The Saudi national team reached the 27th Gulf Cup final in Jeddah, after its exciting marathon victory over Qatar 3-2 on penalty kicks, in the semi-final that brought them together at Al-Enmaa Stadium, amid a large crowd who waited a full 120 minutes, anticipating the green decision, in which goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais played a major role by saving three burgundy penalty kicks.
Saudi Arabia, which won the title three times, most recently in the sixteenth edition in 2004, set a date in the final with the winner of the confrontation between the UAE and Oman, which is being played now.
During the penalty shootout, Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Kanno scored for Al-Akhdar, while Hassan Timbukti and Firas Al-Braikan missed, and Mukhtar Ali scored the final decisive kick.
From the beginning of the match, the Saudi fans recorded an amazing attendance, raising Tifo “glory and pride” and supporting the players until the last breath, despite the strict Qatari defensive style that thwarted many of the Green offensive attempts.
The CEO of the Formula 1 World Championship, Stefano Domenicali, announced on Saturday, contrary to all expectations, that the final two rounds of the season will be held in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, despite the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
The Italian official told the French channel Canal Plus, on the sidelines of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was scheduled to be held in the spring before being moved this week to the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia: “Based on the information available to us, everything is certain regarding the holding of the two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi,” the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The head of the first category of motorsport returned to confirm to Sky Sport Italia the “calendar for the final two rounds” of the season, scheduled for November 29 and December 6 in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, two Gulf countries that have been affected for months by the military conflict between the United States, Iran and Israel.
Domenicali said that he received “assurances that everything is fine,” stressing that “the teams and drivers are informed of the situation with complete transparency,” in case the situation deteriorates further before the end of the year.
Hosting a single Formula 1 race requires a budget of tens of millions of dollars.
Domenicali explained to Canal Plus that “99 percent of the tickets” for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix scheduled for the Yas Marina Circuit have been sold, noting that the event enjoys “great enthusiasm.”
It now remains to be seen how drivers react to this announcement.
In a press conference held Thursday in Sepang, the four-time world champion, Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, said in a diplomatic tone that he was counting on “the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and Formula 1 to make the right decision.”
One of the alternatives that were discussed was moving the UAE race to Imola in Italy.
In another motorsport championship, the World Endurance Racing Championship (WEC) decided to replace the Bahrain and Qatar rounds with two races in Barcelona, Spain, and Monza, Italy, at the end of the season.
The Qatari Al-Shamal Club reached an agreement to sign Algerian star Riyad Mahrez in a free transfer deal, according to special sources for Asharq Al-Awsat.
The same sources confirmed that the player will be registered in local competitions, in addition to the elite AFC Champions League, so that the Algerian star becomes the latest star to come to the Qatari League.
The sources indicated that the player’s contract with Al-Shamal Qatar will be for a short period, with the possibility of leaving next January, in addition to the option of renewing the contract for an additional year.
Riyad Mahrez spent three years with Al-Ahly, during which he left a prominent mark on the team, and contributed to his leadership in achieving the AFC Champions League title for the elite team twice in a row, in two major achievements for the Saudi club, in addition to his presence as one of the most prominent artistic names in the competition during the past seasons.
