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Al-Hilal Aiming for Record 5th Asian Champions League Title

File photo: Football - Club World Cup - Semi Final - Flamengo v Al Hilal - Grand Stade de Tanger, Tangier, Morocco - February 7, 2023 Al Hilal's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
File photo: Football - Club World Cup - Semi Final - Flamengo v Al Hilal - Grand Stade de Tanger, Tangier, Morocco - February 7, 2023 Al Hilal's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
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Al-Hilal Aiming for Record 5th Asian Champions League Title

File photo: Football - Club World Cup - Semi Final - Flamengo v Al Hilal - Grand Stade de Tanger, Tangier, Morocco - February 7, 2023 Al Hilal's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
File photo: Football - Club World Cup - Semi Final - Flamengo v Al Hilal - Grand Stade de Tanger, Tangier, Morocco - February 7, 2023 Al Hilal's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Al-Hilal is potentially 180 minutes away from extending its regional record of continental titles from four to five as it faces Urawa Reds of Japan in the first leg of the Asian Champions League final at Riyadh on Saturday.

With the Saudi national team upsetting eventual champion Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar last November, and Al-Hilal eliminating the champions of Africa and South America at the Club World Cup in February before losing the final 5-3 to Real Madrid, expectations are high in the host nation, The Associated Press said.

Al-Hilal is not only the defending continental champion -- and trying to become the first team since domestic rivals Al-Ittihad in 2004 and 2005 to win the AFC title back-to-back --but is also facing Urawa in the final for the third time in six years. The Japanese club won in 2017, with Al-Hilal avenging that two years later.

“We know that it's going to be a difficult game but that is what you expect when you reach a final,” Al-Hilal coach Ramon Diaz said. “We know what we have to do and we also know that this is the first half and then we go to Japan.”

Urawa is hosting the return leg on May 6 at Saitama Stadium, just north of Tokyo.

As well as several players who represented Saudi Arabia at the World Cup, Diaz can call upon in-form Odion Ighalo. The former Nigeria striker, who played on loan at Manchester United in 2020, leads the goal scoring standings in the Saudi Professional League with 18 goals so far this season.

He also has seven goals in the continental tournament —- two more in the final series will move him ahead of Edmilson Junior of Qatar Al-Duhail. Al-Hilal thrashed Al-Duhail 7-0 in February’s semifinals.

Urawa played its semifinal against Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea last August in what has been an elongated tournament. This edition started 14 months ago, with the delay resulting from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) transitioning to a calendar that mirrors the European competition.

Since Urawa’s last Asian Champions League game, Ricardo Rodriguez has been replaced as head coach by Maciej Skorza of Poland. Urawa is currently in fourth place in Japan’s top tier, and Al-Hilal is in fourth spot in the Saudi domestic league.

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Prince Abdul Mohsin Airport Receives First Dakar Rally 2026 Arrivals

This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA
This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA
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Prince Abdul Mohsin Airport Receives First Dakar Rally 2026 Arrivals

This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA
This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA

Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Yanbu has received the first arrivals of competitors participating in the Dakar Rally 2026, as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event.

Cluster2 Airports, the operator of Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz International Airport, stated that arrivals will continue from December 28 to December 31, with approximately 17 flights, both private and commercial, designated for the arrival of competitors and participating teams, SPA reported.

The process is being handled with a high level of operational readiness and full coordination among the relevant authorities.

Cluster2 Airports affirmed that operational and service preparations at the airports have been completed to ensure smooth passenger movement and the provision of high-quality services to participating delegations, reflecting the efficiency of the affiliated airports and their ability to accommodate major international events.

Sports

Knee Injury for Shaheen Shah Afridi Forces Early Exit from Big Bash League

Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
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Knee Injury for Shaheen Shah Afridi Forces Early Exit from Big Bash League

Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)

A knee injury has forced fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi to return home after playing four games for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

“Due to an unexpected injury; I have been called back by the PCB and will have to take a rehab. Hopefully, I will be back in the fields soon,” Afridi wrote on X on Tuesday.

Afridi limped off the field when he picked up the injury on his right knee while bowling against Adelaide Strikers last Saturday, The AP news reported.

