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)
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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.



Liverpool Defender Alexander-Arnold to Return 'Soon'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington
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Liverpool Defender Alexander-Arnold to Return 'Soon'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn't returned to team training yet after of a hamstring injury and could miss next week's Champions League game against Real Madrid, manager Arne Slot said Friday.
The England international was ruled out for Sunday's Premier League match at last-place Southampton. He was substituted off in the 25th minute of Liverpool's 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Nov. 9.
Liverpool, which sits atop the standings in both competitions, expects to be without goalkeeper Alisson Becker and forward Diogo Jota at least through the Madrid game Wednesday at Anfield.
At a news conference, Slot was asked about the trio's availability for both midweek and next Sunday's showdown with title rival Manchester City, The Associated Press reported.
“The last few days of recovery are always the ones that are the most tricky because then they have to go from isolated training sessions to where it's a group training session, and that is always the most difficult one,” Slot said. “It's difficult to judge now and to tell you now it's going to be one, two, three days or a bit longer. The only thing I can say is that with Alisson and with Jota, I don't expect them to be available for that game. With Trent, it's going to be in between.”
Alexander-Arnold will be training with the full team “soon,” the manager said.
Alisson has a hamstring injury. Liverpool hasn't specified Jota's problem but the Portugal forward hasn't played since Oct. 20 when he left in the 30th minute of a 2-1 win over Chelsea. That was after a collision with a Chelsea defender.
Slot confirmed that Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is “completely OK.” The center back returned from international duty with the Netherlands after playing in a 4-0 win over Hungary that clinched a Nations League quarterfinals spot. The Dutch played Bosnia and Herzegovina a few days later.