International Sports
Mancini aims to win the Asian Cup with the Saudi Arabia team
New Saudi Arabia coach Roberto Mancini said his main goal is for the men’s national team to win the Asian Cup after 27 years, at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) presentation event in Riyadh on Monday.
The former Italian coach outlined his aspirations to raise the team’s level in Asia, and detailed his long and short-term plans, adding he will evaluate the players to complete the objective to win the continental tournament, Reuters reported.
“Our target is to win the Asian Cup after 27 years. Our target before that is that we have four friendlies, we have two World Cup qualifiers and after that we have a 20-day training camp to prepare for the Asian Cup,” Mancini said in a statement.
“I am not a magician, we have exceptional talents and we can achieve our goals through continuous work. We have good players, the previous coach did a great job, and in the coming period we have to translate our words into realities on the field.”
Former coach Herve Renard led the Saudi team at the Qatar World Cup, where they pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history by defeating eventual champions Argentina in their opening match before being eliminated in the group stage.
Mancini also spoke about the state of Saudi soccer, drawing parallels with what happened in his home country: “Many great foreign players came to Italy and we improved a lot. It’s good for Saudi players.”
The country is heavily investing in its top-flight football league, with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) announcing the Sports Club Investment and Privatization Project, involving league champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.
“Saudi Arabia has become an attractive country for all global names” President of SAFF Yasser Al Misehal said.
Numerous top players have been lured to the country following the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo last year. More recently Karim Benzema and Neymar are among those who have joined Saudi clubs along with English coach Steven Gerrard.
England batter Jordan Cox struck an unbeaten 61 as defending champions Dubai Capitals secured a six-wicket victory over Sharjah Warriorz to book their place in the International League T20 play-offs.
Cox’s 50-ball knock included six boundaries and a six, helping Capitals chase down a target of 135 with five deliveries remaining. Opener Shayan Jahangir also played a key role, scoring 51 from 39 balls.
Jahangir and Mohammad Nabi were both removed by Sikandar Raza, while Leus du Plooy departed cheaply, leaving Capitals at 114-4 in the 18th over. Cox then took charge to guide his team to victory.
Earlier, Sharjah Warriorz posted 134-8 from their allotted 20 overs, with West Indies batter Johnson Charles top-scoring with 43.
The Warriorz remain in contention for the final play-off spot alongside Gulf Giants and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Meanwhile, Dubai Capitals can still finish second in the standings, giving them two opportunities to qualify for the final on 4 January.
Cricket fans across Afghanistan can watch the next ILT20 match between Sharjah Warriorz and Desert Vipers on Ariana Television tomorrow, Friday, December 26, from 7pm.
International Sports
Ariana News to broadcast key AFC Champions League Two clash
The match will be played in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr will aim to make home advantage count following their strong performances earlier in the campaign.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr will take on Iraq’s Al-Zawraa in a crucial AFC Champions League Two group-stage encounter tomorrow, Wednesday December 24, as both sides look to strengthen their positions in the competition.
The match will be played in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr will aim to make home advantage count following their strong performances earlier in the campaign.
With a squad packed with international stars and attacking depth, the Saudi club will be targeting another positive result to move closer to qualification for the knockout stages.
Al-Zawraa, one of Iraq’s most successful clubs, arrive determined to bounce back and keep their continental hopes alive.
Known for their discipline and resilience, the Baghdad-based side will be looking to frustrate the hosts and capitalize on any opportunities on the counterattack.
The encounter is expected to draw significant attention from football fans across the region, as the AFC Champions League Two continues to showcase competitive clashes between leading clubs.
The match will be broadcast across Afghanistan live and exclusively on Ariana News from 8:30pm.
The Dubai Capitals secured a crucial six-wicket victory over the Gulf Giants at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday, climbing to second place in the ILT20 standings and handing the Giants a fourth straight defeat.
Mustafizur Rahman starred with the ball, taking three wickets in a decisive over to help restrict the Giants to 156 all out, despite solid knocks from Azmatullah Omarzai (43) and James Vince (36).
In reply, Shayan Jahangir’s steady 48 and an unbeaten 47 from Rovman Powell guided the Capitals to victory with four balls to spare. Mohammad Nabi added a quick 25 not out to seal the chase.
In Dubai, MI Emirates continued their strong form with a composed four-wicket win over table-toppers Desert Vipers, registering their third consecutive victory of the season.
Shakib Al Hasan delivered an outstanding all-round performance, claiming 2 for 14 to limit the Vipers to 124 before anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 17. Kieron Pollard’s brisk 26 swung the momentum decisively as MI Emirates reached the target with 15 balls remaining.
Cricket fans across Afghanistan can watch the next ILT20 match between Sharjah Warriorz and MI Emirates on Ariana Television today, Monday, December 22, from 2pm.
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