Apparently the Pakistan Cricket Board has called back Afridi as a precautionary step with T20 World Cup due to start from February 7.

“I’m massively thankful to the Brisbane Heat team and fans for showering me with immense love and support,” Aridi said, while adding: “Meanwhile, I will be cheering for the amazing team.”

Afridi had a challenging short stint at Brisbane Heat where he picked up just two wickets in four matches at an expensive economy rate of 11.19. In his first game of the season he was removed from the attack in the 18th over when he bowled to waist-high full tosses to Melbourne Renegades’ batters Tim Seifert and Oliver Peake.

It is not the first time that Afridi has hurt his right knee. He sustained an injury on that knee while fielding during a test match in Sri Lanka in 2022 that also ruled him out from the early stages of the T20 World Cup in Australia.

He returned at the later stages of the tournament, but again picked up injury on the same knee during the death overs of the final against England that let the title match slip away from Pakistan.

Pakistan didn’t name Afridi for next month’s three-match T20 series in Sri Lanka as a rotation policy, but he remains one of the key players for the T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by Sri Lanka and India.

Sports

Injured Aubameyang to Miss International Swansong with Gabon

Gabon's forward #09 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores a goal in front of Mozambique's defender #17 Edson Sitoe during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group F football match between Gabon and Mozambique at Grand Stadium in Agadir on December 28, 2025. (AFP)
Gabon's forward #09 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores a goal in front of Mozambique's defender #17 Edson Sitoe during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group F football match between Gabon and Mozambique at Grand Stadium in Agadir on December 28, 2025. (AFP)
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Injured Aubameyang to Miss International Swansong with Gabon

Gabon's forward #09 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores a goal in front of Mozambique's defender #17 Edson Sitoe during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group F football match between Gabon and Mozambique at Grand Stadium in Agadir on December 28, 2025. (AFP)
Gabon's forward #09 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores a goal in front of Mozambique's defender #17 Edson Sitoe during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group F football match between Gabon and Mozambique at Grand Stadium in Agadir on December 28, 2025. (AFP)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s international career looks to have ended with a whimper as he headed back to France on Tuesday and will miss Gabon’s last game at the Africa Cup of Nations ​finals.

After losing their opening two matches in Group F to Cameroon and Mozambique, Gabon have been eliminated with one match left to play against holders Ivory Coast in Marrakech on Wednesday.

At the age of 36, it was expected the clash against the Ivorians would bring down the curtain on his 16-year international career, but he will skip the last group game as he returns to his club ‌Olympique de Marseille. ‌

A thigh injury on the eve of ‌the ⁠tournament ​in Morocco ‌meant his participation was in doubt, but he came on after 30 minutes against Cameroon in Gabon’s opening game on Christmas Eve and played the full game against Mozambique on Sunday, scoring in the 3-2 defeat.

“Following the established medical protocol between Marseille and Gabon medical staff regarding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, clinical examinations were conducted daily,” said a statement on Tuesday from the ⁠Gabon football federation.

“The most recent examination confirmed the discomfort he experienced in his left thigh ‌the day after the Gabon-Mozambique match. Given the ‍disappointing results, which cut short ‍Gabon’s participation, the medical staff, in consultation with his club, agreed to ‍protect the player's physical well-being by exempting him from the final, inconsequential match."

GABON’S LONG TIME TALISMAN

Aubameyang has long been Gabon’s talisman, electing to play for the team his father had captained, even after playing for France, where he ​was born, at junior level.

He made his debut for Gabon in 2009, scoring against Morocco in a World Cup qualifier, ⁠and went on to win 82 caps and score 39 goals.

Aubameyang helped Gabon reach the Cup of Nations quarter-final when they hosted the tournament in 2012 but was the only player to fail to convert his penalty in a post-match shootout loss to Mali.

The tournament in Morocco was Aubameyang’s sixth Cup of Nations finals appearance. He was African Footballer of the Year in 2015.

Earlier this year, he helped Gabon finish as one of the four best runners-up in the World Cup qualifiers, including four goals in the game against Gambia in October.

Gabon, however, lost in ‌last month’s Africa playoffs, ending hopes of qualifying for a first-ever World Cup finals appearance in North America next June.