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Messi Argentina lose way in Arabian desert

The Gulf Indians — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 13:20:01 +0000

Saudi Arabia register a famous win against Argentina

DOHA: Crazy things can happen in sports. A resolute, brave and technically sound Saudi Arabia put Asia on the board at the 2022 FIFA men’s World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday. In the process, they scripted one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.The thousands of Saudi fans who made the trip across the border would be lying if they said a final scoreline of 2-1 against Argentina was a result they expected anywhere other than in their wildest fantasies. Yet, that’s how it ended at a roaring Lusail Stadium that was draped in a sea of green.

It was reminiscent of Argentina’s 0-1 loss to Cameroon in Italy in 1990, where they were defending champions. A remarkably composed Herve Renard, the Saudi coach, summed it up in the post-match press conference. “Argentina is a fantastic team with great players,” he said. “They were unbeaten in 36 games and the champions of South America. But this is football. Sometimes crazy things happen.”

It could have gone very differently. With the clock barely at the double-digit mark, Lionel Messi, in his last World Cup, stepped up to the penalty spot and calmly stroked the ball home. From then on, it was hard work for the Saudis.

Argentina dominated possession and had all the chances. In the next 20 minutes, they found the back of the net thrice, first it was Messi who latched on to a lofted through ball and finished with characteristic composure.Then the in-form Lautaro Martinez did the same, twice. Each time FIFA’s new semi-automated offside technology came to Saudi’s rescue. Playing a high line and, despite all the attempts by Argentina, Saudi’s offside trap held.

Seven times in the first half, the linesman held his flag up. Still, going into the break a goal up and under little or no pressure, it seemed only a matter of time before Lionel Scaloni’s side cemented the lead.The Green Falcons, cheered on by fans, produced a stunning 10-minute spell to flip the game on its head. Playing on the counter, Saleh Al-Shehri converted superbly off a low-percentage chance off his left foot, levelling things up three minutes after half-time.

Then Salem Al-Dawsari produced a magical solo goal. The two-time champions had opportunities to level but Saudi resisted scripting a famous win.

The first half against Argentina did not go the Saudi way and coach Herve Renard was not pleased. The team took the break one goal behind one of the most consistent teams in the world. “Tactically we were not good in the first half,” he said.

“Our block was compact but the pressure on the likes of (Leandro) Paredes was not enough. I think after the penalty if we had conceded a second goal that would have been the end. When you come to the World Cup you need to give everything.

We cannot play as we did in the first half…” Salem Al-Dawsari was magical as his right foot strike found the net. In the Argentine box, pressured by three defenders, al-Dawsari won the ball, made space for the shot and unleashed an effort that left Emiliano Martinez with no chance and himself with a memory he will never forget; nor his compatriots.

Saudi had two shots on target and they made both counts. Comparatively, captain Leo Messi et al were profligate; creating 14 chances and squandering all but the penalty.

“It was about inches, this offside situation,” Scaloni said in his post-game press conference. “… but we knew that with the new semi-automated system this could happen. We knew how they (Saudi) would play and it worked well. Congratulations to the other team for the win.”Congratulations also to Mohammed Al-Owais, adjudged player of the game and a defensive line that grew in confidence as the game went on.

To win the game is one thing, but to hold Argentina from scoring off open play makes it even more special. “We prepared very well for the tournament and hopefully will have better results in the future,” Al-Owais said.

“We started preparing a month and a half ago and were able to play very well. Honestly, I felt that we were especially good in the last 10 minutes,” he concluded before leaving the floor to his manager and heading back to his comrades in the dressing room.So, where does Argentina, who now could face the prospect of a Round of 16 encounter against holders France (if La Albiceleste gets out of the group), go from here? It is the first game for both sides and there are two more games remaining. Scaloni knows his boys need to play better and win both remaining games to guarantee progression.

