عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Saudi Arabia Hosts Afro-Arab Esports League 2023

The competitions of the Afro-Arab Esports League kicked off on Saturday. (SEF)
The competitions of the Afro-Arab Esports League kicked off on Saturday. (SEF)
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia Hosts Afro-Arab Esports League 2023

The competitions of the Afro-Arab Esports League kicked off on Saturday. (SEF)
The competitions of the Afro-Arab Esports League kicked off on Saturday. (SEF)

The competitions of the Afro-Arab Esports League kicked off on Saturday, featuring participation from over 25 national teams. The teams will compete for three days in a variety of tournaments tailored for both men and women, covering popular games such as eFootball and Valorant.

The inauguration ceremony of the Afro-Arab Esports League was held in the presence of Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation and chairman of the Arab Esports Federation, and Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, the Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports.

Heads of Esports federations also attended the event, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Cameroon, Mali, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Burkina Faso, Jordan, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, South Africa, Namibia, and Nigeria.

Prince Faisal underlined the importance of the event as a primary means to foster cultural exchange and collaboration among the participating nations.

He hoped that over time more Arab and African teams would take part.

He also emphasized the desired goals of these championships, which provide an opportunity for players to come together, share experiences, and celebrate their shared passion while competing in esports.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sobhi lauded the efforts of Prince Faisal in spearheading the creation of the Afro-Arab Esports League. He highlighted the importance of uniting the youth from the Arab and African regions in a single platform to engage in these competitions, noting its evident significance and the numerous opportunities it provides for growth.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Chelsea’s Joao Pedro Out for ‘a Few Weeks’, Says Alonso

24 October 2026, United Kingdom, London: Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso appears dejected on the touchline during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. (dpa)
24 October 2026, United Kingdom, London: Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso appears dejected on the touchline during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. (dpa)
TT
TT

Chelsea’s Joao Pedro Out for ‘a Few Weeks’, Says Alonso

24 October 2026, United Kingdom, London: Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso appears dejected on the touchline during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. (dpa)
24 October 2026, United Kingdom, London: Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso appears dejected on the touchline during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. (dpa)

Chelsea forward ‌Joao Pedro is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks after suffering a thigh injury in training, manager Xabi Alonso said on Tuesday ahead of his side's League Cup clash with Liverpool.

The 25-year-old Brazilian missed Saturday's ‌defeat by ‌Tottenham Hotspur after ‌picking ⁠up the injury ⁠during a training session on Friday.

"He has an injury on his thigh and he is going to be out for a few weeks," ⁠Alonso told reporters. "Let's see ‌how many; ‌we don't want to predict on ‌that, but he's not ready ‌for the next games."

Pedro has made a bright start to the season, scoring five goals ‌and providing three assists in seven appearances across ⁠all ⁠competitions.

Alonso acknowledged the loss of the Brazil international but said Chelsea had the depth to cope with his absence.

Chelsea will face Liverpool on Wednesday in the League Cup last 16 and host Manchester United in the league on Saturday.

Sports

Xhaka and Embolo to Return to International Duty After COVID Test Investigation

Football - Premier League - Sunderland v Leeds United - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - October 25, 2026 Sunderland's Granit Xhaka in action. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Sunderland v Leeds United - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - October 25, 2026 Sunderland's Granit Xhaka in action. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Xhaka and Embolo to Return to International Duty After COVID Test Investigation

Football - Premier League - Sunderland v Leeds United - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - October 25, 2026 Sunderland's Granit Xhaka in action. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Sunderland v Leeds United - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - October 25, 2026 Sunderland's Granit Xhaka in action. (Reuters)

The Swiss Football Association (SFV) ‌said on Tuesday that Granit Xhaka and Breel Embolo will be available for selection again next month, after completing an investigation into forged COVID-19 vaccination certificates acquired by the pair.

The SFV and Xhaka agreed that he would miss Switzerland's October Nations League fixtures with Scotland, Slovenia and North Macedonia, after the midfielder admitted to acquiring a fake certificate ‌in order to ‌be able to travel and ‌compete ⁠in 2022.

Forward Embolo ⁠was also dropped from the Switzerland squad later in September for the same reason.

"The SFV has examined the two cases comprehensively and has come to the conclusion that the return of the players after the conclusion ⁠of the legal proceedings and taking ‌into account the ‌sporting consequences (four missed international matches in September and October) ‌is justifiable," the SFV said in a ‌statement.

"We are convinced that a return to the national team in November is responsible and right," added national team director Pierluigi Tami.

Both Xhaka and ‌Embolo were given a suspended fine of 150,000 Swiss francs ($181,225), which will ⁠be ⁠in place for a probationary period of two years.

Xhaka apologized and took responsibility for his actions, calling it "a mistake".

The statement went on to confirm that Xhaka would not have the captaincy removed, highlighting that the decision remains with the team and the coach, Murat Yakin.

Switzerland face Slovenia and Scotland in their final two Nations League group games in November, and sit top of Group E with 12 points.

Sports

Bayern’s Kompany Is Improving but No Comeback Date Yet, Says Assistant Coach Danks

Head coach Vincent Kompany of Munich reacts before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, Germany, 17 October 2026. (EPA)
Head coach Vincent Kompany of Munich reacts before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, Germany, 17 October 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Bayern’s Kompany Is Improving but No Comeback Date Yet, Says Assistant Coach Danks

Head coach Vincent Kompany of Munich reacts before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, Germany, 17 October 2026. (EPA)
Head coach Vincent Kompany of Munich reacts before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, Germany, 17 October 2026. (EPA)

Bayern Munich coach ‌Vincent Kompany is improving following a collapse in training last week and there is no date for his return yet, assistant coach Aaron Danks said on Tuesday.

The Belgian was rushed to hospital on Friday after collapsing during a reserve-team training session and is expected to be sidelined for weeks. The 40-year-old had been battling a virus in recent days and had missed some training sessions before his collapse.

"I paid him a short ‌visit yesterday," ‌Danks told a press conference ahead of ‌Wednesday's ⁠German Cup second ⁠round against visitors Magdeburg.

"He is in good spirits. It looks like every day he is getting better. There are no major updates in terms of diagnosis or return to work. Let him rest, let him take his time."

The German champions have a busy match ⁠schedule with Magdeburg on Wednesday, followed by ‌the Klassiker against title rivals ‌Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday. They then travel ‌to Madrid in the Champions League next week to ‌face Atletico.

"We had some good conversations (with Kompany) but kept it away from football and specific tactics," Danks said. "It was just a friendly chat and nice to see him and ‌catch up."

The assistant coach said Kompany's health scare coupled with Monday's Ballon d'Or win ⁠for Bayern ⁠striker Harry Kane reflected a rollercoaster of emotions for a squad that has shown the necessary team spirit to stay on course.

Kane is the first Englishman to win the prestigious award in 25 years, after Michael Owen won it in 2001.

"For us, we are super professional," Danks said. "Full extremes of life in the last week. Joys and highs for Harry and the lows of the last days."

"To get through these moments we had to rely on our chemistry, our team spirit and that definitely helped us," he added.