Navas Shines on Debut as Forest Edge Out Leeds

Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Leeds United - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - February 5, 2023 Nottingham Forest's Keylor Navas in action. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Leeds United - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - February 5, 2023 Nottingham Forest's Keylor Navas in action. (Reuters)
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Navas Shines on Debut as Forest Edge Out Leeds

Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Leeds United - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - February 5, 2023 Nottingham Forest's Keylor Navas in action. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Leeds United - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - February 5, 2023 Nottingham Forest's Keylor Navas in action. (Reuters)

Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson scored the winner but it was debutant keeper Keylor Navas they had to thank for a gritty 1-0 Premier League home victory over Leeds United on Sunday.

The 36-year-old Costa Rican, signed on loan from Paris St Germain until the end of the season, pulled off a string of superb reflex saves to deny a Leeds side who dominated possession, but could not find a way past him.

Forest took the lead against the run of play when Leeds defender Pascal Struijk fouled Johnson and he compounded the error by botching his headed clearance from the free kick, teeing up a chance for Johnson.

The Welsh forward needed no further invitation, firing a rasping volley into the net to breaking the deadlock with his side's first effort on target.

The visitors could have levelled but Luis Sinisterra somehow blasted his effort high over the bar with the goal at his mercy, and when Leeds managed to get efforts on target Navas reacted smartly to keep them out.

Despite spending much of a frenetic second half defending, Forest held on to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to five games. They moved up to 13th in the table on 24 points, six ahead of Leeds who are 17th.



Saudi Arabia’s Participation in Paris Olympics Part of Quality of Life Program, Al-Bakr Says

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s Participation in Paris Olympics Part of Quality of Life Program, Al-Bakr Says

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)

CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Quality of Life Program Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Bakr said on Friday the Kingdom’s participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is part of integrated and comprehensive efforts to build a distinguished future for the sports sector in the Kingdom.

This will help reach the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in achieving sports excellence and building a vital and stimulating sports sector for young Saudi men and women.

Al-Bakr said the participation reflects the support of the country’s wise leadership for the sports sector, as well as the efforts made by the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee to develop the sector under the supervision of Sports Minister and Chairman of the Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal.

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program, which is “achieving excellence in several sports regionally and globally” by launching several initiatives on supporting and empowering Saudi athletes and contributing to increasing the number of athletes participating in the Olympic Games.

Since its launch in 2018, the program has offered many initiatives to develop the sports sector, Al-Bakr said. He cited the Elite Athletes Development Program, which trained and empowered Saudi players participating in the Paris Olympics, in addition to initiatives concerned with supporting and empowering women to contribute to the sports system, the Saudi Games, and building sports academies, including the establishment of Mahd Academy.

The program seeks to discover, develop, and support sports talents with the aim of creating a sports generation capable of competing in and representing the Kingdom in various regional and international events, he added.