They will take heart from the memory of Italy 1990 when they went down by a single goal to Cameroon in the opening group game but went on to reach the final. For Saudi, the last three teams (Germany, Croatia and France) to beat Argentina have gone on to either win the tournament or make it to the final. But Renard was having none of it yet. “Saudi players tend to start flying when they play well,” he said. “But I will be sitting on their shoulders keeping their feet on the ground. Humility is the way forward.”

Saudi Arabia’s energy and high intensity caught Argentina unawares. The Saudi primary league has been shut since October third week, so players have been in sync with each other, training together and playing friendly matches for the last two months. That level of understanding showed in a display full of heart and effort from the first to the final whistle

It’s a very heavy blow, a defeat that hurts, but we must continue to have confidence in ourselves. This group is not going to give up. We will try to beat Mexico Lionel Messi Argentina’s captain .Saudi Arabia declared Wednesday a public holiday

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Kerala football team to receive Rs 1.14 crore cash award from state government for winning Santosh Trophy

The Gulf Indians — Fri, 13 May 2022 11:23:49 +0000

Kerala defeated West Bengal to lift the prestigious Santosh Trophy.

Thiruvanathapuram: The Kerala government on Friday announced a cash award of Rs 1.14 crore to the state football team which recently lifted the prestigious Santosh Trophy beating heavyweights Bengal in a penalty shootout in the final.

A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, took the decision to give a total of Rs 1.14 crore as cash prize to the team — Rs five lakh each to 20 players and the main coach and three lakh each to the assistant coach, manager and goalkeeper trainer, an official statement said.

Vijayan later said in a Facebook post that the Kerala team’s achievement on their own soil after 29 years has infused a fresh energy to the entire sports sector of the state.

“It will be an inspiration for the young generation to enter the sports sector,” he said adding that the cash award was the honour of the land to the members of the winning team for their effort.

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FIFA Awards 2020: Robert Lewandoski, Lucy Bronze win big

The Gulf Indians — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 05:35:49 +0000

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandoski won the biggest individual prize of his career on Thursday beating Cristiano Ronald and Lionel Messi to win The Best FIFA Men’s Player award.

The Poland captain Lewandowski was honoured with award after his 55-goal season which helped Bayern Munich to sweep off international and domestic trophies.

Meanwhile Manchester City and England defender Lucy Bronze won the Best FIFA Women’s player award. Both players are winning the award for the first time in their careers.

The award ceremony was a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lewandowski topped a three-player shortlist that included both Messi and Ronaldo. Voting was done by a global jury of national team captain and coaches, plus selected journalists and fans. Lewandowski received 52 voting points, with Ronaldo second on 38 followed by Messi with 35.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” said Lewandowski, who at age 32 made the shortlist for the first time.

The 32-year-old Lewandowski joined Luka Modric, the Croatia and Real Madrid midfielder who won in 2018, as the only players in the past 13 years to deny both Messi and Ronaldo the victory. “Today I am among them,” Lewandowski said in comments translated from German. “It means I’ve always done the right things in my life.”
Interestingly, Lewandowski is also the first men’s winner from a club outside Spain since Ronaldo won the 2008 award as a Manchester United player.

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Argentinian police to probe Maradona’s death

The Gulf Indians — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 11:51:25 +0000

Diego Maradona’s death will be investigated by Argentinian police to decide whether it was a case of medical negligence, reports said quoting judicial sources.

Recordings from neighbourhood security cameras have been requested by three prosecutors working on the case.

Maradona died of ‘acute lung edema and chronic heart failure’, according to a preliminary autopsy report, in his sleep at noon while resting at his home in Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 25.

His laywer, Marias Morla, had earlier called for an investigation into claims ambulances took more than half an hour to reach the football star’s home in response to a call on the day of his death.

Recordings from neighbourhood security cameras have been requested by three prosecutors working on the case.

The prosecutor’s office in Buenos Aires has opened a file entitled ‘Maradona, Diego. Determination of the cause of death.’

“The case was initiated because he is a person who died at home and no one signed his death certificate. It does not mean there are suspicions or irregularities,” a judicial source said, requesting to remain anonymous.

