抖阴短视频

抖阴短视频 leave it late to beat Oman in Asian Cup opener

Special 抖阴短视频 leave it late to beat Oman in Asian Cup opener
Saudi defender Ali Al-Bulaihi heads the winner against Oman at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 16, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 17 January 2024

抖阴短视频 leave it late to beat Oman in Asian Cup opener

抖阴短视频 leave it late to beat Oman in Asian Cup opener
  • Abdulrahman Ghareeb equalized in the second half and then, in the 96th minute, Ali Al-Bulaihi headed home an unforgettable, and ultimately deserved, winner
  • Ghareeb had been on the pitch just three or four minutes when he picked up possession at the edge of the area, danced past three defenders and then rolled the ball home

What drama!聽抖阴短视频 recovered from an early setback in their opening game at the 2023 Asian Cup to defeat Oman 2-1 in Doha on Tuesday.

After trailing for much of the Group F match, Abdulrahman Ghareeb equalized in the second half and then, in the 96th minute, Ali Al-Bulaihi headed home an unforgettable, and ultimately deserved, winner.聽

It was not the best performance from 抖阴短视频, but if there is any team that knows a first game does not define a tournament, it is the Green Falcons.

They defeated Argentina in the opening game at the 2022 World Cup, only to fall at the first hurdle while the South Americans went on to lift the trophy.

For a long time, defeat looked likely as Oman took an early lead.聽A spot kick converted by Salaah Al-Yahyaei after 14 minutes put the Reds ahead.

A defeat is never welcome in a tournament, but would have meant that Roberto Mancini鈥檚 decision to omit Salman Al-Faraj, Sultan Al-Ghannam and Nawaf Al-Aqidi from the squad would have come under more scrutiny.聽聽

The penalty was given as Hassan Tambakti was adjudged to have made contact with Muhsen Al-Ghassani in the area.

It was a soft decision, but the referee pointed to the spot after consulting the pitchside monitor. Then Al-Yahyaei sent goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar the wrong way.聽

It stung the three-time champions into action but, as was expected, Oman were well-organized, disciplined, and made it difficult for their more illustrious opponents.聽

Despite that, 抖阴短视频 then had chances to level the scoreline. Sami Al-Naji had a shot that was deflected just wide, Nasser Al-Dawsari鈥檚 long-range effort flew just past the post, and then Saleh Al-Shehri missed from close range.

The Green Falcons came closest just before the break after a lovely move. Saud Abdulhamid was on the right side and headed a deep cross from the left back across goal into the path of Al-Naji, whose instant shot from close range was well-saved from Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini.聽

In the second half, 抖阴短视频 pushed further and further forward while Oman were happy to sit back, saying to their bigger rivals 鈥渃ome and break us down.鈥 It was far from easy as 抖阴短视频 struggled to create chances.

Then with 12 minutes left, it was 1-1 thanks to a goal of the highest quality. Ghareeb had been on the pitch just three or four minutes when he picked up possession at the edge of the area, danced past three defenders and then rolled the ball home. It really was a goal of class and beauty, and it looked like more would follow.

That is what happened after 96 minutes as Al-Bulaihi headed home from close range. The goal was immediately ruled out but, after a lengthy VAR delay, it was given.

The Oman players and coaching staff were furious, but in the end it was 2-1 to Mancini and his players.聽

抖阴短视频 go on to meet Kyrgyzstan on Sunday, who lost 2-0 to Thailand earlier. There is still a long way to go, but the first step has been taken.


Casa Riyadh win Silver Cup polo championship 聽

Casa Riyadh win Silver Cup polo championship 聽
Updated 17 November 2024

Casa Riyadh win Silver Cup polo championship 聽

Casa Riyadh win Silver Cup polo championship 聽
  • Polo teams聽show 鈥榞ood technical performance and strong competition鈥 in first championship of the season

RIYADH: Casa Riyadh won the Silver Cup polo tournament after beating the Tuwaiq Team 5-4 in the final match at the Nova Equestrian Resort field, west of the capital Riyadh.  

On Saturday, Casa Riyadh鈥檚 captain, Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Salman, accepted the championship trophy from Amr Zidane, the president of the Saudi Polo Federation. Ibrahim Al-Harbi, Salman bin Haif and Mohammed Nafeed won golden medals alongside Prince Salman. 

Zidane said that the third edition of the Silver Cup was the first championship of the polo season in 抖阴短视频 and that teams delivered a 鈥済ood technical performance and strong competition鈥 in the latest tournament. 

