'Incredible feeling': Saudi Women’s Premier League glory vindicates Boussaha’s Al-Nassr move

Al-Nassr have won the first three editions of the Saudi Women's Premier League (X/@AlNassrFCW)
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Updated 22 March 2025
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'Incredible feeling': Saudi Women’s Premier League glory vindicates Boussaha’s Al-Nassr move

  • Algerian international has helped the Riyadh team clinch a third league title in a row

AUSTRALIA: While Al-Nassr’s men’s team have found success hard to come by in recent seasons, their women’s team have had no such issues, last week clinching their third straight Saudi Women’s Premier League title.

With the league itself, the first professional league of its type in the Kingdom, only three years old, it means Al-Nassr remain the only side to win the competition since its formation back in 2022.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” star midfielder Lina Boussaha told Arab News after a 3-1 win over their nearest title rivals, Al-Ahli, secured their third straight title.

“Winning one title is special, but winning three in a row is a testament to the consistency and belief within the team. This season was challenging in its own way, but we stayed focused, and lifting the trophy again is a moment of immense pride for all of us.”

They haven’t just won the league either, they’ve dominated it. In the almost three full seasons since the league began, Al-Nassr have played 44 games. Remarkably, they’ve won 39 of them and lost just two.

And this season they are on track for the perfect “golden” season. Sixteen games into the season they are not only yet to taste defeat, they are yet to drop a single point — 16 games played, 16 games won.

With the league title already in their pocket and just two games remaining — including one against Riyadh rivals Al-Hilal — the perfect season is within touching distance.

“The motivation is high, we always want to push our limits and set new standards,” Boussaha openly admitted.

“Winning every game is not easy, but we’ve come this far, and we want to finish strong. It’s not just about results, but about maintaining our identity and showing what this team is capable of. Writing the history.

“Getting a golden league doesn’t happen often, we want that.”

Given their success to date, and not just this season, but across the entirety of the league’s existence, it’d be folly to back against them.

What sets Al-Nassr apart, according to Boussaha, is their never-say-die attitude.

“Each season has its own story, but this one was unique because of the challenges we faced,” the Algerian international explained.

“In the first five or six games, we had to come from behind multiple times, including an incredible remontada.”

That came in Round 5 in a Riyadh Derby against Al Shabab, who had shot to a 3-0 lead by the hour mark, and had Al-Nassr staring defeat straight in the eyes.

But a remarkable turnaround, spearheaded by Boussaha, who scored two goals in as many minutes to reduce the deficit, saw Al-Nassr score four goals in the final 25 minutes of the game to run out 4-3 victors.

There were other moments, too. They trailed Al-Amal 1-0 before goals in the 88th and 91st minutes secured a 2-1 win in Round 3. Against Al-Qadsiah a week earlier, they also came from a goal down, albeit in less dramatic fashion, to win 2-1.

While in Round 6, just a week after their win over Al-Shabab, Boussaha inspired another comeback, this time against Al-Ittihad as they came from a goal down to win 3-1.

“Those moments built our strength as a team, reinforced our confidence, and showed everyone our resilience,” the 26-year-old said.

“It proved that beating us isn’t easy, even when we’re under pressure or dominated. Overcoming those situations helped us for the rest of the season and gave us the mentality to push through the second half even stronger.”

She continued: “After three seasons working together, we’ve become like a family, sisters, and we fight for each other on and off the pitch. Collectively, we know our potential, and we don’t want to miss out on any opportunity or game.

“As champions, we have high goals and standards, which means we always have to show up and give double or even triple the effort.

“Personally, when we’re losing, I know that giving up is not an option. I have to finish the game exhausted, knowing I gave everything like it was my last match, whether we’re losing, drawing, or winning. That mindset drives me and the team to push beyond our limits.”

Boussaha, a French-born Algerian international, has been one of the headline names in the league since its inception. That she is in the league at all is only down to circumstance after France banned players from wearing the hijab in sporting competitions.

Not willing to forego her identity, Boussaha, a graduate of the PSG academy and a former PSG player, begrudgingly walked away from the professional game in France.

An opportunity to play in a new league in Saudi Arabia, where she could remain true to her identity, was an offer she couldn’t walk away from.

“Honestly, I didn’t have any expectations before coming here,” she said.

“I had very little information about the league, the level, or the players. I tried to gather details, but since the league had just been created, it wasn’t easy.

“My decision to come was first and foremost because of my hijab, I missed playing football, and I knew that in France, it wouldn’t be possible anymore while wearing it.”

Three years on she has zero regrets, having seen the fledgling league boom in that time.

“Since I first arrived, there’s been a huge gap between then and now,” she explained.

“The league wasn’t well-known, we didn’t have superstar players, and the games weren’t even broadcast. There was very little information available on social media, and it was still in its early stages.