The 60-year-old Argentine football legend was receiving round-the-clock medical care at a house in a gated community where he was recuperating from surgery to remove a clot on his brain in early November.

“The nurse made a statement when the prosecutor appeared on the day of Diego’s death, then expanded her statement and finally went on television to say that what she said was forced on her, so there is some contradiction in her statement,” a relative said.

The prosecutor’s office is awaiting the results of toxicological tests on Maradona’s body. The three prosecutors working on the case have requested the star’s medical records.

Another nurse caring for Maradona was likely the last person to see the star alive, at dawn on Wednesday, prosecutors said in a statement on November 27.

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Ranjini Haridas posts an emotional note on Diego Maradona’s demise

The Gulf Indians — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 12:37:20 +0000

NIRMAL YESODA

The news of legendary Argentinian footballer Diego Maradona’s death due to cardiac arrest shocked the entire globe, and fans of the footballer poured condolences on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Joining millions of his fans, Malayalam anchor Ranjini Haridas also penned an emotional note bidding adieu to the legendary footballer. It should be noted that Ranjini had spent some quality time with Maradona when he visited Kerala, as a part of promoting Chemmannur Jewellers.

“I had the honour of hosting an event years ago when the Legend himself came to visit his Malayalee football fans in Cannanore. That day will forever be etched in my heart as it was probably one of the most energy-filled, crazy, most fun ones I’ve hosted,” wrote Ranjini Haridas.

Ranjini also recollected her memories sharing those valuable moments with Maradona. She added that Maradona had kissed her during that programme.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ranjini Haridas (@ranjini_h)

“My mind immediately travelled back to that very day of complete madness – hosting the event, dancing with him, being kissed by him …instead of excitement, it’s sadness and a huge sense of loss that I feel. To know he is no more is definitely a hard hit for the world. A tremendous loss. ‘You filled up everywhere that you went with your inimitable aura..whether it be a football field, a stage show, or even a party. You lived your live king size and you lived it your way’…So here is to the one and only “Diego Maradona – A True Legend – may your soul rest in peace !!!” added Ranjini.

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Football legend Maradona passes away at 60 due to cardiac arrest

The Gulf Indians — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 16:54:46 +0000

Football legend Diego Maradona passed away on November 25 due to a heart attack, according to reports.

The 60-year-old had earlier had an emergency operation for a subdural hematoma, which is an accumulation of blood between a membrane and his brain.

Maradona, regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, helped Argentina win the World Cup in 1986, the pinnacle of an illustrious career.

He played club football for Boca Juniors, Napoli and Barcelona among others and was adored by millions for his brilliant skills.

Maradona was responsible for the infamous ‘Hand of God’ that eliminated England from the 1986 tournament.

Retired Brazilian soccer star Pele said it is sad to “lose friends this way.”

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ISL begins in the new world today

The Gulf Indians — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:04:42 +0000

The big day is on every football fan as India’s biggest football “ Indian Super League” kicks off its seventh edition. This year, the tournament will be held only in Goa due to COVID-19 pandemic. The first game will be played between Kerala Blasters vs ATK Mohun Bagan at the GMC stadium in Bambolina, Goa.

Sport in spectator-less, bio-secure bubbles may have become the norm across the globe. But India has only taken gingerly steps towards hosting events. The most notable one was the I-League Qualifiers held in Kolkata last month, which has five teams and 10 matches. The ISL , on the other hand, is an 11- team, 115-match behemoth spread over five months.

A closed door tournament will be new to the players too. Clubs such as Bengaluru FC (BFC), Kerala Blaster and FC Goa will miss their passionate fan-base.

With just three-stadiums being used, the advantages of playing in the home ground stands negated.

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Barcelona legend to stay at the club

The Gulf Indians — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 10:04:59 +0000

Barca fans can rejoice for now. After much deliberation, Argentinian star Lionel Messi decided to stay at Barcelona for one more year.

He said that he is staying because it is “impossible” for any team to pay his release clause and he does not want to face “the club I love” in court.