The Tamam team of Hashem Al-Alawi, Abdulmohsen Al-Hokair, Faisal Abunyan, and the Argentine Marcelo Antonio came second, while Tuwaiq players Khaled bin Muammar, Mudhar Al-Zoubi, Asif Shah and Britain鈥檚 George Amor secured third place. 

The Silver Cup is played using a points system. In the event of a tie, the team with the most goals wins.  

Zidane said that there are six local competitions in the current polo season that 鈥渨ill enhance the technical performance and readiness鈥 for the Saudi national polo team鈥檚 international competition.


Rory McIlroy ends his year with another win in Dubai and a 6th title as Europe鈥檚 best

Rory McIlroy ends his year with another win in Dubai and a 6th title as Europe鈥檚 best
Updated 17 November 2024

Rory McIlroy ends his year with another win in Dubai and a 6th title as Europe鈥檚 best

Rory McIlroy ends his year with another win in Dubai and a 6th title as Europe鈥檚 best
  • He birdied two of the last three holes Sunday for a 3-under 69 to win by two over Rasmus Hojgaard

DUBAI: Rory McIlroy capped off a tumultuous year by winning the World Tour Championship and his sixth title as Europe鈥檚 No. 1 player. He birdied two of the last three holes Sunday for a 3-under 69 to win by two over Rasmus Hojgaard.
McIlroy hit wedge to within a foot on the 16th hole to break out of a tie with Hojgaard, then closed with a 6-foot birdie for his third title in the European tour鈥檚 season finale.
He won the Race to Dubai 鈥 previously known as the Order of Merit 鈥 for the sixth time in his career, leaving him two behind the record held by Colin Montgomerie and tying him with the late Seve Ballesteros.
Hojgaard, who rallied to stun McIlroy in the Irish Open in September, didn鈥檛 make a birdie over the final 11 holes and had to settle for a 71.
McIlroy was emotional when he came off the 18th green, his final event of a year memorable for so many reasons. He won four times 鈥 twice on the PGA Tour 鈥 but went a 10th consecutive year without a major when he threw away a late lead in the US Open.
He announced he was getting a divorce before the PGA Championship, and then scrapped those plans and said he and his wife would try to reconcile.
鈥淚鈥檝e been through a lot this year, professionally and personally,鈥 McIlroy said. 鈥淚t feels like the fitting end to 2024. I鈥檝e persevered this year a lot.鈥


鈥楤right is an understatement鈥 says Golf Saudi CEO about the sport鈥檚 future in the Kingdom

鈥楤right is an understatement鈥 says Golf Saudi CEO about the sport鈥檚 future in the Kingdom
Updated 17 November 2024

鈥楤right is an understatement鈥 says Golf Saudi CEO about the sport鈥檚 future in the Kingdom

鈥楤right is an understatement鈥 says Golf Saudi CEO about the sport鈥檚 future in the Kingdom
  • Noah Alireza speaks to Arab News about the Aramco Team Series, the GoGolf programs and producing homegrown talent

On a weekend that included the start of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, WWE Crown Jewel, as well as the Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam derbies in the Saudi Pro League, you could be forgiven for thinking there was any space left for any other sporting event to shine.

But golf鈥檚 Aramco Team Series 鈥 Riyadh, however, more than held its own and even drew in higher crowds than some of the rival events. The aim, said Golf Saudi CEO Noah Alireza, is to spread the golfing gospel.

鈥淥ur focus on global events comes with a primary objective of growing the game locally,鈥 Alireza said. 鈥(At Aramco Team Series) we (saw) a really vibrant crowd thatwas really getting into it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all about creating the right environment and with this crowd being here as a captive audience, we, as much as possible, push towards them signing up for GoGolf, the program, and converting them into future golfers.鈥 

As the 2024 golf season draws to a close, Alireza said that his federation鈥檚 mandate is to act as an 鈥渃atalyst and incubator鈥 to create a golf industry.

鈥淔or us in Saudi, we have a blank canvas,鈥 Alireza told Arab News. 鈥淲e鈥檙e starting from scratch, and that provides an opportunity not to catch up, but hopefully to leapfrog because as is everything (in the Kingdom) today, Saudi doesn鈥檛 look at things in terms of just taking what was there and bringing it here. It鈥檚 taking and learning from what was, and doing it better.

