for Al-Qadsiah.”
This is the second SAFF Women’s Cup, which began in October, and saw 16 teams from both the Saudi Women’s Premier League and the Saudi Women’s First Division League competing for glory. A campaign by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, #SeeOurGlory, was launched earlier in the week to celebrate the event and encourage fans to attend the final.
Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah stars foresee bright future for Saudi game ahead of SAFF Women’s Cup final
https://arab.news/mrx8r
Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah stars foresee bright future for Saudi game ahead of SAFF Women’s Cup final
- The second competition will take place at Kingdom Arena on Wednesday night
- Manar Fraij, Al-Ahli’s football coach, said that the Saudi league was competing to be one of the best leagues in the Arab world
Timberwolves set team playoff record in rout of Thunder
- The Timberwolves set a franchise record for most points scored in a playoff game
- The Timberwolves, desperate to avoid falling behind 3-0 in the series, wasted little time taking command
Anthony Edwards scored 30 points on 12-for-17 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves raced to a 143-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle added 24 points on 9-for-15 shooting for Minnesota, which pulled within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 15 points off the bench, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker chipped in 12 points off the bench.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 14 points despite missing nine of 13 shots from the field for Oklahoma City. Ajay Mitchell scored 14 points off the bench, and Jalen Williams contributed 13 points.
Game 4 will be on Monday in Minneapolis.
The Timberwolves set a franchise record for most points scored in a playoff game.
Minnesota shot 57.3 percent (55 of 96) from the field and 50 percent (20 of 40) from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City shot 40.7 percent (35 of 86) overall and 31.8 percent (14 of 44) from 3-point range.
The Timberwolves, who were desperate to avoid falling behind 3-0 in the series, wasted little time taking command. They jumped out to a 34-14 lead at the end of the first quarter, which included 3-pointers by Alexander-Walker and Edwards in the final two minutes.
The Thunder trailed 13-9 when Minnesota went on a 12-0 run to seize a 25-9 advantage with 2:41 remaining in the first quarter. Edwards started the run with a 3-pointer, and he followed 15 seconds later with a driving dunk.
By halftime, the Timberwolves increased their advantage to 72-41. Randle made a pair of free throws to put Minnesota on top by 33 points with 43.5 seconds left in the half, and Williams finished the first-half scoring with a 3-pointer for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City failed to cut into its deficit in the third quarter. The Thunder were outscored 35-29 during that session to fall behind 107-70.
Another 12-0 run by Minnesota turned a 74-52 lead into an 86-52 advantage midway through the third quarter. Jaden McDaniels started the run with a 3-pointer.
Both teams turned to reserve players in the final minutes with the score well out of reach.
Champions to be crowned as Lahore, Quetta face off in PSL final today
- The showdown begins this evening at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium with major prize money on the line
- Shaheen Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars aim for a third PSL title and a historic win on home ground
KARACHI: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars will face 2019 winners Quetta Gladiators in the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) today, Sunday, with both sides aiming to make history in the tenth edition of the country’s premier T20 tournament.
The final will be played under lights at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium, with the match set to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time. A reserve day has been scheduled for Monday in case of rain.
The winner will walk away with $500,000 in prize money, while the runners-up will receive $200,000.
Either the Shaheen Shah Afridi-led Qalandars will become only the second team in PSL history to win three titles, or the Saud Shakeel-led Gladiators will lift their second trophy after a six-year gap.
Qalandars fought their way into the final through the playoffs, knocking out Karachi Kings and Islamabad United, while Quetta topped the points table and beat Islamabad in the qualifier to book their spot.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be leading Quetta Gladiators to an HBL PSL final and we will do our best to lift the trophy,” Shakeel said. “Qaddafi Stadium really has been a lucky venue for us where we have won five out of our six games and will look to continue the winning momentum.”
Afridi said Lahore were aiming for a title hat trick on home turf.
“We are buzzing to feature in our third HBL PSL final in the last four editions and our aim is to complete the treble at our home ground,” he said.
Lahore, who finished fourth in the group stage, will take confidence from their previous outing against Quetta, where they secured a commanding 79-run win before their second encounter was washed out.
Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Naeem have led the charge with the bat for Qalandars, while Shaheen, Haris Rauf and Rishad Hossain have spearheaded the bowling attack.
Quetta, meanwhile, have enjoyed a dramatic turnaround after finishing last in 2023.
Their success this season has been fueled by consistent performances from Hasan Nawaz, Rilee Rossouw and a bowling unit featuring Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Amir.
Both captains promised a highly competitive final to close out what has been a landmark 34-match edition of the HBL PSL.
Bryson DeChambeau’s wild ride: LIV Golf star gets taste of speed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Majority of golf fans know of his highly publicized exodus to the LIV tour and his tremendous success in the majors, including the US Open, where he will be the defending champion at Oakmont in a few weeks
- But millions of mainstream sports fans, especially in younger demographics, know him just as well — perhaps even better — from his YouTube channel, which boasts nearly 2 million followers
INDIANAPOLIS: Two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau once hit a golf ball 221 mph with his driver.