But he launched a stinging attack on Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu, whom he accused of going back on an agreement to let him leave for free at the end of last season. “The president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I wanted to go or if I wanted to stay and in the end he didn’t end up keeping his word,” Messi said in an interview with a sports portal on September 6.

💙❤️ Leo #Messi: “I will give it my all. My love for Barça will never change.” pic.twitter.com/xBh29dTqpr

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 4, 2020

The star wanted to go, but ultimately was not allowed. Barcelona stood firm and said any team that wanted him to pay a 700 million release clause, that, particularly after the economic devastation caused by the pandemic, no one can pay.

Messi had said he wanted to leave the club he joined as a boy after Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter finals in August.

Barcelona are hoping Messi does what Neymar did at Paris Saint- Germain: stay one more year, continue to perform, and in the end change his mind about leaving.

Neymar almost returned to Barcelona last season, when he made it clear that he was intent on leaving Paris. However, PSG turned down Barcelona’s offers and the Brazilian reluctantly stayed on for one more year

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Lionel Messi wants OUT

The Gulf Indians — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 05:44:33 +0000

Lionel Messi has told Barcelona he wants to leave the club after nearly two decades with the Spanish powerhouse. The football world is now waiting to see where the star will be heading to , after leaving Barcelona.

The club told a news agency on August 25 that Messi sent a document expressing his desire to leave.

Jorge Messi this morning has communicated in a phone call to Barcelona president Bartomeu that his son Leo is leaving, via @FApor_elmundo

— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) August 25, 2020

The announcement comes 11 days after Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals, one of the worst defeats in the player’s career and in the club’s history.

However, his attempt to exit the club could now lead to a legal battle between the two sides over a clause in his contract.

Barcelona said the document sent by Messi referenced a clause allowing him to leave for free at the end of the season. However, the club said the deadline for triggering that clause expired in June and that it would seek legal advice.

If Messi can leave for free, he will have no shortage of suitors. However, only a handful of clubs could realistically afford to pay his wages even without a transfer fee — with mega-rich Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City widely seen as perhaps the most likely destinations.

Lionel Messi IS Barcelona. 😳

pic.twitter.com/dyoQG0xTRS

— Squawka (@Squawka) August 25, 2020

It is also reported that the Argentina great wants to spend next season at Manchester City after moving on from Barcelona.

The superstar spoke with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on the phone last week to discuss a potential move to the Premier League club.

Messi had played for Guardiola from 2008-12, combining to win two Champions League titles in that stretch.

Guardiola has won two Premier League championships with Manchester City, finishing second in the league to Liverpool this year. Adding Messi could make the team a favorite to win the Premier League again as well as contend for a Champions League title.

The 33-year-old Messi has won a record six Ballon d’Or awards during his time at Barcelona as the top player in the world, and has helped the club win 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League crowns.

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AFC Asian Cup 2019 : Sunil Chhetri voted favourite footballer

The Gulf Indians — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 12:20:28 +0000

After 5,61,856 votes over 19 days, Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri was voted as the favourite player of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup by fans.

Asian Football Confederation conducted the poll on their official Instagram handle to select the fan’s favourite player of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Sunil Chhetri beat striker Eldor Shomurodov 51-49 in a tightly contested poll.

Chhetri recently completed 15 years at the international football. He represented Indian football team for 115 matches and scored 72 goals. He made his debut for Blue Tigers against Pakistan in Quetta on June 12, 2005.

He is the second-highest goalscorer in international football among the active footballers, behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and above Argentina’s maestro Lionel Messi.

In a recent interview the Indian footballer was fielded the same and he said that: “I am enjoying my football and am not going away anytime soon.”

“I am fortunate to have played 15 years for my country. It is a dream, 3-4 years more probably and it will be (nearly) 20 years. Who would have thought to play 20 years and so I am living on my dream,” he added.

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Leeds United are back after 16 years of exile

The Gulf Indians — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 09:46:45 +0000

Leeds United’s 16-year exile from the English Premier League is over. Their place in the top flight for next season was confirmed by West Brom’s 2-1 defeat at Huddersfield Town on July 17.