鈥淪o for us to grow the game in 抖阴短视频, our primary focus today is on the development of innovative supply and infrastructure, and hopefully when we build it, the demand will catch up and that鈥檚 how we're going to hopefully be creating a viable ecosystem for golf.鈥

One of the ways that Golf Saudi is looking to increase participation in the game, in accordance with Vision 2030, is through its GoGolf programs.

鈥淕oGulf is for us a complete product from end to end to get people from Saudi and living in 抖阴短视频 to get into Golf. So we鈥檙e starting with a program that answers the question why golf? What is golf? And then a call to action is GoGolf. GoGolf is a three-month (program), maybe you can look at it as getting a license to drive.鈥

Alireza appreciates that taking up golf comes with a significant sporting and financial dedication, and GoGolf aims to give budding players an early advantage.

鈥淕olf is not an easy game to play. In order to break that barrier, three months鈥 worth of free lessons, or a package of 12 free lessons, will get you the license to be able to play on golf courses and other areas. So it鈥檚 a teaching methodology, but beyond the teaching phase, there is other infrastructure under the GoGolf brand that we will be deploying in addition to other things we鈥檝e launched outside golf courses, like Top Golf 鈥 a project that鈥檚 going to be taking place over the next year and a half.鈥

Alireza has a message for parents looking to introduce their children to new sports and activities: 鈥淭he choices are plenty to get kids into sports, and all sports will teach kids certain traits,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hether it is discipline, motivation and so many other traits.

鈥淕rowing up around golf, I had the opportunity to see it first hand, and golf is slightly different from other sports in that it takes up so much time and you鈥檙e moving an object, you鈥檙e not reacting to a ball, you鈥檙e having to impart impact on to a ball and a lot of time in between there are so many things that you have to exercise. Patience, resilience, determination, the seeking of perfection and getting better every day, and I believe those traits are really good traits to start to ingrain into kids, and hopefully one day from that some of the kids will specialize in golf and create those future champions that we鈥檙e looking to create.鈥

Alireza is bullish about golf鈥檚 trajectory in the Kingdom over the coming years.

鈥淏right is an understatement,鈥 he said. 鈥淲ith the incredible support that we鈥檙e seeing in 抖阴短视频 today across all the sectors, we have an incredible opportunity to bring the world of golf here to co-innovate with us on creating a platform that defines what future golf will be in terms of the infrastructure, golf courses, practice facilities and beyond.鈥

While there are several Saudi golfers already making moves in the professional game, Alireza鈥檚 aim is to see a whole generation of golfers emerging from the Kingdom over the next decade.

鈥淚 think it's important that we focus on building that generation for two important reasons,鈥 he said. 鈥淣o.1 is that creating champions is an element that we鈥檝e seen as a story throughout history that helps generate future generations of champions.

鈥淪o when Saudi beat Argentina in the World Cup, that was a generational moment that not only created future football stars but athletes in general,鈥 Alireza said. 鈥淓veryone could now believe if somebody that I know of that is from my city, my country can do it, then so can I. And that element, that barrier, as a threshold is extremely important. So for us, the focus on creating those champions is really important because then it goes to the second reason.鈥

鈥淭he second reason is that that tipping point, when that champion is created, inshallah, and our goal is to have that happen within the next five to 10 years, is that it creates a whole new generation of golfers that sustains the golf economy that we鈥檙e seeking to create.鈥

 


Brazil crowned champions at NEOM Beach International Cup

Brazil crowned champions at NEOM Beach International Cup
Updated 17 November 2024

Brazil crowned champions at NEOM Beach International Cup

Brazil crowned champions at NEOM Beach International Cup
  • Spain defeated Germany 2-1, while Japan won 8-2 against England to finish fifth

NEOM: Brazil were crowned NEOM Beach Soccer Cup champions for the third time in a row at Gayal Beach after a 6-1 win over the UAE in the final on Saturday night.

The Samba Boys dominated the first period, scoring four goals and the one-sided affair continued in the second period, with the UAE struggling to find their footing.

The defending champions鈥 relentless pressure paid off in the third period, as they extended their lead to 6-0 with a late consolation goal for the UAE.

In the match to decide third and fourth places, Spain defeated Germany 2-1, while Japan won 8-2 against England to finish fifth.

抖阴短视频 grabbed sixth after beating China 5-3.

In the women鈥檚 competition, Spain were crowned 2024 NEOM Beach Soccer Cup champions after a 5-1 win against Brazil.

