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We will play with positive mindset to win ACC Premier Cup, says Saudi cricket team

Special We will play with positive mindset to win ACC Premier Cup, says Saudi cricket team
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Ƶ’s cricket team will take part in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup in Oman. (X/@cricketsaudi)
Special We will play with positive mindset to win ACC Premier Cup, says Saudi cricket team
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Ƶ’s cricket team will take part in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup in Oman. (X/@cricketsaudi)
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Updated 04 April 2024

We will play with positive mindset to win ACC Premier Cup, says Saudi cricket team

We will play with positive mindset to win ACC Premier Cup, says Saudi cricket team
  • National squad completes final preparations for competition to be held from April 12-21 in Oman
  • Saudi will play their first match on Sat., Apr. 13, against Malaysia at Al-Amerat Cricket Ground

RIYADH: After winning the ACC Men’s Challenger Cup this year and the inaugural event last year in Bangkok, Ƶ’s cricket team exuded confidence on Thursday, saying a positive mindset will give them an advantage in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup beginning next week in Oman.

The team will leave on Monday to participate in the competition, an integral part of the Asian Cricket Council’s new pathway structure that will be held from April 12-21 in Muscat.

Team Captain Hisham Sheikh told Arab News: “Our back-to-back qualification for the ACC Men’s Premier Cup after winning the two ACC Challenger Cups boost our confidence. The boys are excited and ready to play as a unit, and a great team effort with positive mindset makes our chance bright to win the trophy this year.”

A training camp in Riyadh and Dammam allowed all players from the various regions to take part in sessions organized by the Ƶn Cricket Federation under the supervision of head coach Kabir Khan, Sheikh said.

“The boys are excited to play as a team, and are looking forward to winning the trophy and qualifying for the Asia Cup. The preparation camp has been the best so far, so let’s hope for the best. We underwent four to five hours of training every night after the Taraweeh prayers during this Ramadan season.”        

Vice Captain Abdul Waheed said that the “men in green will be aiming to improve on their performance as a team in the next stage of Asia Cup qualification.”

Ten associate nations will battle it out for the title in two groups, five in each group playing against other four teams, with the winner directly qualifying for the next Men’s Asia Cup.

“To all the cricket fans, only 10-days left until the ACC Men’s Premier Cup bowls you over with cricket madness. Get ready to cheer your heart out,” tweeted the ACC on Tuesday.

The Saudi team will play their first match on Saturday, April 13, against Malaysia at Al-Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman Cricket (Ministry Turf 2).

They will play other group matches on Sunday, April 14, against Hong Kong, on Tuesday, April 16, against Qatar, and on Wednesday, April 17, against Nepal.

Semifinals will be played on Friday, April 19, a match for third place on Saturday, April 20, and the final on Sunday, April 21, 2024.

The ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2024 is the second edition of the ACC Premier Cup, with the first played last year in Nepal. The competition will serve as the final stage of qualification for the Asia Cup 2025. It features the eight highest-ranked ACC associate members, as well as the two finalists from ACC Men’s Challenger Cup 2024.

Ƶ and Cambodia qualified for the tournament after finishing as the top two teams in the ACC Men’s Challenger Cup 2024 won by the Kingdom for the second year in row. Nepal are the defending champions of the Premier Cup, having won the inaugural season in 2023 beating the UAE in the final.


Kosovo players walk off in Romania game after ‘Serbia’ chants

Kosovo players walk off in Romania game after ‘Serbia’ chants
Updated 30 sec ago

Kosovo players walk off in Romania game after ‘Serbia’ chants

Kosovo players walk off in Romania game after ‘Serbia’ chants
Bucharest: A Nations League game between Romania and Kosovo in Bucharest was suspended on Friday in injury time after fans in the crowd shouted “Serbia!.”
The Kosovo players left the pitch after the chants, leading to the game to be paused with the score 0-0.
Animosity between Kosovo and Serbia has persisted since the war between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents in the late 1990s.
Kosovo and Serbia do not play each other in UEFA and FIFA tournaments.
Football’s world governing body opened disciplinary proceedings against Serbia during the 2022 World Cup after the team hung a flag in their changing room depicting Kosovo as part of Serbia.
Kosovo joined FIFA and European confederation UEFA in 2016.
When Romania played in Pristina, they beat Kosovo 3-0.

Ronaldo shines as Portugal rout Poland to reach Nations League last-eight

Ronaldo shines as Portugal rout Poland to reach Nations League last-eight
Updated 34 min 15 sec ago

Ronaldo shines as Portugal rout Poland to reach Nations League last-eight

Ronaldo shines as Portugal rout Poland to reach Nations League last-eight

PORTO, Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal staged a second-half supershow to crush Poland 5-1 and reach the Nations League quarter-finals on Friday.
Portugal join France, Germany, Italy and Spain in the last-eight while Poland’s hopes of going through from Group A1 were ended.
Having struggled to plant a shot on target in the first half, Portugal stepped on the accelerator after the break.
Rafael Leao broke the deadlock in Porto just before the hour mark after starting and finishing the move.
The AC Milan striker raced away and passed to Nuno Mendes whose cross from the left was headed powerfully past Marcin Bulka in the Portugal goal.
Thirteen minutes later, skipper Ronaldo got his name on the scoresheet, converting a penalty after Jakub Kiwior was penalized for a handball in the area.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes made it 3-0 in the 80th minute, scoring after a clever run by Vitinha.
Pedro Neto added the fourth three minutes later after Ronaldo’s fine pass which left the Polish defense stranded.
As Polish spirits sank, Ronaldo added his second and Portugal’s fifth in the 87th minute with a spectacular overhead kick before Dominik Marczuk tucked away a consolation goal for the visitors.
Poland had enjoyed the better chances before falling behind but their potency in front of goal was blunted by the absence of record goal-scorer Robert Lewandowski who was sidelined with a back injury.
Moments before Leao’s goal, Portuguese keeper Diogo Costa pulled off a fine save to deny Marczuk having also been alert to deny Nicola Zalewski in the first half.
Portugal’s best chance in the first 45 minutes had fallen to Ronaldo who fired a close-range effort over the bar from close range.


Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura says he will play next season at age 58

Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura says he will play next season at age 58
Updated 16 November 2024

Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura says he will play next season at age 58

Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura says he will play next season at age 58
  • Miura will turn 58 in February
  • He intends to play next season for his fourth-tier Japanese club, Suzuka

TOKYO: Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura is several generations older than his teammates. His contemporaries retired decades ago. Lionel Messi is 37, and Cristiano Ronaldo is 39 — mere youngsters compared to Miura.
Miura will turn 58 in February, and the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported this week that he intends to play next season for his fourth-tier Japanese club, Suzuka. It will be his 40th season playing in professional soccer.
Miura is widely listed as the oldest active professional soccer player.
Miura scored 55 goals in 89 appearances and was a star with Japan’s national team in the 1990s.
He has played professionally in Brazil, Italy, Croatia, Australia and Portugal. He made his debut in 1986 with Brazilian club Santos, a side made famous by Brazilian star Pelé.


Japan beat Indonesia 4-0 to extend group lead in Asian World Cup qualifying

Japan beat Indonesia 4-0 to extend group lead in Asian World Cup qualifying
Updated 16 November 2024

Japan beat Indonesia 4-0 to extend group lead in Asian World Cup qualifying

Japan beat Indonesia 4-0 to extend group lead in Asian World Cup qualifying
  • Japan tops the group on 13 points with five games remaining in the round.
  • Australia, Ƶ and China all have 6 points, followed by Bahrain with five and Indonesia with 3

JAKARTA: Japan defeated Indonesia 4-0 on Friday to move seven points clear at the top of Group C in the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Two goals in each half mean the Samurai Blue stays on course for an eighth successive World Cup appearance.
After a bright start from the home team, the 78,000 fans at a sold-out Gelora Bung Karno Stadium were silenced after 35 minutes as Daichi Kamada broke down the left and sent a cross which defender Justin Hubner put into his own net from close range.
Takumi Minamino then scored from inside the area off Kaoru Mitoma’s pass to extend the lead five minutes before the break.
Hidemasa Motira took advantage of an errant pass from Indonesia’s goalkeeper to make it 3-0 early in the second half and Yukinari Sugawara rounded out the scoring in the 69th minute.
Japan tops the group on 13 points with five games remaining in the round. Australia, Ƶ and China all have six points, followed by Bahrain with five and Indonesia with three.
The top two from each of the three groups will be guaranteed a place at the World Cup, with the third- and fourth-place teams progressing to the next stage.
 


Pogba and Juventus end contract mutually before he returns from doping ban

Pogba and Juventus end contract mutually before he returns from doping ban
Updated 15 November 2024

Pogba and Juventus end contract mutually before he returns from doping ban

Pogba and Juventus end contract mutually before he returns from doping ban
  • The Serie A club never seemed overly enthusiastic about welcoming Pogba back
  • “Juventus Football Club and Paul Pogba announce that they have reached a mutual agreement for the termination of their contract as of Nov. 30, 2024,” the Bianconeri said

TURIN, Italy: Paul Pogba will no longer be a Juventus player from next month.
Juventus announced on Friday they came to “a mutual agreement” with Pogba to cancel his contract despite the France World Cup winner having a ban for doping slashed last month.
The Serie A club never seemed overly enthusiastic about welcoming Pogba back after his four-year ban for doping was reduced to 18 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The 31-year-old Pogba, who will be free to resume his career in March 2025, had said he was ready to give up money to play for Juventus again.
“Juventus Football Club and Paul Pogba announce that they have reached a mutual agreement for the termination of their contract as of Nov. 30, 2024,” the Bianconeri said in a brief statement. “The club wish Paul the very best for his professional future.”
Pogba tested positive for testosterone in August last year and the Juventus midfielder was handed the maximum punishment by Italy’s anti-doping court.
But CAS judges cut Pogba’s ban as they acknowledged a lack of intent and said his positive test was the result of erroneously taking a supplement prescribed to him by a medical doctor in Florida.
Pogba’s contract with Juventus was set to expire in June 2026.
“My time at Juventus has come to an end. It has been a privilege to pull on the shirt of the Bianconeri and to share so many special memories together,” Pogba said in a statement.
“I cherish the memories we made. They live on. Even in the most difficult moments over the past year, your support was crucial and I want to thank Juve fans around the world for their compassion.”
Pogba was the most expensive soccer player in history when he joined Manchester United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros ($113 million) in 2016.
He starred in France’s World Cup triumph in 2018 and returned to Juventus as a free agent in 2022. But injuries limited him to just eight Serie A appearances in his second spell at the club before his ban last year.
“I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career and to stepping out on the pitch with my next club,” Pogba added.