It comes a year after a late collapse saw the northern English team drop to third place and have to go through the playoffs where it was beaten.

Leeds are considered a sleeping giant, who won the last of its three English league titles in 1992 and was a Champion League semi finals in 2001.

A financial collapse led to the team being relegated from the Premier League in 2004.

In 2018, the 49ers Enterprises investment affiliate of the San Francisco NFL team took a minority ownership stake in the club, which is majority owned by Andrea Radrizzani.

West Brom remains a point head of Brentford, which can move into the second automatic promotion place with a win at Stoke on Saturday in its penultimate game.

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FIFA World Cup to kick-off on November 21 at Al Bayat Stadium

The Gulf Indians — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 12:46:32 +0000

The next edition of the FIFA World Cup™ will kick-off at Al Bayt Stadium, in Doha on November 21, 2020 at 13:00 local time. The local kick-off times for group matches have been set for 13:00, 16:00, 19:00 and 22:00, with the simultaneous kick-offs for the last round of group games and knockout-stage timings being 18:00 and 22:00. Khalifa International Stadium will be the setting for the play-off for third place on December 17. The final will kick off one day later at 18:00 at Lusail Stadium in front of an 80,000 crowd.
The match schedule was unveiled on July 15.
With the aim of providing all teams with optimal rest between their matches, the group stage will last 12 days and, with four matches per day, it promises a full and exciting schedule for fans. The tournament’s compact nature – with no air travel needed to move between the venues – will allow organisers, for the first time, to optimise specific match demands for the benefit and comfort of fans, teams and media.
This will be achieved through the assignment of the group fixtures for each matchday to a stadium and kick-off time only after the final draw, currently planned for after the March 2022 international match calendar qualifying window. Once the pairings are known, the possibility will be discussed of providing a more beneficial kick-off time for audiences at home, or indeed for fans in Qatar with regard to the stadium allocation.
For those eager to book their seats at Qatar 2022, hospitality sales are scheduled to start in late 2020. Ticket sales for the general public will be conducted solely via FIFA.com/tickets, where details on the timeline, phases, categories and prices will be communicated in due course.
Detailed information on the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for each confederation is available on FIFA.com. The latest updates in relation to the international match calendar in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic can be found here and here.
All times mentioned are local. Arabia Standard Time (AST) is UTC/GMT+3 or CET+2.

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Manchester City win appeal against European ban

The Gulf Indians — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:30:00 +0000

Manchester City’s long-running battle with European football’s governing body has come to an end. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on July 13 lifted the two-year ban of the club from UEFA competitions. With the appeal in their favour, Pep Guardiola’s side can now compete in next season’s Champions League football once again.

In February, UEFA banned City from its club competitions for the next two seasons after being found guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play Regulations, which also included a fine of €30million.

The Premier League club immediately challenged the verdict, and CAS has now declared that the initial punishment was too harsh and removed the European ban. The CAS in its statement said that most of the alleged breaches against the Manchester City were time barred and there were insufficient evidence to hold the club guilty in this specific case.

The ruling has been described as a “biggest win” for the club, which will now have to pay a fine of €10million due to its failure to cooperate with the UEFA authorities.

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ISL to be played behind closed doors

The Gulf Indians — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 07:13:00 +0000

Owing to the pandemic situation, Indian Super League 2020-21 is likely to be held from November to March. As per the reports, the league is expected to be restricted to two states with Goa and Kerala placed in the forefront to host the league.

Both Goa and Kerala are better placed in comparison to other states at this point of time as far as the COVID-19 situation is concerned. The ISL team will stay put in a bio-secure environment.

The decision was taken during a meeting between the ISL organsiers Football Sports Development Ltd. (FSDL) and club representatives on Monday.

However, the organisers made this clear that before finalising the states and venues they will take into consideration the medical and logistical aspects, the COVID regulations in various states to create a conducive and healthy environment for all the people involved.

A virtual ISL workshop will be conducted in October. The clubs will be provided with all the details, rules and regulations regarding the event.