 


How Saudi agent Ahmed Almualim defied the odds to take Saud Abdulhamid to Roma

How Saudi agent Ahmed Almualim defied the odds to take Saud Abdulhamid to Roma
Updated 17 November 2024

How Saudi agent Ahmed Almualim defied the odds to take Saud Abdulhamid to Roma

How Saudi agent Ahmed Almualim defied the odds to take Saud Abdulhamid to Roma
  • Saudi international鈥檚 agent tells Arab News he risked his own money to seal the historic summer transfer
  • Abdulhamid has become one of the standout players for the Green Falcons and will line up for Herve Renard鈥檚 team against Indonesia on Tuesday

RIYADH: At the end of August, Saud Abdulhamid became the first Saudi player to join a club from a top European league on a permanent basis. The right back left 抖阴短视频n powerhouse Al-Hilal to sign for AS Roma in Italy鈥檚 Serie A for a reported fee of $3 million.

Now a Champions League player, he continues to be one of 抖阴短视频鈥檚 standout players in a difficult period in which Robert Mancini departed and Herev Renard returned to take charge of the 2026 World Cup campaign.

Thursday鈥檚 0-0 draw with Australia leaves the Green Falcons in third place on six points, behind Australia on goal difference. Hope of automatic qualification remain a strong possibility, but there is little margin for error as Saudi travel to Indonesia for their sixth match in the 10-qualifier group.

Since impressing with Al-Ittihad and then Al-Hilal, the clubs he represented at professional level since 2018, Abdulhamid鈥檚 career has been on upward trajectory in recent years.

Football agent Ahmed Almualim, the man behind Abdulhamid鈥檚 move to AS Roma, spoke exclusively to Arab News about the financial and professional risks he took to get his client to Italy and the changing landscape of Saudi football.

Ahmed, how did you become an agent, were you always passionate about football or is it business first of all?

I became an agent in 2014. Since I was young, I was always passionate about football. I started my career as a sports journalist when I was very young, aged 19, back in 2009. Before that, I used to write some articles about football, about transfers, on a few blogs. I kept working as a sports journalist until 2014, when I stopped and I started my career as a football agent. It鈥檚 more than 10 years now that I鈥檝e been an agent!

Do you have a favorite team in 抖阴短视频?

Yes, it鈥檚 not a secret (he laughs). My favorite team in 抖阴短视频 is Al-Ahli from Jeddah. I worked as a sports journalist and I used to specifically cover news about Al-Ahli鈥檚 transfers. From there, people got to know more about me. I used to go to the stadium when I was young with my friends. Nobody in my family took me, but I went with my friends and neighbours. They all supported Al-Ahli. We were so passionate.

Was it difficult for you to move into this field?

It鈥檚 very difficult to work as a football agent because you need certain tools. These tools are the local and the international connections. You need to know people inside clubs, the presidents, the sporting directors, the players. It鈥檚 the same for clubs abroad. I work full-time as a football agent and I really enjoy what I鈥檓 doing.

Of course, sometimes, in some moments, during some windows, when I have a bad window, I really start thinking: 鈥淥K, why do I have to do this job as a full-time job? I can do it as a part-time job like most of the agents in Saudi.鈥 But then I start to motivate myself again and I say: 鈥淣o, this is my job in football, I鈥檓 an agent, a professional one like in Europe, so I have to continue.鈥 And I try to move on.

Did you ever think it was possible to do business with local players moving outside 抖阴短视频?

One of my most important goals when I started was to do business like this, taking players to Europe and opening the borders. And I started this at a lower level. I took a Syrian player, Mahmoud Al-Mawas, to Romania. I had one player in Denmark. Two years ago, I signed a player in Portugal. The most important goal I set for myself was to do something different to what was already on the market.

Saudi players were moving from one domestic club to another, but I wanted to do things differently and not just to transfer a player from Ittihad to Al-Hilal, from Al-Hilal to Al-Ahli, from Al-Ahli to Al-Nassr and so on. I wanted to be the first different agent in this market. I brought many offers from abroad to Saudi national team players but they didn鈥檛 want to move on.

How did Roma's interest in Saud Abdulhamid come about?

It鈥檚 a story with two chapters. The first one was written in May, when I received a communication from one of the head scouters asking about the player and the conditions for a potential transfer. It started from there. And the second episode started when Florent Ghisolfi became the sporting director of AS Roma. Previously, he was the sporting director of Nice and there he also showed interest in Saud. He knew Saud was in his last year of contract at Hilal. So when he was appointed this season as a sport director of AS Roma, he reconnected with us and showed his interest again.

