The Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) opened this week with thrilling group levels video games.
Arab groups have performed effectively within the Asian Cup, however their cohorts in North Africa have been largely a disappointment in AFCON, excluding Morocco’s Atlas Lions.
Palestine has nonetheless loomed massive over the Asian Cup in Qatar, the place touching acts of solidarity with Gaza have been made by gamers, followers and officers.
Palestine clinch historic draw towards UAE
Palestine secured a vital draw towards the UAE within the Asian Cup on Thursday, giving them an opportunity of constructing it by means of the group levels.
Earlier than kick-off, a minute’s silence was held for the practically 25,000 lifeless in Gaza earlier than the UAE received into gear and dominated the beginning of the sport with a header from Sultan Adil.
Palestine noticed a penalty kick saved earlier than UAE defender Bader Nasser put the objective in his personal web and levelled the sport.
The draw offers Palestine a chance to make it by means of to the knock-out levels in the event that they win their remaining group sport towards minnows Hong Kong. Coach Makram Daboub has instructed his Palestine staff to exit and make historical past for the nation.
Palestine at all times had a mountain to climb on the Asian Cup with the tragedies at residence undoubtedly proving an enormous burden for the squad because it entered the match.
It was by no means going to be a straightforward opening sport with Palestine lined up towards continental heavyweights Iran.
The Palestinian gamers had been ill-prepared. Many members of the nationwide staff play for golf equipment within the Palestinian league, and weren’t been in a position to play in aggressive matches since Israel launched battle on Gaza in October. Unable to coach in Palestine, the staff has needed to accept match preparations in Algeria and Saudi Arabia as an alternative.
As they walked out onto the pitch at Training Metropolis Stadium, the Palestine staff wore their flag on their sleeves, chests and backs, wearing observe jackets that bore an all-over Palestine flag print.
There have been kaffiyeh scarves and Palestine flags aplenty within the crowd, with followers of all stripes cheering loudly earlier than the Palestine nationwide anthem performed.
Earlier than the whistle blew, a second’s silence was marked to mourn the lives misplaced in Gaza, amongst these killed are athletes and household of the Palestine staff.
On the Palestinian staff’s remaining coaching session earlier than their match with Iran, staff member Mahmoud Wadi realized that his cousin had been killed in Gaza. A few week earlier, Palestinian Olympic soccer staff coach Hani al-Masdar succumbed to accidents brought on by an Israeli strike close to his residence.
Iran decisively beat Palestine 4-1, scoring their first objective simply over a minute into the match. Coach Daboub, who’s Tunisian, stated the loss was all the way down to “a scarcity of focus” and “overexcitement”.
Palestine was on the forefront of the match’s opening festivities in Lusail final Friday, forward of the opening match between Lebanon and Qatar.
Palestinian songs bookended the ceremony, whereas residence captain Hassan al-Haydos launched his Palestinian counterpart Musab al-Battat to ship the gamers’ oath, historically taken by the host nation’s captain, on his behalf.
Host nation Qatar has already made it to the final 16 of the match, having gained each of their first two group stage matches.
They confidently secured a 3-0 win of their match with Lebanon, and beat Tajikistan 1-0 on Wednesday.
Elsewhere on the match, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE all secured wins of their opening matches.
From Dammam to the Dam
Jordan Henderson ended his experiment within the Saudi Professional League this week, as he minimize brief his time at Al-Ettifaq and headed to Amsterdam to affix Dutch aspect Ajax.
Henderson was provided a king’s ransom to play for Al-Ettifaq in the summertime, some £700,000 every week, however couldn’t settle in Saudi Arabia and so terminated his contract with the Dammam aspect this week.
Al-Ettifaq has struggled this season, at present languishing in seventh place within the Saudi Professional League.
Henderson performed simply 19 video games for the Dammam aspect, along with his household selecting to dwell within the extra socially liberal climes of Bahrain and the footballer travelling to the Saudi east coast every day for work.
The gruelling commute and struggles of Al-Ettifaq probably proved an excessive amount of for Henderson, who has flown to Amsterdam for a medical and signed for Ajax on a three-and-a-half yr deal.
Henderson has reportedly not been paid a riyal for his six month spell in Saudi Arabia, resulting from him deferring wage funds for tax causes, with questions over whether or not or not he’ll obtain a bumper pay cheque when he leaves, in accordance with The Telegraph.
Al-Ettifaq had been mum on the difficulty however stated in an announcement his departure was amicable.
“As soon as it grew to become clear he wished to go away, Al Ettifaq didn’t stand in his method. In actual fact they fast-tracked his departure so they may do enterprise on this window,” the staff stated in an announcement.
“His contract might be terminated on monetary situations that imply the membership won’t actually lose out.
“Everybody tried to make it work. It did not. Nobody is in charge, nobody is upset and there aren’t any laborious emotions. It is simply a part of soccer and life.”
Henderson’s departure might be a blow for his former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard, who has struggled to adapt to the Saudi Professional League which is dominated by the state-backed ‘large 4’ – Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli.
Regardless of the struggles of his staff, Gerrard was given a two-year extension to his contract this week, securing his place within the kingdom till no less than 2027 with a £15 million a yr wage.
Nonetheless, Henderson’s departure has been a blow for the Saudi Professional League, notably with questions over Neymar’s future at Al-Hilal and Karim Benzema lined up for a transfer to the Premier League.
North African groups battle in Ivory Coast, Salah injured
Mo Salah may have already got his Africa Cup of Nations goals with Egypt dashed because the star striker sustained an harm in Thursday night’s draw with Ghana.
Salah, who’s lacking key video games for his membership Liverpool FC as he takes half within the pan-Africa match, was pressured to come back off moments earlier than the half-time whistle in Abidjan.
It seems that Salah has injured his hamstring though Egypt coach Rui Vitoria stated it was “too early to say” whether or not he might be out for the remainder of the competitors.
45+1’—Mo Salah leaves Egypt’s sport towards Ghana with an harm
45+3’—Ghana take the lead pic.twitter.com/seMjocPawf
— B/R Soccer (@brfootball) January 18, 2024
“We do not know but what’s the drawback. I hope not a giant drawback, it’s too early to say one thing,” he stated.
“Salah is a tremendous participant, the most effective gamers on this planet, so we need to have this sort of participant at all times with us.”
The Pharaohs have had an unfortunate begin to AFCON to date, drawing twice to date.
An additional-time penalty from Salah saved the staff from humiliation towards Mozambique on Sunday, whereas the nail-biting sport towards Ghana resulted in a 2-2 draw.
Different North African groups received off to a gradual begin with Tunisia dropping to Namibia (who made historical past by successful their first ever AFCON match), whereas Algeria had been held to a disappointing 1-1 draw with Angola on Monday.
Unhealthy luck was on the Fennecs’ aspect. A formidable overhead-kick objective by Baghdad Bounedjah that might’ve sealed the win for Algeria was dominated offside, whereas Angola’s successful penalty initially bounced off the crossbar, earlier than discovering the web milliseconds later.
Morocco’s Atlas Lions although had a stable begin to the match.
The World Cup semi-finalists comfortably netted three objectives towards Tanzania on Wednesday.
The objectives, scored by Romain Saïss, Azzedine Ounahi and Youssef En-Nesyri, cemented Morocco’s place as a agency contender for the AFCON trophy, although the likes of Nigeria and Senegal will show to be stiff competitors.
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