عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Al-Ittihad to Meet New Zealand’s Auckland City in First Match of 2023 FIFA Club World Cup

(FILES) Ittihad's French forward #09 Karim Benzema reacts during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Riyadh at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd stadium in Riyadh on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)
(FILES) Ittihad's French forward #09 Karim Benzema reacts during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Riyadh at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd stadium in Riyadh on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)
TT
TT

Al-Ittihad to Meet New Zealand’s Auckland City in First Match of 2023 FIFA Club World Cup

(FILES) Ittihad's French forward #09 Karim Benzema reacts during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Riyadh at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd stadium in Riyadh on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)
(FILES) Ittihad's French forward #09 Karim Benzema reacts during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Riyadh at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd stadium in Riyadh on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)

Al-Ittihad football team of Saudi Arabia is set to meet on Tuesday evening, December 12, Auckland City Football Club of New Zealand, in the opening of the 20th edition of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, to be held at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, SPA said on Tuesday.
Led by French striker Karim Benzema and his compatriot N’Golo Kante, Jeddah-based Al-Ittihad enters this confrontation armed with prominent and distinguished players with great experience, local and regional record and a high technical level.
The Saudi fans in general, and Al-Ittihad in particular, are looking forward to Tuesday’s match, in view of the constellation of stars who represent them on the field, technically led by Argentine coach Gallardo, and with the advantage of playing at home. Indeed, the Saudi sports fans wish their team achieve a positive result, enabling it to make further progress in the event which witnesses the participation of seven teams: England’s Manchester City, Egypt’s Al-Ahly, Japan’s Urawa Reds, Brazil’s Fluminense, Mexico’s Club Leon, and New Zealand’s Auckland City.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Dakar Rally Comes Down to a Duel in the Sand between Lategan and Saudi Arabia's Al-Rajhi

Driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk compete during the tenth stage of the Dakar Rally between Haradh and Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP)
Driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk compete during the tenth stage of the Dakar Rally between Haradh and Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP)
TT
TT

Dakar Rally Comes Down to a Duel in the Sand between Lategan and Saudi Arabia's Al-Rajhi

Driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk compete during the tenth stage of the Dakar Rally between Haradh and Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP)
Driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk compete during the tenth stage of the Dakar Rally between Haradh and Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP)

Henk Lategan and Yazeed Al-Rajhi will duel in the Saudi sand for their first Dakar Rally title after swapping the lead for a second straight day Wednesday.

South Africa's Lategan leads his Saudi rival by 2 1/2 minutes going into the 11th and penultimate stage in the Empty Quarter dunes. Friday's last stage is a ceremonial drive to the finish in Shubaytah.

Al-Rajhi led by seven minutes before the 10th stage, a tricky 120-kilometer loop south of Shubaytah on Wednesday. But he got stuck and relinquished the overall lead back to Lategan.

“We got stuck because we were taking it easy,” Al-Rajhi said. “Everything is going good, that's the most important (thing). I have a good position, I hope.”

Lategan also took it easy but without finding any trouble, and was 10th on the stage, making up minutes on all of his nearest pursuers.

“It wasn't the plan to go quickly today,” Lategan said.

On Thursday, he will start 10th and Al-Rajhi 27th and they can push harder by taking advantage of the tracks of those in front.

'Most disappointing day of my life'

Third-placed Mattias Ekström fell two minutes further back to 27 minutes, and five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah lost five minutes to drop back to 30.

Al-Attiyah, the only former champion with an outside title shot, got lost about nine kilometers in.

“I'm very disappointed, but what can you do?” Al-Attiyah said. “We had a good pace but we lost a lot of time. This is the most disappointing day of my life.”

Spain's Nani Roma, one of only three men to win the Dakar in a car (2014) and motorbike (2004), won his first stage in nine years by 18 seconds from Lucas Moraes of Brazil. Brian Baragwanath of South Africa was third.

Sanders on the brink

Australian rider Daniel Sanders was on the brink of his first Dakar title in a motorbike race he's dominated from stage one.

Sanders was fourth on the 116-kilometer stage but ahead of his nearest rivals, extending his overall lead by about two minutes against Spain's Tosha Schareina and France's Adrien van Beveren.

The advantage over Schareina was 16 1/2 minutes, the biggest in the race so far.

“It's pretty much survival tomorrow and just get(ting) through,” Sanders said. “I think we'll be all right. I felt really good in the navigation and I was opening a little bit and then, yeah, it felt nice. So yeah, ready for tomorrow.”

Portugal's Rui Gonçalves won his maiden stage in his fifth Dakar by nearly four minutes from Slovakia's Stefan Svitko. American Skyler Howes was third.