Do you think that this would have been possible without the Saudi Pro League expanding to the level it has?

People now know the Saudi league more and more. And I think also the players. More and more international players are involved in the league. This gave Saudi a push and a dose of belief that the whole product can be trusted. So, yes, the development of the Saudi league definitely helped. Without the current vibe, it would have been really difficult for such a transfer to take place.

How does it make you feel knowing you orchestrated Abdulhamid鈥檚 historic move?

I believe this transfer helped the image of the whole footballing country. It will help other Saudi players to get a chance in Europe, maybe. I believe this move has opened the door for Saudi players in years to come. I鈥檓 really proud we did it. It was one of the targets I had set for myself and I鈥檓 happy I delivered.

Many people were against this transfer. People who didn鈥檛 look at the bigger picture. As an agent, I dropped my interest just to support Saud, in the interests of 抖阴短视频n football. I sacrificed a lot of money for this deal to happen.

Can you tell us something about this transfer that an agent would normally try to keep as a secret?

Tough one. OK, let me tell you that right before he signed for Roma, Saud was close to joining Rennes in France. They had a very strong interest in him. He chose to go to Rome because of the challenge. Rennes鈥 interest was kept secret, it wasn鈥檛 mentioned anywhere.

How has Saud settled in Rome?

He鈥檚 happy in Rome and everything is in progress for him. He got some minutes. He鈥檚 an international player. He featured for the national team on plenty of occasions. He played in the biggest tournament there is, the World Cup. He also played in the Asian Champions League. It wasn鈥檛 that big a deal for him to adapt. He was prepared mentally for it to happen. He鈥檚 really aware of the challenges that are in store for him. He lives a normal life. He got a house. It was normal for him to start on the bench, we were speaking to the coach and the sporting director and they explained everything. He needs to know the culture of the league, Italian football is difficult. It鈥檚 different to any other European country.

Is the development of the SPL helping you as an agent?

It has helped me. And that鈥檚 because now it鈥檚 so easy to be connected to international agents. They want to do business in 抖阴短视频. From that point, we can cooperate. I can help the international agents to place their players in the Saudi market. And they help me connect to the European clubs. By doing so, I can place the players I already work with in Europe.

From an agent鈥檚 perspective, how did Ronaldo signing for Al-Nassr change the landscape of the Saudi League?

In the beginning, I thought it was just a rumor. When I saw he had arrived in Riyadh, I started believing everything was possible in Saudi, starting at that point. It was a big, big, big thing, a massive event. Nobody could believe it. And Ronaldo became the icon of the Saudi league. Because of Ronaldo, many world class players started joining the league. He showed them that it鈥檚 a good championship. And this league can grow further and improve in the next few years.

Do you, as an agent, feel that you鈥檙e playing a part in this football revolution?

Now, after I did the deal for Saud to AS Roma, I see myself as a small part of this revolution in Saudi sport. I am privileged to have been able to send the best Saudi player to one of Europe鈥檚 most historic clubs.

Do you think big stars in Europe might start looking for local agents in 抖阴短视频, were you approached by any big names?

Yes, there are many stars in Europe who got in touch. They showed interest to join the league. They saw how strong it is and how it鈥檚 improving. It鈥檚 better and better every year.

Of course, the financial aspect plays a big role in the players鈥 wishes to join. Many top players, including from the Premier League and LaLiga, have contacted me to see how they can come to the Saudi championship.

Many deals that seem done then collapse. What is the most frequent cause?

One of the craziest reasons is that some clubs refuse to pay the agents. They agree about terms with other clubs, they accept the salaries that the players want, but then they don鈥檛 take the agents seriously. That鈥檚 wrong, because agents are an important part of any deal. It鈥檚 not just happened to me, but to many agents, many times, to find themselves in such situations.

What do you do for your players apart from representing them in negotiations?

I try to hire specialists to take care of them. For example, one to take care of nutrition. We need to find the right way to develop their body structures. I have my people working in communications, so players receive professional guidance in this area as well. It鈥檚 important that they are aware of how they should handle their media duties. We have a team working together, in my company everyone is a specialist in what they need to do.

Did you ever advise a player to do something even if it was outside your financial interests?

I lost a lot of money after Saud鈥檚 move to AS Roma. I did it because I thought he should go to Europe. I believed he could develop more if he went there. That鈥檚 my principle, I say the truth whatever it costs me financially. I don鈥檛 like to control players.