Last 16 beckons as Syria see off India at Asian Cup
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DOHA: Syria effectively reached the Asian Cup last 16 for the first time in their history on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over India, sending their opponents home. Hector Cuper’s side finished Group B with four points and are set to go through to the knockouts as one of the best four third-placed teams. Omar Khribin was Syria’s hero, his 76th-minute goal the winner. Igor Stimac’s
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Arab News
DOHA: Syria effectively reached the Asian Cup last 16 for the first time in their history on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over India, sending their opponents home.

Hector Cuper’s side finished Group B with four points and are set to go through to the knockouts as one of the best four third-placed teams.

Omar Khribin was Syria’s hero, his 76th-minute goal the winner.

Igor Stimac’s India head home with three defeats and no goals.

Syria did most of the attacking in the opening exchanges in Doha but were restricted to speculative shots, as they sought their first goal and win at this Asian Cup.

They were lucky not to be reduced to 10 men after 25 minutes, when Mahmood Al-Aswad violently chest-barged Mahesh Singh Naorem to the ground, having been dragged back in possession.

Referee Sivakorn Pu-udom booked both players, in a generally lenient performance.

Moments later, the Thai official declined fierce penalty appeals from the Syrians for a trip in the box on Ammar Ramadan.

By half-time, with Uzbekistan trailing Australia 1-0 in the other match, a win would have seen Syria tie the Uzbeks on four points.

But they trailed their rivals on goal difference, and would need to score a few to take second place and an automatic place in the knockouts.

Minutes after the break, India’s defense was weakened as center-back Sandesh Jhingan limped off with an injury, replaced by the less experienced Nikhil Poojary.

Syria continued to hog possession, but could not conjure a real chance.

India, who were also yet to register a goal in Qatar, could not connect with striker Sunil Chhetri, despite the 39-year-old’s spirited running.

With 20 minutes left and many goals required, Syria coach Cuper sent on forward Alaa Al-Dali, replacing Ramadan.

As Indian legs tired, Syria finally mustered a moment of slick football 14 minutes from time, Ibrahim Hesar delivering a cutback from the left for Khribin to drill into the net.

MADRID: Dani Parejo scored from a penalty rebound in the 10th minute of added time on Monday as Villarreal wrested top spot in La Liga from Celta Vigo with a 4-3 home victory.

Celta opened the third round of the Liga season top of the table on goal difference from Real Madrid after winning their opening two games.

Borja Iglesias, making his Celta debut, gave the visitors the lead when he pounced on a loose ball and tucked it into an empty net after 12 minutes.

Sergi Cardona, unmarked at the far post, levelled from a 26th-minute corner.

Oscar Mingueza smashed Celta back ahead before half-time.

Villarreal substitute Thierno Barry, who had been on the field for a minute, headed an equalizer on the hour.

Four minutes later, Celta defender Jailson turned a cross from Nicolas Pepe into his own net to put Villarreal ahead.

Swedish center-back Carl Starfelt headed Celta level in the 80th minute.

Deep into stoppage time Celta’s Hugo Alvarez, a second-half substitute, pulled down Barry to concede a penalty.

Goalkeeper Ivan Villar saved Parejo’s spot kick but the midfielder scored from the rebound.

The victory took Villarreal to seven points and they took over top spot.

STOCKHOLM: Swedish football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who coached England from 2001 to 2006, died Monday at the age of 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his agent said.

“He passed away peacefully this morning with his family around him at his home,” Eriksson’s agent Bo Gustavsson told AFP.

The Swede, who managed a number of high-profile teams and took England to World Cup quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006, announced in February 2023 that he was stepping back from public life due to “health issues.”

In January, he told public broadcaster Sveriges Radio that he was suffering from pancreatic cancer and that his doctor’s assessment was that he had “at best maybe a year (to live), at worst a little less.”

“We have known about this but it happened very quickly. We were not prepared for it to happen today,” Gustavsson told AFP.

Born February 5, 1948 in Sunne in western Sweden, Eriksson, who goes by “Svennis” to Swedes, found success as a football manager after retiring from a modest career as a defender.

In 1977, he became manager of Swedish club Degerfors IF. After leading the small club to success in lower divisions, he attracted the attention of bigger clubs.

He went on to manage Sweden’s IFK Goteborg before finding success internationally, managing Benfica in Portugal, as well as several Italian teams including Roma and Lazio.

His most high-profile position was as the first foreigner to manage England’s national squad.

During his spell, he took England to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002, where they were knocked out by Brazil.

They also made the last eight four years later where Portugal came out on top in a penalty shoot-out in a game where Wayne Rooney was sent off after a clash with his then Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

Eriksson led England to the last eight of the 2004 Euros where Portugal also knocked them out in another penalty shoot-out.

He left the England job in 2006 after five years in charge.

