Hamdy gives Zamalek second CAF Confederation Cup title

Hamdy gives Zamalek second CAF Confederation Cup title
Zamalek players celebrate on the podium after winning the CAF Confederation Cup Final against Morocco’s RS Berkane at the Cairo International Stadium on May 19, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 20 May 2024
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Hamdy gives Zamalek second CAF Confederation Cup title

Hamdy gives Zamalek second CAF Confederation Cup title
  • The two-leg final finished 2-2 on aggregate with the Cairo club winning the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League on away goals
  • It was a historic triumph for Zamalek boss Jose Gomes, who became the first Portuguese coach to win the Confederation Cup

CAIRO: Ahmed Hamdy scored midway through the first half to give Zamalek of Egypt a 1-0 victory over Renaissance Berkane of Morocco on Sunday and a second CAF Confederation Cup title.

The two-leg final finished 2-2 on aggregate with the Cairo club winning the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League on away goals.

The previous Zamalek triumph in the second-tier competition also came against Berkane with the Egyptians winning on penalties in 2019 after another aggregate draw.

It was a historic triumph for Zamalek boss Jose Gomes, who became the first Portuguese coach to win the Confederation Cup.

Zamalek made one change to the team that started the first leg in Morocco last Sunday with Senegalese Ibrahima Ndiaye replacing Nigeria-born fellow winger Samson Akinyoola.

Berkane were unchanged with Burkina Faso center-back Issoufou Dayo captaining the team and Senegalese Paul Bassene leading the attack.

A sell-out crowd in the 75,000-capacity Cairo International Stadium cheered, chanted and waved large flags as Zamalek attacked relentlessly in the early stages.

It seemed a matter of time before Berkane conceded, and Zamalek took the lead on 23 minutes through Hamdy, a midfielder who joined the White Knights four months ago.

An attempted clearance by Berkane was blocked and Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed pushed the ball to unmarked Hamdy, who rifled a low shot wide of goalkeeper Hamza Hamiani into the corner of the net.

Level on aggregate but behind on away goals, Berkane came out of their defensive shell and Dayo almost levelled soon after with a far-post header after a free kick.

Paul Bassene had his first sight of goal on 32 minutes, but blazed over, then Yassine Labhiri was much closer to equalising with a shot from just outside the area.

Zamalek finished the opening half strongly and Berkane had to defend desperately with defenders blocking several goal attempts after Hamiani failed to grasp a cross.

The Berkane goalkeeper nearly gifted Zamalek a second goal just past the hour mark as he initially hesitated to clear the ball and came close to being dispossessed by Seifeddine Jaziri.

Berkane threatened with 14 minutes remaining when awarded a free kick close to the area, but a poor attempt by Ayoub Khairi sailed over.

The Moroccans were reduced to 10 men two minutes into added time when Hamza El Moussaoui was red-carded for stamping on Zizo after fouling the winger.


Liverpool face wounded Man City as Premier League title race heats up

Liverpool face wounded Man City as Premier League title race heats up
Updated 21 February 2025
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Liverpool face wounded Man City as Premier League title race heats up

Liverpool face wounded Man City as Premier League title race heats up
  • The Gunners can move to within five points of the Reds should they see off lowly West Ham at the Emirates
  • Chelsea need to bounce back quickly if they are to retain hope of Champions League football next season

LONDON: Liverpool’s charge toward the Premier League title has slowed ahead of a trip to Manchester City on Sunday, giving Arsenal hope of closing in on the leaders.

The Gunners can move to within five points of the Reds should they see off lowly West Ham at the Emirates.

Behind the top two, the race is on for a place in next season’s Champions League.

Only six points separate third-placed Nottingham Forest from Newcastle in seventh before they face off at St. James’ Park.

AFP Sports looks ahead to the pick of Premier League action this weekend:

Arne Slot’s men appeared to be cruising toward a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.

However, two 2-2 draws at Everton and Aston Villa in the past 10 days have brought the title race alive again.

But Manchester City, the dominant force in English football during the last decade, were outclassed by Real Madrid in midweek as they crashed out of the Champions League before the last 16 stage for the first time since the 2012/13 season.

The English champions may also be without Erling Haaland, who did not get off the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu due to injury.

But Pep Guardiola’s men showed what they are still capable of in a 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle last week and are in need of points themselves in the top-four race.