Other than Goa and Kerala, Kolkata, northeastern regions like Aizawl, Imphal, Shillong, Guwahati and Gangtok is also shortlisted as probable venues for the coming season.

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Lionel Messi plans to sever ties with Barcelona

The Gulf Indians — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 11:59:37 +0000

Football star Lionel Messi is planning to break his oath with Barcelona next year. Reports suggest that, Messi, who is the captain of Barcelona, has called off his negotiations over renewing his contract with the club and is ready to leave the Catalans when his current deal expires in 2021.

The report said Messi and his father Jorge had begun discussion over his future and he no longer wishes to stay at Camp Nou. Messi’s latest contract was signed in 2017.

The current situation has been brewing for some time. In February, Messi said he did not believe Barcelona could win the Champions League on current form. There are reports that Messi is angry about leaked media reports that appeared to make him responsible for events at the club, such as the sacking of Coach Ernesto Valverde and speculations over Messi’s relationship with the coaching staff helmed by Quique Setien.

The six time Ballon d’Or winner is always known for his shy personality off the pitch, but he has become more vocal in criticising the club and is allegedly unhappy with the atmosphere at the club and the fact he gets blamed whenever things go wrong.

As speculation on Messi’s Barcelona future heaped up, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane was asked about it after his side beat Getafe 1-0 to go four points clear of defending champions Barcelona at the top of La Liga with five matches to go. Zinedine Zidane said that he wanted him to stay and continue in La Liga.

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Lionel Messi joins elite group with his 700th goal

The Gulf Indians — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 11:10:50 +0000

Web Desk

Lionel Messi scored his 700th career goal on June 30, scoring from the penalty spot in his team’s 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou.

Messi converted a cheeky panenka spot kick to reach the milestone. He scored 630 times for Barcelona in 724 appearances in all competitions and another 70 for Argentina in 138 caps.

He is the top scorer by a distance for both club and country, having overtaken Barca legend Cesar Rodriguez(232 goals) in 2012 and former Argentina International Gabriel Batistuta (52 goals) in 2016.

Since 2014 , Messi has been La Liga’s all time top scorer. The record was previously held by former Athletic Bilbao striker Telmo Zarra, who scored 251 top-flight goals. Messi is currently at 441. Cristiano Ronaldo scored 311 for Real Madrid before his 2018 move to Juventus.

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The wait is over: Liverpool crowned as champions

The Gulf Indians — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 07:36:53 +0000

Web Desk

After what seemed like an eternity ,now it’s Liverpool’s time.Despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a three-month suspension of the season, Liverpool became champions of the English Premier League since 1990 after Chelsea beat Manchester City on Thursday. They have won the title with seven games remaining. Liverpool waited 30 years to clinch its 19th league title.

After Liverpool secured victory, the team’s jubilant coach Jurgen Klopp break down in tears. “It’s such a big moment, I am completely overwhelmed,” said Jurgen Klopp. Klopp is the first German manager to win the Premier League.

It was Willian’s 78th-minute penalty that helped Chelsea beat Manchester City. Chelsea beat second-place Manchester City 2-1. Liverpool have broken joint record held by Manchester United and City for fastest win. Liverpool were last champions of England when they won the old First Division title in 1989-90

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UAE football season to begin in September

The Gulf Indians — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 05:19:47 +0000

Web desk
The 2020-2021 football season in the UAE will kick off on September 3 with the Arabian Gulf Cup, while the Arabian Gulf League will begin on September 9 and the Arabian Gulf League U-21 will follow on September 11, the UAE Pro League declared on June 25, WAM reported.
The announcement came after a series of coordination meetings with stakeholders. The Pro League had held a meeting with the UAE Football Association (UAEFA), which was attended by representatives of the national teams committee and the competitions committee, to discuss the new fixtures.