Exactly as fast as some of the drivers will be going in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
“It would be really cool,” DeChambeau mused Saturday, sitting on a perch that overlooks the front stretch at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, “to hit a ball down the straightaway, see if you could land it in a car going by you.”
Sounds like an interesting challenge.
Then again, DeChambeau is all about the challenges these days.
Sure, the majority of golf fans know of his highly publicized exodus to the LIV tour and his tremendous success in the majors, including the US Open, where he will be the defending champion at Oakmont in a few weeks.
But millions of mainstream sports fans, especially in younger demographics, know him just as well — perhaps even better — from his YouTube channel, which boasts nearly 2 million followers. There, DeChambeau takes on a myriad of challenges: trying to break 50 with partners ranging from fellow LIV star Sergio Garcia to President Donald Trump, attempting to set scoring records at random public courses that he’s never even seen, even playing matches against some top junior players.
The overwhelming success of the channel, coupled with an infectious personality that has been on full display everywhere from the Masters to the PGA Championship last week, has allowed DeChambeau to transcend the sport of golf.
“I saw what Dude Perfect was doing, and then Mr. Beast, and they grew the channels like crazy, and encapsulated a massive audience, and I was like, ‘Man, I’m a sports player. I’m a professional. Like, why can’t I do that?’” DeChambeau said. “So I took it upon myself — I found the right team, got started, and five years later, here we are.”
Right in the middle of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, often referred to as the “Racing Capital of the World.”
DeChambeau was there in part to film a behind-the-scenes documentary for LIV, which has a tournament in August just north of Indianapolis at The Club at Chatham Hills. But he also was taking in the scene on the eve of the biggest single-day sporting event in the world, one that is expected to draw a sellout crowd of 350,000 fans on Sunday.
DeChambeau spent time with Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin. He launched tee shots with Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood off the Turn 2 terrace onto Brickyard Crossing, the golf course with four holes inside the track. And he climbed into a fire suit for a two-seater ride around the 2.5-mile oval at speeds approaching 180 mph.
“Going around the track was actually insane,” DeChambeau said. “I went off and I mean, it was the craziest. Now I understand racing. Yeah, I get it, like that feeling — a rush. It’s unlike anything you can experience elsewhere. It’s a rollercoaster, but way faster and lower to the ground, and I hated rollercoasters growing up. The G-forces are just incredible.”
Others taking part in his session Saturday included WWE star Titus O’Neil, members of the rock band Creed, Grammy nominee Omar Apollo, Mary and Romain Bonnet from “Selling Sunset” and “Shadowhunters” actress Katherine McNamara.
These are the kinds of things DeChambeau might not have done early in his career. But his YouTube channel, and his success in all avenues of social media, has made him more comfortable in situations that might have pushed his boundaries.
“I’ve kind of gotten out of my box more,” he said. “This is another one where I was like, ‘You just got to go.’ I wasn’t afraid at all. It was just, ‘What am I going to feel like?’ The unknown. And I’m like, ‘I’m not in control of this at all.’
“And then you get to that first corner and you’re like, ‘My goodness, am I in for a treat.’ And feeling that the whole way around, and looking up through the helmet. I can’t imagine what it’s like on race day with 32 others out there.”
DeChambeau’s schedule will keep him from sticking around to see it in person. But he plans to be watching on TV on Sunday.
“Kirkwood, I mean, he’s awesome. I really like him,” DeChambeau said. “And he’s a decent golfer, too, as well.”
PGA champ Scheffler still has shot at 3rd win in row with big move at Colonial despite 3 late bogeys
PGA champ Scheffler still has shot at 3rd win in row with big move at Colonial despite 3 late bogeys
- Scheffler got to 8 under for the week with an eagle at the 637-yard 11th hole
FORT WORTH, Texas: Scottie Scheffler knew he had to make a bunch of birdies in the third round at Colonial for any chance to win in his third consecutive start. The world’s No. 1 player did just that, but also had three bogeys on the back nine.
Coming off his third major victory at the PGA Championship a week ago, but starting the weekend 10 strokes off the lead at the Charles Schwab Challenge, Scheffler shot a 6-under 64 Saturday with eight birdies and an eagle at Hogan’s Alley. That got him to 7-under 203 and within six strokes of co-leaders Ben Griffin and Matti Schmid, who both birdied the first three holes before settling for 2-under 68s.
“You are always going to hope to go play a perfect round. It basically never happens,” Scheffler said. “I mean, three bogeys definitely hurts, especially when you are trying to chase, but overall I did some good things.”
With another big round Sunday, Scheffler could become the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win in three starts in a row, and the only player other than Ben Hogan in 1946 to win the Byron Nelson and Colonial in the same season. Scheffler won his beloved hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson earlier this month when matching the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record at 31-under 253 for an eight-stroke win.