“They’ve had maybe one or two months in the seven or eight years he’s (Guardiola) there now that weren’t the best, maybe partly because of injuries as well,” said Slot.

“Injuries come back, they’ve signed three or four players, I can see them coming back already if you look at the result against Newcastle.”

Arsenal have the chance to up the pressure when they face West Ham 24 hours earlier.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be without a recognized striker for the rest of the season but have won 23 points from a possible 27 to remain in the race.

“If we constantly look at Arsenal or what other teams are doing, that would not help us,” added Slot.

“We already know how difficult it is to go to the Etihad, so we don’t need Arsenal to get involved in that even more.”

Chelsea need to bounce back quickly if they are to retain hope of Champions League football next season.

The Blues flirted with a title challenge toward the end of 2024 but have won just twice in their last nine league games and crashed out of the FA Cup.

Manager Enzo Maresca said his side’s meek 3-0 defeat by Brighton last weekend was the worst performance of his tenure to date, amid concerns star man Cole Palmer could leave without the lure of the Champions League.

Chelsea travel to Aston Villa on Saturday, whose own hopes of a top-four finish are starting to fade.

Unai Emery’s men pushed Liverpool all the way in a four-goal thriller on Wednesday but find themselves down in ninth, five points off the top four, due to an inconsistent season.

Not in their wildest dreams could Nottingham Forest fans have imagined sitting third in the table with just 13 games to go.

However, they face a stern test of their credentials to make it back to European football’s elite competition for the first time in 45 years.

Forest visit Newcastle on Sunday before hosting Arsenal and Manchester City in their next two home league games.

Newcastle have suffered back-to-back league defeats either side of their League Cup semifinal heroics against Arsenal, with Magpies manager Eddie Howe annoyed by his side’s see-saw form.

“I think we have days where we can look far from the team that we are when we’re on it,” said Howe. “It’s a real frustration for us because to be an elite team, you’ve got to be consistent.”

Fixtures (all times 1500 GMT unless stated)

Friday

Leicester vs. Brentford (2000)

Saturday

Everton vs. Manchester United (1230), Fulham vs. Crystal Palace, Ipswich vs. Tottenham, Southampton vs. Brighton, Bournemouth vs. Wolves, Arsenal vs. West Ham, Aston Villa vs. Chelsea (1730)

Sunday

Newcastle vs. Nottingham Forest (1400), Man City vs. Liverpool (1630)


Roma reach Europa League last 16 as 10-man Ajax scrape through

Roma reach Europa League last 16 as 10-man Ajax scrape through
Updated 21 February 2025
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Roma reach Europa League last 16 as 10-man Ajax scrape through

Roma reach Europa League last 16 as 10-man Ajax scrape through

PARIS: Paulo Dybala scored twice as Roma beat Porto on Thursday to clinch a place in the last 16 of the Europa League, while Ajax clawed through in extra time despite playing a man down for 95 minutes.
Spanish forward Samu Aghehowa gave Porto the lead against Roma after a 1-1 draw in Portugal last week, but two quick-fire goals from Dybala turned the tie in favor of the 2023 runners-up.
Porto were reduced to 10 men when Canada midfielder Stephen Eustaquio was sent off early in the second half, and Niccolo Pisilli struck what proved to be the crucial third goal for Claudio Ranieri’s men.
Devyne Rensch turned into his own net deep into added time as Roma progressed 4-3 on aggregate.
“Having a champion like Dybala means a lot. He’s extraordinary; he says very little, but he is a leader and always says the right things,” Ranieri told Sky Sport.
Roma will find out whether they play Athletic Bilbao or city rivals Lazio in the next round when the draw for the last 16 is conducted on Friday.
“We have a huge opportunity in Europe. This competition can give us a lot this year,” said Dybala.
Four-time European champions Ajax survived a huge scare against close neighbors Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium, nearly squandering a 2-0 advantage from a week ago.
Kevin Mac Allister’s header halved the deficit and Promise David tucked away a penalty after Ajax captain Davy Klaassen was dismissed in the 25th minute for a deliberate handball.
But Kenneth Taylor’s spot-kick in extra time was enough to put Ajax through 3-2 on aggregate.
Jose Mourinho, a former winner of the competition with Porto and Manchester United, saw his Fenerbahce side go through 5-2 overall after a 2-2 draw away to Anderlecht in a match that was delayed in the first half by crowd trouble.
Real Sociedad thrashed Midtjylland 7-3 on aggregate after a 5-2 win in San Sebastian. The Spaniards will take on United or Tottenham in the last 16.

Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt overturned a first leg deficit against Dutch side Twente with a dramatic 5-2 win after extra time in the Arctic Circle to progress 6-4 on aggregate.
The hosts were heading out before striking twice in second-half stoppage time but Twente then levelled the tie and forced extra time with a last-gasp equalizer.
Sondre Brunstad Fet put Bodo/Glimt back ahead in the 111th minute, with a second own goal of the night from Twente sealing qualification for their opponents.
Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros slid to a 3-0 loss at Viktoria Plzen, falling short after their 1-0 win last Thursday.
AZ Alkmaar eased past Galatasaray 6-3 on aggregate despite conceding a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw in Turkiye, while Romanians FCSB won 2-0 in Bucharest to complete a 4-1 aggregate win over PAOK of Greece.
In the Conference League, Real Betis moved into the last 16 despite a 1-0 loss in the return leg at home to Gent.
Barcelona loanee Vitor Roque saw red before English defender Archie Brown’s late winner for Gent, but Betis went through 3-1 on aggregate.
The Spaniards will next take on Chelsea or Vitoria Guimaraes, with the draw for the latter stages of the third-tier European competition also set for Friday.
Copenhagen, who are other possible opponents for Chelsea, knocked out Heidenheim 4-3 over two legs after winning the return fixture 3-1 in Germany after extra time.
Irish outfit Shamrock Rovers suffered penalty heartache as Molde prevailed 5-4 in the shootout after the tie ended 1-1. The Norwegians won 1-0 in Dublin after losing the first leg, with a goal from one-time United prospect Magnus Wolff Eikrem.
Panathinaikos crushed Icelandic dreams as Tete’s 95th-minute goal earned the Greeks a 2-0 win over Vikingur Reykjavik in Athens and 3-2 victory overall. Pafos won their all-Cypriot encounter with Omonia Nicosia.
Bosnia’s Borac Banja Luka squeezed past Olimpija Ljubljana 1-0 after a goalless stalemate in Slovenia, with Poland’s Jagiellonia Bialystok and Slovenians Celje moving on as well.


Benghazi reopens international stadium in star-studded ceremony

Benghazi reopens international stadium in star-studded ceremony
Updated 21 February 2025
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Benghazi reopens international stadium in star-studded ceremony

Benghazi reopens international stadium in star-studded ceremony
  • It featured appearances by former football stars including England’s Ballon d’Or-winning Michael Owen, Brazilians Roberto Carlos and Julio Cesar, and Portugal’s Luis Figo
  • Without directly referencing eastern authorities, Dbeibah congratulated “Benghazi residents” on the stadium’s reopening

BENGHAZI: Libya’s second-largest city Benghazi on Thursday opened its newly reconstructed international stadium with a high-profile ceremony featuring global football legends.
The event was attended by a packed crowd and eastern Libya’s strongman Khalifa Haftar.
It also featured appearances by former football stars including England’s Ballon d’Or-winning Michael Owen, Brazilians Roberto Carlos and Julio Cesar, and Portugal’s Luis Figo and Nani.
Belgacem Haftar, one of the strongman’s six sons and head of the North African country’s Reconstruction Fund, was also in the stands.
“The Benghazi international stadium belongs to all Libyans,” his father said, describing it as a place of unity as Libya remains a “single nation despite the challenges and difficulties.”
The oil-rich country is still grappling with the aftermath of the armed conflict and political chaos that followed the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled long-time dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
It remains divided between an internationally recognized Tripoli-based government in the west, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a Haftar-backed rival administration in the east.
Without directly referencing eastern authorities, Dbeibah congratulated “Benghazi residents” on the stadium’s reopening in a statement posted on social media.
“Any addition to the country’s sports infrastructure serves Libyan interests,” he wrote.
The stadium is set to host as many as 42,000 spectators, a significant increase from its past 28,000-seat capacity, according to official figures.
For many football-loving Libyans, it also signalled a step toward normality in a city that has endured years of conflict.
Last March, under Dbeibah’s administration, Tripoli International Stadium was also reopened following two years of renovations to meet international standards.


