Football - Int News
FOOTBALL - Int News 16 Sep, 2024
Over 20 nationalities, 200 players: 90 matches to be played during 18-week soccer festivalSports Bulletin ReportRiyadh (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Women’s Premier League prepares to reach new heights as the nation’s top women’s division returns to action on Friday (September 27, 2024).With 90 matches set to take place across the 18-match week campaign of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s (SAFF) Women’s Premier League, the third season of top tier professional women’s football in the Kingdom will see the game reach new levels in 2024-25, with over 200 players registered for the new season.Ahead of the new campaign, the league saw over 15 new international signings join the 10 clubs, resulting in the total number of player nationalities reaching more than 20. The influx of international talent to the Saudi Women’s Premier League is a testament to the growth of women’s football in the Kingdom, following on from the qualification of Al Nassr to the Preliminary Stage of the AFC Women’s Champions League in August.The new season’s kick-off campaign - titled ‘See Us Play’ - invites football fans to celebrate women’s football in Saudi Arabia. With a new generation of football fans emerging in the Kingdom, including 77,000 female players in the nation’s school league, the Women’s Premier League will provide supporters with memorable moments across the new season.SAFF President, Yasser Al Misehal said: “We’re very proud of the growth of women’s football in Saudi Arabia and excited to see the return of the Women’s Premier League. The Federation’s investment in women’s football is clearly working so we will continue to increase our investments at all levels. As we go into the third season of the league, we have more registered players, football clubs, domestic competitions, national teams, licensed coaches, referees, and girls participating in the regional training centers and the school’s league than ever before. I congratulate our Women’s Football Department on this initiative, and wish the players, clubs and officials good luck and in the spirit of the campaign, encourage everyone across Saudi and beyond to #SeeUsPlay. We have so many historic clubs and passionate fans who support them but there is new history to write, and these players simply deserve your support. Everyone benefits from the noise and energy you will bring.”Head of Women’s Football at SAFF, Aalia Al Rasheed said: “The development we have seen for the Saudi Women’s Premier League over the past two seasons has been remarkable, going from having no professional female players to now having over 20 nationalities competing here in Saudi Arabia. It has been an incredible experience to witness how this game is inspiring a new generation, with players who saw the formation of our national team in 2021 now joining the women’s professional league and professional women’s clubs now competing on the international stage. The Saudi Women’s Premier League continues to develop rapidly with international players now eager to join our clubs and the formation of youth clubs and leagues to support the emerging talents of Saudi football and highlight the unique international stars to join the league this season. The record growth at a grassroots level is what we are most proud of, but we are looking forward to seeing how this continues to develop in the coming season, inspired by our new #SeeUsPlay campaign.”
FOOTBALL - Int News 29 Aug, 2024
Sports Bulletin ReportRiyadh (Saudi Arabia): Back-to-back Saudi Women’s Premier League champions Al Nassr secured a second successive victory in the preliminary group stage in the AFC Women’s Champions league to top Group A going into the final round this weekend.The Riyadh club, representing the Kingdom as the first Saudi side to compete in Asia’s premier continental women’s club competition, provided a dominant display on Tuesday on their way to sealing a 3-0 victory against Young Elephants FC of Laos.Algerian midfielder Lina Boussaha opened the scoring with a stunning free kick ahead of half time, before new summer signing Ruth Kipoyi doubled Al Nassr’s advantage going into the half time break. The former Galatasary attacker darted into the box before sending a stunning strike into the top corner for her first goal for the Riyadh club.Sandro Mendes’ side started the second half as they finished, with Tanzanian striker Clara Luvanga firing a low finish for her third goal in two AFC Women’s Champions League matches.Basma Al Shenaifi said: “It means so much to me to be playing at this level. The girls have been so helpful, I’m always learning from them. In every training session they always come and help me so I can improve my game. They have inspired me to play with confidence, not be afraid to make mistakes. It’s been a great start to the season for me.”Tuesday’s win sees Al Nassr sit atop Group A with two wins from two matches, setting up a table-topping clash with UAE-side Abu Dhabi Country Club in the final fixture of the Group A Preliminary Stages.Al Nassr stopper Sara Khalid sees her side continuing to build on its strong foundations following two consecutive shutouts to make progress towards the goal of achieving AFC Women’s Champions League qualification.Sara Khalid said: “Before we came into the group, we said the aim was to win the three games. We have 6 points so far so we’re working towards the next 3 points now. There has been a really strong chemistry between myself and the backline so far which is positive. We have been training well together to develop that, and with every game, we enter with the aim of keeping a clean sheet to not concede no matter who the opponent is. We’ve managed to keep the two clean sheets which has helped us build our way into the game. We have our identity, our style, and we’ll keep building on this”.