“I would say mentally I definitely am a bit tired. I’m definitely taking a lighter schedule this week than I normally would at a tournament, but overall my game, it feels like it’s in a good spot. I felt like I was able to get some good rest to start this week,” he said. “I’m just out here battling. I had a good day today. The first two days definitely could have been a bit better, but we’ll see how things shake out ... and see what I can do tomorrow.”
Two Colonial winners have overcome seven-stroke deficits in the final round, including Sam Burns three years ago when he beat good friend Scheffler on the first playoff hole. That matched Nick Price’s record seven-shot comeback in 1994, when he caught Scott Simpson and won on the first extra hole.
Scheffler, who teed off about two hours before the co-leaders, got to 8 under for the week with an eagle at the 637-yard 11th hole, where he got on the green in two shots and made the 15-foot putt. That followed consecutive birdies as Nos. 9 and 10, and starting the back nine with an approach to 2 1/2 feet.
His most impressive shot of the day came after his 347-yard drive at No. 7 into a native area of grass well left and at least 20 feet below the fairway. His ball was about 140 yards from the hole in an area where he said “the grass was more airy than it was thick.” With a gap through the trees to the green, he hit it to 15 feet of the pin and just missed making a spectacular birdie.
“It was kind of an interesting one because the lie at first looked bad,” Scheffler said.
But Scheffler didn’t avoid bogeys after tee shots into bunkers at Nos. 12 and 13. He eventually two-putted from 40 feet at the 453-yard 12th hole, then his tee shot at the par-3 13th went into the sand fronting the green on the edge of a pond. He hit that within 5 feet, but missed the par save and after tapping in the bogey batted the ball out of the air and off the green with his putter.
He had consecutive birdies at Nos. 16 and 17 before missing the fairway at No. 18 to finish with another bogey.
“I think maybe you have to do a little bit more to amp yourself up when you are sitting 10 shots back versus when you are already near the lead,” he said. “Today I had to go out there and make a bunch of birdies, which I was able to do early in the round. I struggled a touch on the back nine, but overall I put up a decent score.”
One that could have been even better.
PSG beat Reims to win French Cup ahead of Champions League final
- PSG have now won the French Cup a record 16 times, including eight times in the last decade
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for their Champions League final showdown with Inter Milan by winning the French Cup on Saturday as Bradley Barcola scored twice in a comfortable 3-0 win against Reims.
Barcola netted two goals in the space of four minutes early on to quickly extinguish whatever hopes Reims had of causing an upset at the Stade de France, and Achraf Hakimi added another goal before half-time.
It was exactly the kind of smooth preparation coach Luis Enrique would have been hoping for ahead of the season-defining game against Inter in Munich next weekend, when PSG will be hoping to win the Champions League for the first time.
“It was a really great evening. We got the job done quickly and we are pleased with the victory,” Barcola told broadcaster France 2.
“We knew we had to do the job in order to prepare in the best way possible for the (Champions League) final, we did it, and now we can go into the next match full of confidence.”
However, one minor issue to come out of the evening was the late withdrawal from the team of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The Georgian winger was replaced in the starting line-up by Desire Doue and returned home early due to a headache, according to a source close to the team.
PSG’s victory, watched by a crowd of over 77,000 at the national stadium, allowed them to complete a clean sweep of the domestic honors for the second time in as many seasons since Luis Enrique became coach in 2023.
They added the French Cup to the Ligue 1 title as well as the Champions Trophy, France’s equivalent of a Super Cup.
PSG have now won the French Cup a record 16 times, including eight times in the last decade. The next most successful club in the history of the competition are Marseille, who won the last of their 10 titles in 1989.
Reims were appearing in their first French Cup final since 1977 and were looking to win the trophy for the third time, with their last success coming during their glory days in the 1950s.
They held PSG to draws twice during the league campaign but any prospect of them winning this time probably ended a week ago.
That was when they slumped into the relegation play-off place on the final night of the Ligue 1 campaign, forcing them into a two-legged tie against second-tier Metz which they must win to remain in the top flight next season.
The first leg of that tie ended in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, and Reims must now prepare for the decisive return match at home next Thursday.
PSG wasted little time in putting their struggling opponents to the sword as Barcola’s quickfire brace effectively decided the final before the midway point in the first half.
Doue’s through-ball sent Barcola in behind to open the scoring in the 16th minute, and Doue then latched onto a Marquinhos pass before squaring for Barcola to tap in and make it 2-0 on 19 minutes.
The double took Barcola to 21 goals for the season in all competitions, a tally bettered only in the PSG squad by Ousmane Dembele with 33.
They had chances to score again in this one-sided contest before Hakimi made it 3-0 two minutes prior to the interval, arriving at the back post to cushion in a Barcola cross, finishing off a great move.
That was the end of the scoring as Luis Enrique — who gave Matfey Safonov a start in goal ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma — took the chance to ring the changes after the break.
However, Barcola was only a denied a hat-trick by a good save from Reims goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf, who also turned a Dembele cross-cum-shot onto the post.