Inter Milan goalie Yann Sommer injures thumb ahead of key Serie A and Champions League games

Inter Milan goalie Yann Sommer injures thumb ahead of key Serie A and Champions League games
Updated 20 February 2025
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Inter Milan goalie Yann Sommer injures thumb ahead of key Serie A and Champions League games

Inter Milan goalie Yann Sommer injures thumb ahead of key Serie A and Champions League games
  • Thumb injuries can sideline goalkeepers for several weeks
  • Sommer also could miss the Champions League round-of-16 games

MILAN: Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer has a broken right thumb ahead of key games in Serie A and the Champions League.
Inter said the Swiss ‘keeper’s injury was revealed in tests on Thursday and “necessary therapy will be decided in the coming days.”
Thumb injuries can sideline goalkeepers for several weeks though no timetable was set by Inter for Sommer, who has started every Serie A and Champions League game this season.
The defending Serie A champion are second in the standings, trailing Napoli by two points, and travel to Naples at the end of next week. Inter first host Genoa on Saturday.
Sommer also could miss the Champions League round-of-16 games on March 4 or 5 then March 10 or 11. Inter will be drawn against Feyenoord or PSV Eindhoven when the pairings are made on Friday.
Sommer’s backups are Raffaele Di Gennaro and Josep Martinez.


Bentaleb’s remarkable return could inspire Lille’s run for a Champions League spot

Bentaleb’s remarkable return could inspire Lille’s run for a Champions League spot
Updated 20 February 2025
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Bentaleb’s remarkable return could inspire Lille’s run for a Champions League spot

Bentaleb’s remarkable return could inspire Lille’s run for a Champions League spot
  • Doctors doubted the Algeria international would ever play again let alone resume his career at the top level
  • “It’s a story worthy of a movie. It brings Nabil even more joy and emotion because he is a boy who is very well liked in the group,” coach Bruno Genesio said

PARIS: If Lille need further motivation in their drive to qualify for the Champions League next season, then they need only look at Nabil Bentaleb’s remarkable return.
The Lille midfielder scored four minutes after going on last Sunday in a 2-0 win at Rennes and was mobbed by his teammates.
It wasn’t that he scored so soon after going on that made the goal so special, but rather because Bentaleb started training again only this month after suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest in mid-June.
The 30-year-old was put into an artificial coma and fitted with a pacemaker-defibrillator days later. Doctors doubted the Algeria international would ever play again let alone resume his career at the top level.
“It’s a story worthy of a movie. It brings Nabil even more joy and emotion because he is a boy who is very well liked in the group,” coach Bruno Genesio said. “It’s pretty rare to experience this. It’s a moment that will remain engraved in the history of the club.”

Bafodé Diakité said the atmosphere in the dressing room after last Sunday’s win was something special.
“I had never experienced anything like that,” he said. “It goes beyond football.”
Now Bentaleb and his teammates must focus on catching Monaco and Nice in the Ligue 1 race for a top-four Champions League spot.
Fifth-placed Lille are only two points behind Monaco and Nice in third, so things could change on Saturday when Lille host Monaco.
Third place is a realistic ambition for all three sides, given that unbeaten leader Paris Saint-Germain seem too far ahead and free-scoring Marseille are six points clear in second place.
Former teammates face each other
When Nice take on rock-bottom Montpellier on Sunday, former strike partners Gaëtan Laborde and Andy Delort are set to face each other amid contrasting circumstances.
Laborde has nine league goals for Nice this season, while Montpellier signed Delort on loan from Algerian side MC Alger to help in their desperate relegation battle.
Laborde and Delort enjoyed three full seasons together at Montpellier from 2018-21 and formed a strong partnership, with Laborde netting 33 league goals and Delort getting 38.
They began the next season together before both left. Their paths quickly met again when they played half of the 2022-23 season together at Nice — before Delort joined Nantes and angered Nice fans.
Timing could be right to beat PSG
PSG have not lost anywhere since Nov. 26 at Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
But Lyon will threaten that. Lyon will be fully rested after not playing in the Europa League this week. It is also resurgent after eight goals in the past two games under new coach Paulo Fonseca. PSG played on Wednesday when they trounced Brest 7-0 in the Champions League.
Rayan Cherki has found top form for Lyon in recent weeks and Fonseca has unearthed a surprising finisher.
Veteran midfielder Corentin Tolisso has scored in all three games since Fonseca took over and is enjoying his best scoring season since the 2017-18 campaign with Bayern.