“Then, suddenly, everything boomed. The league became more competitive and attractive, with top players and big names joining. The social media presence and marketing are now even better than in some famous leagues. The Saudi players and national teams have progressed technically and mentally.

“The investment in facilities, field, sponsorships and infrastructures in some clubs, has taken things to another level and honestly, it’s really enjoyable to play in this league now.”


Goodison Park to become home of Everton’s women’s team from next season

Updated 8 sec ago
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Goodison Park to become home of Everton’s women’s team from next season

  • Instead of Goodison Park being demolished, it will host Women’s Super League matches

LIVERPOOL, England: Goodison Park will become the home of Everton’s women’s team from next season, the English club said Tuesday.
Everton’s men’s team is preparing to bid an emotional farewell to its long-time stadium ahead of a move to the newly built, 53,000-seat venue at Bramley-Moore Dock ahead of the start of next season.
Instead of Goodison Park being demolished, it will host Women’s Super League matches, with the women’s side moving from its nearby current home in Walton Hall Park.
“This move is a testament to where the women’s game is right now and, more importantly, where it is heading,” Everton captain Megan Finnigan said. “Goodison is a magical stadium with a deep heritage and close ties to the local community.
“Leading the team out for that first home match of next season will be nothing short of a career highlight — and the prospect of what Everton Women can become with such an iconic ground to call our home is hugely exciting.”
The decision follows a review of the Goodison Legacy project — launched in 2020 — by the Friedkin Group following its takeover of the club in December.
Goodison Park will also stage some academy matches, while there will be a program of stadium upgrades ahead of the new season.
It has been the home of the men’s team since 1892.
Southampton will be the visitor for the team’s final match there on Sunday.


Lula says Brazil has ‘capable’ coaches, reacting to Ancelotti hire

Updated 13 May 2025
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Lula says Brazil has ‘capable’ coaches, reacting to Ancelotti hire

  • “What I think is that we have coaches in Brazil capable of leading the Selecao,” Lula said
  • He had expressed skepticism in the past about the potential appointment of Ancelotti

BRASILIA: Brazil doesn’t need foreigners to coach its national football team, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday following the appointment of Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti to head the Selecao.

Italian Ancelotti on Monday became the first non-Brazilian since 1965 to take the reins of Brazil’s national team, which he is hoping to lead to World Cup glory next year.

“Honestly, I have nothing against him being a foreigner... What I think is that we have coaches in Brazil capable of leading the Selecao,” Lula told journalists in China, according to a video circulated in Brazilian media.

A football enthusiast, Lula had expressed skepticism in the past about the potential appointment of Ancelotti, which had been on the cards for years.

“He has never been Italy’s national coach... Why does he not resolve the problems of Italy, which did not even qualify for the 2022 World Cup?” the president said in 2023.

On Tuesday, he described Ancelotti as a “great technician” and said he hoped the Italian “can help the Brazilian team, first to qualify for the World Cup, and then, if possible, to win it.”

The Selecao is placed fourth in the qualifying phase for the 2026 World Cup that will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

It has 21 points from 14 matches, less than Ecuador, Uruguay and world champions Argentina.

The top six Latin American teams will qualify for the 2026 event.


Sinner moves through gears to reach Italian Open quarters

Updated 13 May 2025
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Sinner moves through gears to reach Italian Open quarters

  • Italian Sinner bested 17th seed Cerundolo 7-6 (7/2), 6-3
  • Sinner had to battle through the first set against spirited Cerundolo