FOOTBALL - Int News 25 Aug, 2024
Sports Bulletin ReportRiyadh (Saudi Arabia): The stage is set ahead of the first ever AFC Women’s Champions League matches to take place in Saudi Arabia, with Women’s Premier League champions Al Nassr preparing to become the first women’s side from the Kingdom to participate in the illustrious competition on Sunday evening.The Riyadh club will make their debut in Group A of the competition’s preliminary stage on Sunday evening at Al Awwal Park against Myawady Women FC, the domestic champions of Myanmar. The two-time Saudi Arabian league champions will then face Young Elephants of Laos and champions of the UAE’s domestic women’s league, Abu Dhabi Country Club to round out the group.Al Nassr head coach, Sandro Mendes believes his side have what it takes to compete in Asia’s premier women’s club competition. “We know the teams we are facing, we’ve done our homework. We’ll take it game by game but we are Al Nassr and we’re ready to compete,” he said.With the official start to the Saudi Arabian Women’s Premier League in September, the challenge of qualifying to the next stage of the top women’s club competition in Asian football is something Mendes feels his side have prepared for.Mendes added, “It’s our first official game of the season but I believe we are ready. We’ve had a good preseason in Spain and added some strong international players with experience to the squad, so we hope to progress to the next stage.”Sousa said, “from my few weeks of training with the team so far, it’s clear that Al Nassr doesn’t just come to compete and take part. We’re ready to give our all in every match and obviously go for the win.”The Brazilian international, who competed in last season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League with her former club, is looking forward to the chance to make an impact on her debut in the club’s first ever appearance in Asia’s top women’s club competition.“For me, every player wants to make history for the club. Every competition is different but at a big club, you always want to win and make history. So hopefully we can take the first step in this competition,” she added.Organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the AFC Women’s Champions League is destined to usher in a new era of success and progress for women’s football in the years ahead – serving as the new premier continental competition for professional women’s clubs across the region. For the upcoming 2024/25 season, the highly anticipated inaugural edition will welcome the 21 domestic champions from AFC member associations.
FOOTBALL - Int News 20 Aug, 2024
Sports Bulletin ReportRiyadh (Saudi Arabia): The 2024-25 season ushers in a new era for the Roshn Saudi League (RSL), featuring a series of innovations aimed at enhancing the league’s competitiveness, as well as a host of new international stars and homegrown heroes.Gracing the league for the first time will be names including former Real Madrid captain Nacho, Premier Leaue golden boot winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as well as high-profile arrivals Houssem Aouar, Moussa Diaby and Predrag Rajkovic. Meanwhile, World Cup winner Laurent Blanc is one of a number of new faces in the dugout, including Sabri Lamouchi. Benzema said: “We’re here to challenge for everything, not just make up the numbers. We know we need to improve. We have a new manager and have added some real quality to the squad with Moussa Diaby and Houssem Aouar, and I’ve been really impressed by some of the younger guys who have come in to the squad. As senior players it’s our job to take responsibility and allow these young guys to come in to the team and thrive.”Neves said: “Winning trophies comes with great responsibility, and we take that seriously. We know we can’t take our foot off the gas… so we’re focused on having a great start to the season and we’re looking forward to having injured players back in the team. We know they can take us to that next level.”Mane said: “We fell short last season and we need to step up this year. Everyone in the squad, myself included. I’m sure every other team in the league is hoping to do the same. I’m expecting a super competitive season with some very good players joining the league and new young boys coming through.”Aubameyang said: “My challenge is to continue what I've been doing all my career and all my life: scoring goals and try to give my experience to the team and to the players. It's getting better and better [The RSL]. And obviously we're here to bring the level higher.”Gerrard said: “You can already see things have gone up a notch with the league, not just in the quality of the teams but how the league are going about things. We’re really looking forward to the new derby weekends, which I think will give those fixtures an added edge and I think some of the transfers in and out across the league are really smart.”Blanc said: “So far, I’ve been really impressed with everything I’ve seen – from the facilities through to the infrastructure of the league. We know we are here to build a winning team and that is absolutely my priority, to restore Al Ittihad to where it needs to be, but we also have an eye on making sure we’re making the most of fantastic young talents like we have here.”The 2023-24 season saw eight RSL clubs move to new stadiums thanks to the Ministry of Sport’s efforts to elevate sporting infrastructure. The league’s global footprint also grew by 30% to reach 160 countries across 38 platforms, as part of the competition’s goal to become a top global football league.