His time in the hotseat had seen a memorable 5-1 win over Germany in a World Cup qualifier but also controversy over his personal life.

“This is a very sad day. He gave all England fans such special memories,” Mark Bullingham, CEO of England’s Football Association, said in a statement.

“Sven will be rightly recognized and forever remembered for his significant work with the England team, and for his wider contribution to the game,” Bullingham continued.

Eriksson went on to manage Mexico, Ivory Coast and the Philippines, but never his native Sweden’s national squad.

In March, Eriksson fulfilled what he said had been a life-long dream of managing English football club Liverpool.

Alongside former Liverpool favorites Ian Rush, John Barnes and John Aldridge in the home dug-out, he managed Liverpool Legends in a charity match against Ajax Legends, overseeing a 4-2 win for his team.

Eriksson said afterwards he had shed tears before kick-off, when he received a standing ovation from the crowd as he walked out onto the pitch, with fans singing the Liverpool anthem of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.

“That will be a huge memory in life,” said Eriksson said. “Absolutely beautiful.”

MILAN: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia starred as Napoli got their first win under Antonio Conte on Sunday by beating Bologna 3-0, while Roma slumped to a shock 2-1 home defeat to Empoli.

Georgia star Kvaratskhelia celebrated becoming a dad on Wednesday by netting Napoli’s second with 15 minutes remaining in an absorbing contest at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

But while his deflected strike ensured Napoli of the three points and redemption after last weekend’s humbling at Verona, Kvaratskhelia’s real touch of class came in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

The 23-year-old, who also hit the crossbar, clipped a delightful pass over the Bologna defense for the onrushing Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who lashed home the opening goal and unleashed joy both in the stands and on the touchline.

“I think you saw it on the pitch, the energy, and I did everything for the team,” said Kvaratskhelia to DAZN.

“This week was for me so important, I’m so happy that I also came here and won with the team. I’m so happy.”

Napoli captain Di Lorenzo was heavily criticized after his dire performances at Euro 2024, where Italy were dumped out as reigning champions in the quarterfinals by Switzerland.

But his goal helped Napoli beat an enterprising Bologna team who should have more than the one point that they have collected from their first two matches.

“These fans show me a lot of love and I try to pay that back every time I step out onto the pitch,” said Di Lorenzo.

Substitute Giovanni Simeone made it a brilliant home debut for Conte when he forced home new signing David Neres’ low cross deep in added time.

Also on one point are Roma who lost to Empoli at home for the first time in their history after a hugely disappointing display in which Paulo Dybala staying in the Italian capital wasn’t enough to inspire Daniele De Rossi’s side.

Emmanuel Gyasi’s tap-in on the stroke of half-time and a Lorenzo Colombo penalty in the 61st minute sank Roma, who pulled one back through Eldor Shomurodov with 10 minutes remaining but couldn’t complete a comeback.

Dybala, whose move to Saudi outfit Al-Qadsiah collapsed on Thursday, was one of three Roma players to hit the woodwork alongside Lorenzo Pellegrini and Gianluca Mancini.

But Roma were booed off the pitch for the way they fell two goals behind against a team who are expected to struggle against relegation.

“We were lacking energy and intensity... We played well in the second half but it wasn’t enough, and if you don’t play well in the first half things aren’t going to well for you,” said De Rossi to Sky Sport.

De Rossi doesn’t have long to get his team’s spirits up as Roma travel to Juventus, who face Verona on Monday, next weekend.

Earlier, Che Adams emulated Denis Law with the decisive goal in Torino’s 2-1 win over Atalanta on Sunday, delighting fans who had called for the owner to sell in mass pre-match protests.

Scotland striker Adams netted his first goal for Torino since signing as a free agent last month, tapping home the hosts’ second four minutes after half-time.

The 28-year-old became the first of his countrymen to score for Torino since Scotland and Manchester United legend Law in the 1961/62 season.

Adams rolling in the winner after Duvan Zapata’s low shot was saved made it a perfect home debut in which he also set up Ivan Ilic’s delightful dinked equalizer in the 31st minute.

His strike, and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saving Mario Pasalic’s penalty deep in stoppage time, put Torino on four points from their first two matches.

The win came after thousands of fans marched to the game together to demand that owner and media magnate Urbano Cairo sell the club after 19 largely drab years at the helm.

Fiorentina were held to a goalless draw by Venezia in the day’s other early kickoff.

MADRID: Spanish champions Real Madrid earned a 3-0 win over Real Valladolid in La Liga on Sunday as Kylian Mbappe made his Santiago Bernabeu bow without finding the net.

Atletico Madrid comfortably beat last season’s surprise package Girona by the same scoreline later on in the capital.

Madrid’s French striker Mbappe played at home for the first time in a Los Blancos shirt but was largely frustrated by Valladolid’s defense.

Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde opened the scoring after 50 minutes and substitutes Brahim Diaz and debutant Endrick struck late on.

Without the injured Jude Bellingham Madrid created little in the first half but did enough after the break to earn their first win of the season, following an opening draw at Real Mallorca.

Still lacking fluency in attack, Carlo Ancelotti’s side stayed two points behind rivals Barcelona, who beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

“We were too slow in the first half, the second half we were much more active, there was more movement, much faster with the ball,” said Ancelotti.

Real Valladolid set out to frustrate the champions in the summer heat and succeeded for 45 minutes.

Madrid came out with more bite in the second half and Valverde smashed home a vicious low free-kick with the help of a deflection to break the deadlock.

Mbappe blew a golden opportunity to get off the mark when Vinicius cut the ball across to him, but Estonian goalkeeper Karl Hein saved well.

The France captain had another chance on the counter-attack but fired wide before being replaced by 18-year-old Brazilian forward Endrick.

Mbappe scored on his debut in a UEFA Super Cup triumph but in La Liga, has failed to score in his opening two matches.

“He’s a spectacular forward, very fast, moves well without the ball, attacks in behind, he had three or four chances (which were) created with his movement,” said Ancelotti.

“In this position, he will score like he always scores, I don’t think he needs to play from the left, in the center in the end he will score goals.”

Diaz secured Madrid’s win with a neat lobbed finish and then teed up Endrick, who drilled home at the near post to celebrate his first appearance for the club in style.

“(Endrick) has got a lot of potential and for his goal he showed his quality,” added Ancelotti.

“He’s a center-forward who plays in the box, in small spaces he’s very dangerous.”

Madrid signed Endrick from Palmeiras in 2022 but he arrived this summer, once old enough to move.

Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente and Koke’s strikes helped Diego Simeone’s Atletico claim their first win of the campaign against Girona.

Julian Alvarez started for the Rojiblancos at their Metropolitano stadium while new arrival Conor Gallagher made his debut as a substitute after joining from Chelsea.

“The fans were really excited for this one, playing at home for the first time in some time, with new signings — a perfect night,” said Griezmann.

The hosts had control of the game as Michel Sanchez’s Girona, who finished third ahead of fourth-place Atletico last term, struggled to make an impact.

Griezmann put Atletico ahead shortly before the interval with a hard and low free-kick which caught goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga out.

Llorente increased the lead early in the second half with a thunderbolt from outside the area which flashed into the roof of the net.

Girona, who lost several key players in the summer, have only one point from their first two matches.

Koke wrapped up Atletico’s win on the counter-attack in stoppage time when Llorente put the ball on a plate for him to finish.

“It’s a process, the season is long but we want to get to our best version as soon as we can,” said Girona midfielder Oriol Romeu.

RIYADH: The stage is set for the first AFC Women’s Champions League matches to take place in Saudi Arabia, with Women’s Premier League champions Al-Nassr preparing to become the first women’s side from the Kingdom to take part in the competition.

The Riyadh club will make their debut in Group A of the competition’s preliminary stage on Sunday night at Al-Awwal Park against Myawady Women FC, the domestic champions of Myanmar.

The two-time Saudi Arabian league champions will then face Young Elephants of Laos and champions of the UAE’s domestic women’s league, Abu Dhabi Country Club, to round out the group.

Al-Nassr head coach Sandro Mendes believes his side have what it takes to compete in Asia’s premier women’s club competition.

“We know the teams we are facing, we’ve done our homework. We’ll take it game by game, but we are Al-Nassr and we’re ready to compete,” he said.

With the official start to the Saudi Arabian Women’s Premier League in September, Mendes’ side have prepared for the challenge of qualifying for the next stage of the top women’s club competition in Asian football.

“It’s our first official game of the season, but I believe we are ready. We’ve had a good preseason in Spain and added some strong international players with experience to the squad, so we hope to progress to the next stage.”

New signings to the Riyadh team include Brazilian defender Kathellen Sousa, who arrived during the summer window from Spanish side Real Madrid Femenino.

Sousa said: “From my few weeks of training with the team so far, it’s clear that Al-Nassr doesn’t just come to compete and take part. We’re ready to give our all in every match and obviously go for the win.”

The Brazilian international, who competed in last season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League with her former club, is looking forward to the chance to make an impact on her debut in the club’s first appearance in Asia’s top women’s club competition.

“For me, every player wants to make history for the club. Every competition is different but at a big club, you always want to win and make history. So, hopefully, we can take the first step in this competition,” she said.

Organized by the Asian Football Confederation, the AFC Women’s Champions League is expected to usher in a new era of success and progress for women’s football in the years ahead, serving as the new premier continental competition for professional women’s clubs across the region. For the upcoming 2024-25 season, the inaugural edition will welcome the 21 domestic champions from AFC member associations.