Al-Hilal oust Manchester City from Club World Cup in extra time

Malcom and Kalidou Koulibaly also scored for Al-Hilal, who got 10 saves from goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. (AFP)
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Updated 01 July 2025
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Al-Hilal oust Manchester City from Club World Cup in extra time

Marcos Leonardo scored his second goal of the match in the 112th minute to give Al-Hilal a 4-3 upset victory over Manchester City on Monday night in Orlando, sending the Saudi Arabian side into the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup.
Malcom and Kalidou Koulibaly also scored for Al-Hilal, who got 10 saves from goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Al-Halil will meet Fluminense on Friday at Orlando. The Brazilian side beat Inter Milan 2-0 earlier Monday.
Bernardo Silva, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden were the goal-scorers for Manchester City.
The decisive goal came after Sergej Milinkovic’s header was stopped by Ederson for the Manchester City goalie’s second and final save of the match.
The ball then hit off Leonardo to the left front of the goal line, and he knocked the ball into the open net with his right foot to give Al-Hilal the lead.
Koulibaly scored on a header to give Al-Hilal a 3-2 lead in the fourth minute of extra time.
Al-Hilal’s Ruben Neves took a corner kick, and Koulibaly leaped and flicked the ball to the left of Ederson.
Manchester City had two strong chances late in the second half of regulation time.
Off a corner kick in the 84th minute, Manuel Akanji sent a header that hit off the right goalpost. Haaland was there for a potential tap-in, but Al-Hilal’s Ali Lajami cleared the ball before it crossed the line.
One minute later, Ruben Dias delivered a hard fight-footed blast from outside the box that Bounou knocked over the crossbar with his right hand.
Al-Hilal received goals from Leonardo and Malcom in the first seven minutes of the second half to turn a one-goal halftime deficit into a 2-1 lead.
It took just 42 seconds into the half for Al-Hilal to get the equalizer.
City goalkeeper Ederson stopped a left-footed shot from Nasser Al Dawsari, and a rebound attempt by Malcom was blocked by a defender. The ball went directly to Leonardo, who easily headed it into the net.
Al-Hilal moved ahead in the 52nd minute on a breakaway. Former City player Joao Cancelo cleared the ball ahead from deep in his own end up to Malcom, who dribbled in and drilled a left-footed shot past Ederson and inside the far post to give Al-Hilal a 2-1 lead.
Just three minutes later, Manchester City tied the match off a corner kick. Haaland attempted a header that barely glanced off him, but the ensuing scramble led to the ball coming back his way, and Haaland sent a left-footed shot through Bounou’s legs.
Manchester City dominated the first half and had a 7-0 edge in shots on target while holding the 1-0 halftime lead.
Silva’s goal in the ninth minute was controversial as the ball hit off the right biceps of teammate Rayan Ait-Nouri. An ensuing pass saw the ball deflected, and it caromed in the direction of Silva, who sent a left-footed shot into the left corner of the net.
Al-Hilal players vehemently argued to no avail as the goal stood up.
Bounou repeatedly made big saves to keep Al-Hilal in the game. He was sprawled on the ground when he made a save with his left hand on Savinho in the 24th minute, and he thwarted Josko Gvardiol’s header six minutes later.
 


Salah unaffected by Liverpool turmoil ahead of AFCON opener — Egypt coach

Updated 21 December 2025
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Salah unaffected by Liverpool turmoil ahead of AFCON opener — Egypt coach

AGADIR: Mohamed Salah has shown no signs of being distracted by the uncertainty surrounding his future at Liverpool as he prepares to lead Egypt into the Africa Cup of Nations, Pharaohs coach Hossam Hassan said on Sunday.
“Salah’s morale in training is very high, as if he were just starting out with the national team, and I believe he will have a great tournament with his country,” Hassan told reporters ahead of Egypt’s opening AFCON game against Zimbabwe in Agadir on Monday.
“I feel his motivation is very, very strong. Salah is an icon and will remain so. He is one of the best players in the world, and I support him in everything he does,” Hassan added.
Salah did not start any of Liverpool’s last five games before departing for the Cup of Nations in Morocco and things came to a head following the recent Premier League draw at Leeds United when he claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by his coach at Anfield, Arne Slot.
That suggested a move away from the troubled Premier League champions during the January transfer window was a real possibility.
“I don’t consider what happened to him to be a crisis. These things often happen between players and coaches,” Hassan added.
“We’ve been in contact with him by phone from the beginning, and I met with him when he joined the national team camp. His focus is entirely on the tournament.”
Salah, 33, is aiming to lead Egypt to a record-extending eighth AFCON title in Morocco. He has never won the continental title, but ended up on the losing side in final defeats by Cameroon in 2017 and Senegal in 2022.
His goals this year have already helped Egypt qualify for the World Cup.
“Whenever Salah’s performances dip with his club, he regains his strength with the national team and becomes even better, whether by contributing to goals or scoring himself. Then he returns to his club even stronger,” Hassan added.
“He needs to win the cup by helping us and by helping himself.”
Egypt will also face South Africa and Angola in Group B at the Cup of Nations, with all three of their games in the first round being played in Agadir.