FOOTBALL - Int News 09 Aug, 2024
Sports Bulletin ReportRiyadh (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Super Cup, the traditional curtain raiser in Saudi Arabian football, is set to ignite the 2024-25 season with an opening weekend of high-intensity football and fierce competition as the first matches of the new season kick off in Abha this week.Hosted in the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium in the picturesque city of Abha for the first time, the top four teams from Saudi Arabian football’s historic 2023-24 season will compete for the first honours of the new season.As the top four finishers in the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) in the previous season, Al Nassr, Al Ahli, Al Taawoun and domestic treble winners Al Hilal will compete for the prestigious trophy to open the campaign.Following Al Hilal's record fourth Super Cup win in April, this year's tournament will continue with the expanded four-team format introduced in 2023. The semi-final phase will see Al Hilal begin their campaign against Al Ahli on 13 August, while Al Nassr take on Al Taawoun on 14 August in Abha. The winners will then proceed to the Saudi Super Cup final, set to kick off at 7.15pm local time on Saturday 17 August.As the domestic treble-winners last season, Al Hilal is aiming to maintain their flawless form from the 2023-24 campaign which saw the Riyadh side secure their record 19th league title under Portuguese manager, Jorge Jesus. Portugal’s Ruben Neves, Serbian duo Aleksandr Mitrovic and Sergej Milinković-Savić, and the returning Neymar are all set to feature in the season-opening competition in Abha.Returning for their second top-flight season, Al Ahli will provide a tough test for last year’s champions as the Jeddah team aims to secure their first Super Cup victory since 2016. With a strong pre-season featuring the return of international stars in Edouard Mendy, Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino, the opening match in Saudi Arabian football will provide a lively start to the new season.Al Nassr, led by Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, have their sights set on redemption going into the new season, after a dramatic penalty shoot-out loss in the King’s Cup final to end a difficult campaign. With new signing Brazilian goalkeeper Bento set to feature, the Riyadh side will be aiming to add to their two previous successes in the Saudi Super Cup.
FOOTBALL - Int News 28 Jul, 2024
Sports Bulletin ReportOslo (Norway): Pakistan Street Child Football Team outclassed hosts Astor Football Club 6-1 by showing impressive performance in their opening match of the Norway Cup 2024 here on Sunday.Astor Football Club scored the first goal in the first half of the match against the Green Shirts, after a few moments, Pakistan equalized the match 1-1. In the second half of the match, the Pakistani street child football team scored 5 goals in a row, Abdul Ghani scored 2 goals, Isa, Junaid, Owais and Mohammad Khan scored one each.Mohammad Adeel, the captain of the national street child football team, spoke after the match said: “We have practiced hard and learned new techniques, God willing, we won the matches, the morale of the players is high with this victory.”The national street child football team played their second group match on July 29 against Vardenset Football Club of Norway. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan national street child football team has been the runner-up in Norway Cup 2023.
FOOTBALL - Int News 27 Jul, 2024
Sports Bulletin ReportOslo (Norway): Pakistan Street Child Football Team players and officials have arrived Oslo in the capital city of Norway to participate in Norway Cup Football Festival 2024.Pakistan team departed from Islamabad International Airport at 5 am on July 27 for Norway, Oslo to participate in Norway Cup 2024. The national team consists of 22 member squad which includes Mohammad Kashif, Isa Khan, Shahid Anjum, Abdul Ghani, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Khan, Daniyal Owais, Mohammad Usama and defenders, Asad Nasir, Obaidullah, Mohammad Adeel, Hamza Gul. Goalkeeper, Aryan, Adeel Ali Khan are part of the squad.Pakistan Street Child Football Team will play their first match on July 28 against Astor Football Club of Norway, second match on July 29 against Vardenset Football Club of Norway and third match of the group on July 30 against Norwegian club. Mohammad Adeel will lead Pakistan team. Pakistani players were runner-up in the held Street Child Football World Cup, while the Norway Cup finished second in 2015 and third in 2016.
FOOTBALL - Int News 26 Jul, 2024
Sports Bulletin ReportRiyadh (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announces season two of the Women’s Football Clubs Development Fund Program, continuing its commitment to nurturing and promoting women’s football across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.For the 2024-25 season, the total support fund has increased to SAR 60 million, representing a SAR 10 million rise allocated in the previous season, reflecting SAFF’s dedication to further developing women’s football.Building on the success of the inaugural season, this season’s program will extend its support to 70 women’s football clubs participating in various competitions, including the SAFF Women's Premier League, SAFF Women's First Division League, SAFF Women's Second Division League, SAFF Women's Cup, SAFF Women’s U-17 Tournament, and the Women’s Futsal Tournament.As part of the enhanced program for the new season, SAFF has introduced new criteria to ensure the continuous growth and professional development of women’s football. These new criteria for women’s football clubs include:Sponsorship criteria requiring clubs to attract sponsorsScouting criteria mandating the appointment of an official scout by clubsMedical criteria requiring clubs to appoint a doctor and issue medical reportsFans criteria encouraging increased attendance at matchesNutrition criteria requiring clubs to appoint a nutrition specialistTechnology criteria mandating the use of GPS to assess players' fitness levelsLamia Bahaian, Vice President SAFF said: "We've seen incredible progress in women's football over the past year, and the increased support fund for this season is a clear indication of our commitment to pushing even further. Our aim is to create more opportunities for women in football and build a strong foundation for the sport in Saudi Arabia. With the expansion of our program, we're not only increasing the number of participating clubs but also enhancing the quality of the teams participating in our competitions. We're focused on providing the necessary resources and support to help our players, coaches, and teams thrive. This season promises to be an exciting chapter for women's football, and we're eager to see the continued growth and success of our athletes."Last season, significant strides were made with the hiring of 18 Saudi coaches, and 91% of clubs’ head coaches now hold an A coaching license. Additionally, 24% of clubs have coaches with a pro license, highlighting the increasing professionalization within women's football.Further achievements include the establishment of Under-17 teams by 56% of the clubs, providing a platform for young female footballers to develop their skills. The commitment to nurturing homegrown talent is also evident with 87 professional contracts signed with Saudi players, marking a significant milestone in the development of women's football in the Kingdom.As SAFF embarks on this new season, it remains committed to fostering an inclusive and dynamic football environment that empowers women and young girls to pursue their passion for the sport. The significant increase in funding and the expansion of support services demonstrate SAFF's ongoing dedication to elevating women's football.