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AIFF to suggest Vijayan’s name for Padma Shri award

The Gulf Indians — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 08:17:05 +0000

Web Desk

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has decided to send footballer IM Vijayan’s name for Padma Shri Award to the sports ministry, reports said

Former India captain from Kerala, Vijayan, 51, was the recipient of Arjuna Award in 2003. A three-time AIFF player of the year, Vijayan is one of the most skilful footballers the country has ever produced.

Vijayan played 79 matches for India between 1992 and 2003, and scored 40 goals. The reticent Thrissur born-footballer formed a prolific strike partnership for India alongside Bhaichung Bhutia and helped the team score various vital goals in international tournaments.

He was part of the victorious Indian team in the 1999 South Asian Football Federation Cup and scored one of the fastest international goals in history during the tournament, finding the back of the net against Bhutan after just 12 seconds.

He also finished as the top scorer in the Afro-Asian Games event held in India in 2003 with four goals. Vijayan formally retired from international football after the Afro-Asian Games of 2003.

At the club level, some of Vijayan’s best performances early on in his career came in a Kerala Police football club shirt, his first team.

Vijayan put up some brilliant performances for Kerala Police at Quilon Nationals 1987, and was able to impress the national football fraternity very soon with his skills and aggressive style.

He also played for Mohun Bagan and towards the end of his career donned the East Bengal jersey too.

The Sports Ministry had on June 3 extended the deadline for submission of applications for the National Sports Awards till June 22.

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Valiant UAE go down fighting in Arabian Gulf Cup

The Gulf Indians — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 06:15:50 +0000

Van Marwijk’s men depart tournament after defeat to hosts

Dubai: They may not have a further role to play in the ongoing 24th Arabian Gulf Cup but, despite making a premature exit, Bert van Marwijk should be looking to the future with confidence after his UAE side showed great courage during last night’s 4-2 defeat by AFC Asian Cup winners Qatar.

Valiant is the word to best describe the UAE’s efforts on a day the country celebrated its 48th National Day. Apart from the entourage of team officials that accompanied them to Qatar, the Whites did not appear to have any kind of support inside Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium, which was packed to the rafters and housed a partisan crowd that threw its weight fully behind the tournament hosts.

Furthermore, the UAE may not have had the physicality, particularly when it came to player height, to compete against an internationally assembled Qatar squad, but the Emiratis were not short in terms of heart, and fought until the very end.

Having followed up the 3-0 victory over Yemen in the campaign opener with a 2-0 defeat by Iraq in their second game, the UAE’s task was made tougher by Qatar, who drubbed Yemen 6-0 after losing 2-1 to the Iraqis in their opening game. And while Qatar needed a draw to go through, the UAE had to win to go forward.

Both sides spent the early moments getting a measure of the other but Qatar were the first to make inroads and two minutes after UAE goalkeeper Mohammed Al Shamsi used his feet well to block Almoez Ali from close range in the 18th, Akram Hassan Afif capitalised on a UAE defensive error and placed between Al Shamsi’s legs to put the hosts ahead.

Afif made it 2-0 from the spot in the 28th after Qatar were handed a penalty via VAR for Mohammed Al Menhali’s handball just inside the box. It was harsh, but after a lengthy consideration the referee drew a box with his hands and pointed to the spot.

In a form of poetic justice, the UAE pulled one back in the 33rd through Ali Mabkhout, who successfully converted the penalty awarded for Bandar Al Ahbabi’s hacking down in the box by Qatar goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb as the industrious midfielder tried to round him.

The UAE were livelier in the second half, but Qatar managed to add a third to their tally through Hassan Al Haydos, who powered home from about seven yards out. Far from being outdone, the UAE continued to press and were rewarded in the 77th when Mabkhout scored again and nearly added a third but for Al Sheeb, who showed a strong pair of hands to thwart late on.

Boualem Khoukhi headed home in the fourth minute of time added on to round off the scoring.

The other Group A game saw Iraq and Yemen play out a goalless draw, meaning the Iraqis will join Qatar in the knockout rounds.

– The writer is a sport journalist based in the UAE

UAE’s forward Ali Mabkhout celebrates his goal during the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup Group A football match against Qatar.
Image Credit: AFP

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