Sport
Ronaldo v Messi: the last dance in Saudi Arabia or a fresh start?
The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated football for more than a decade and the world will on Thursday get the chance to see another contest between the Portuguese and Argentine, which may not be the last time they face each other.
After 20 years in Europe’s top leagues, Ronaldo has taken his talents to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr after his contract with Manchester United was terminated and ironically his first match in the Middle East will be against his age-old rival, Reuters reported.
Messi’s Paris St Germain take on a combined Al Hilal-Al Nassr team in an exhibition match, giving Ronaldo and Messi a chance to rekindle their old ‘El Clasico’ rivalry when they played for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.
With nothing for Messi left to prove in Europe or on the international stage, there is also speculation that Al Hilal want to bring the 35-year-old to Saudi Arabia when his PSG contract expires at the end of the season, Reuters reported.
Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance, had recently indicated that the door was open for moves by Saudi clubs to try and sign both of soccer’s biggest stars.
“Well we talked about that before and the quality of life is a critical part of the 2030 vision and quality of life in Saudi has improved, sports is a significant part of that,” he told CNBC when asked about Ronaldo or Messi moving to the country.
“The young population of Saudi watch sports and perform sports and anything we can do to enhance this industry will pay back and improve the quality of life not only for our people but for the working people from outside.”
Messi and Ronaldo won every Ballon d’Or award from 2008-2017 until Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric broke their hegemony and the Argentine has since won two more to lead 7-5 over his Portuguese rival in the race to be the world’s best player, Reuters reported.
When the pair first faced off in 2008 as young upstarts looking to make their mark, Manchester United and Barcelona played out a 0-0 draw in the Champions League.
Since then they have never both been involved in a goalless draw for their clubs and national teams in memorable matches with millions tuning in to witness the greats in their prime.
The spotlight was on the pair at the World Cup in Qatar last year but whereas Ronaldo faded and was left out of Portugal’s starting lineup in the knockout stages as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals, Messi went on to lift the trophy.
Messi became the first player ever to score in every round at a World Cup and finished with seven goals as he completed his trophy collection and was named player of the tournament, Reuters reported.
Should the Argentine move to Saudi Arabia, Thursday’s encounter between the sport’s two biggest stars of the modern era could signal the dawn of a new age in Asian football.
Sport
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost
The match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Uzbekistan’s national cricket team for a one-off T20 international on July 10 at the Rahmat Wali Masroori Cricket Ground in Khost province.
According to the ACB, the match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The friendly match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, with an Afghan XI taking on the visiting Uzbek side. The game will be broadcast live across Afghanistan and internationally through various linear and digital platforms.
Quoted by the ACB, Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board remains committed to supporting emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan and is ready to extend similar assistance to other countries seeking to develop the sport.
He noted that the ACB has already organized capacity-building programs and training workshops for members of the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, while several Uzbek fast bowlers also participated in the ACB’s specialized Fast Bowling Camp last year.
Khan added that Uzbekistan has consistently maintained a friendly policy toward Afghanistan and that the two countries have strengthened cooperation in healthcare, politics, and trade in recent years. He said closer collaboration in cricket development would further deepen relations between the two neighboring nations.
Sport
Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.
In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.
The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
Sport
India clinch ODI series against Afghanistan
The India national cricket team defeated Afghanistan in the third and final One Day International (ODI), sealing the series with a 9-wicket victory and lifting the series trophy.
Afghanistan won the toss in the final match and opted to bat first.
Batting first, Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs, setting India a target of 219 runs.
Hashmatullah Shahidi played a superb innings, scoring 102 runs off 131 deliveries, anchoring the Afghan batting effort.
In reply, India made light work of the chase, reaching 219 for the loss of just one wicket in 28.4 overs, completing a dominant run chase.
India had already taken an unassailable lead in the series by winning the first ODI by 7 wickets and the second by 170 runs, before sealing a comprehensive 3–0 series sweep in the final match.
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