FOOTBALL - Int News 24 Jul, 2024
Sports Bulletin ReportRiyadh (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Pro League (SPL) and Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) have announced a new five-year production partnership with IMG, a global sports, events, and representation company, for the Roshn Saudi League (RSL), King’s Cup, and Saudi Super Cup, starting from the 2024-25 season.This season will mark a significant shift for the SPL and SAFF, as IMG takes on the role of broadcast producer for the RSL, King’s Cup, and Saudi Super Cup, in partnership with the SPL and SAFF, combining the expertise of local partners with IMG’s world-class production experience and capabilities. The strategic collaboration will ensure best-in-class production quality, innovation and consistency across all RSL, Saudi Super Cup, and King’s Cup matches.The 2024-25 season broadcast of the RSL, King’s Cup, and Saudi Super Cup will feature more dynamic storytelling and captivating content that highlights the excitement of the matches and celebrates the rich culture and passion that drive the sport. This will enable partners to offer deeper insights, as well as more engaging and entertaining narratives, enhancing the viewing experience for fans around the world and fostering a deeper connection with the league.Omar Mugharbel, CEO of the Saudi Pro League, said: “Our new production partnership marks a significant step forward for the SPL as we continue our transformation and growth on and off the pitch. Our collaboration with IMG reflects our commitment to bring world-class production standards to Saudi football with the league the central host producer. By leveraging the expertise of IMG and maintaining strong partnerships with local and regional distributors, the SPL is poised to deliver an unparalleled football viewing experience to fans around the world through technology, innovation and talent.”Barney Francis, EVP of Studios at IMG, said: “Saudi Pro League is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing leagues in global football, with fans around the world now tuning in to watch thrilling action between some of the game’s biggest stars. In today’s battle for attention, it’s critical for rightsholders to take control of their narrative and innovate. We are excited to help SPL take its content offering and storytelling to the next level for viewers and broadcasters, and to provide opportunities for local broadcast and production talent to be part of the journey.”
FOOTBALL - Int News 22 Jul, 2024
Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: A 15-member Pakistan Street Child Football Team has been announced for the Norway Cup 2024, which will be kicked-off on July 27, as Green Shirts will face Astor Club Norway in their first match on July 28 in Oslo, an official of Muslim Hands Zia Noor and Chairman, Prime Minister’s Youth Program Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan jointly unfolded the squad in a press conference at Jinnah Hall, Pakistan Sports Complex on Sunday. Zia Noor Mustafa said: “Mohammad Adeel will lead in the national team in the event while Mohammad Rasheed will travel with the team as a coach. We selected the players on merit. We picked up the players from remote areas of the country and provide occasion to excel at international level to raise the national flag in international sports arenas. We need support from the government to create more opportunities to boys for good education and health as well. We are getting donation to run our affairs. In the last edition of Norway Cup our team was second in the world.”Rana Mashood said: “Pakistani youth has tremendous talent of sports and our government trying its best to provide maximum opportunities to youth in all departments including sports. There were 16 sports disciplines in the Prime Minister’s Youth Program and will be increased the number of sports up to 23 this year. Muslim Hands doing very important role to promote the street child in the field of football, which is most popular game in the world. We will support to this noble cause of Muslim hands. I hope our players will toil hard and win the tournament.” Names of players: Aryan Khan, Adeel Ali Khan (Goalkeepers), Asad Nasir, Obaid-ullah, Mohammad Adeel, Hamza Gull (Defenders), Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Khan, Mohammad Danyal Khan, Mohammad Owais, Mohammad Usama (Midfielders), Mohammad Kashif, Essa Khan, Shahid Anjum, Abdul Ghani (Forwards).
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