ROME: Jannik Sinner came through the first true test of his comeback from a doping ban with Tuesday’s straight-sets win over Francisco Cerundolo which took the world number one into the Italian Open quarter-finals.
Italian Sinner bested 17th seed Cerundolo 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 in a match which was delayed by a couple of hours due to a torrential downpour to set up a last-eight clash with either Casper Ruud or Jaume Munar.
Cerundolo knocked out Sinner in the last 16 the last time he played here in 2023, but that was before the 23-year-old had became the tournament-winning machine he is today.
Sinner is finding his feet in Rome, his first tournament since the end of a three-month suspension accepted in February from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) following two positive tests for traces of clostebol in March last year.
His true target is the French Open which follows his home event and he showed some signs of rediscovering the form which has won him three Grand Slams and last year’s ATP Finals.
Sinner had to battle through the first set against spirited Cerundolo but once he prevailed in the tie-break he built up an unassailable lead by winning four games in a row in the second.
The packed center court stands hailed their hero after he took the win at the fourth time of asking and continue his bid for a first Rome title.
The rain which delayed Sinner’s match had a much bigger impact on his compatriot Lorenzo Musetti, who reached the last eight after having to wait nearly three hours at match point before he could finish off his victory over Daniil Medvedev.
World number nine Musetti will face either reigning Rome champion Alexander Zverev in the last eight after seeing off Medvedev 7-5, 6-4.
Musetti held his nerve to win on the first point after the long break and made sure that his first week in the top 10 of the world rankings would bring another solid run in a big tournament, after he reached the final in Monte Carlo and the last four in Madrid.
Organizers later said that Musetti would have to pull out of his doubles campaign alongside Lorenzo Sonego due to an injury to his right arm.
Fellow Italian Jasmine Paolini was playing on center court at the same time as the first part of Musetti’s match but managed to complete her comeback from a set down to beat Diana Shnaider 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-2 just before the worst of the weather hit.
Paolini is the first Italian woman to reach the Rome semifinals since 2014, when her doubles partner Sara Errani got to the final only to be soundly beaten by Serena Williams.
Earlier Carlos Alcaraz beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in a hugely entertaining opening match of the day on center court.
Third seed Alcaraz had never lost a set in his previous four meetings with Khachanov but was forced to fight to get past Russia’s Khachanov.
The Spaniard took his 12th clay-court win of the year to set up a clash in the last eight with fifth seed Jack Draper, a winner over France’s Corentin Moutet.
“It was tiring. You know the match was really tough. I had to run. I had to run a lot,” said Alcaraz.
“I didn’t play well. I just fought and I’m just really happy about it.”
Alcaraz needs to get to the Rome semis not just for a chance at his third title of the season but also to secure a top-two seeding at the French Open which begins later this month.


Professional Fighters League launches an MMA division in Australia and New Zealand

Updated 13 May 2025
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Professional Fighters League launches an MMA division in Australia and New Zealand

  • The PLF is partnering with the streaming service Stan and Australia’s Nine Network in a broadcasting deal that covers subscription, pay-per-view and free-to-air TV

SYDNEY: The Professional Fighters League has launched a new international division in Australia and New Zealand to showcase mixed martial arts competitors in the Oceania region.

The PFL Pacific was launched in Sydney on Tuesday, expanding the league’s reach into the southern hemisphere.

“It has been a priority of ours to bring the Professional Fighters League to Australia and the Pacific region,” PFL chief executive Peter Murray said in a statement. “With the launch of PFL Pacific, we’re also building a foundation for long-term growth and aiming to crown more Aussie champions than any other league over the next three years.”

The PLF is partnering with the streaming service Stan and Australia’s Nine Network in a broadcasting deal that covers subscription, pay-per-view and free-to-air TV.

The first PFL Pacific tournament will take place next year across four live events featuring regional fighters in single-elimination brackets and using the league’s “win and advance” format.

The PFL Pacific launch was days after it emerged former France and Manchester United player Patrice Evra’s PFL Europe debut scheduled for May 23 had been postponed.

The 43-year-old Evra, who retired from soccer in 2019, has been training in combat alongside MMA star Cedric Doumbe.


Whittaker to face De Ridder at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi

Updated 13 May 2025
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Whittaker to face De Ridder at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi

  • Headline bout takes place at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena on July 26

ABU DHABI: The UFC, the mixed martial arts organization — in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism — makes a return to the UAE’s capital with a highly anticipated middleweight fight, No. 5-ranked Robert Whittaker taking on rising star Reinier de Ridder on Saturday, July 26, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

Former champion Whittaker (27-8-0, fighting out of New South Wales, Australia) is one of the UFC’s most respected middleweights, rising to prominence with standout victories over Yoel Romero, Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori. Whittaker looks to return in impressive fashion with a dominant performance against the Dutchman.

De Ridder (20-2-0, fighting out of Breda, Netherlands) has swiftly established himself as one of the UFC’s most promising middleweight contenders. Since joining the promotion in late 2024 he has showcased his elite grappling and finishing abilities. Most recently, he delivered a statement win by handing Bo Nickal his first professional defeat. De Ridder is rapidly ascending the middleweight ranks and aims to continue his winning streak with victory over the former champion.

On the same card, Nikita Krylov (30-10-0, fighting out of Kislovodsk, Russia) faces Bogdan Guskov (17-3-0, fighting out of Dukent, Uzbekistan) in a light heavyweight matchup.

Ramazan Temirov (19-3-0, fighting out of Karshi, Uzbekistan) takes on Asu Almabayev (21-3-0, fighting out of Almaty, Kazakhstan) in what promises to be a thrilling flyweight bout.

And Ibo Aslan (14-2-0, fighting out of Istanbul, Turkiye) meets American Billy Elekana (7-2-0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada) in a light heavyweight bout that is expected to produce fireworks.

Tickets are now available via etihadarena.ae and Ticketmaster.ae.