PFL’s Battle of The Giants in Riyadh delivers inside and outside the cage

PFL’s Battle of The Giants in Riyadh delivers inside and outside the cage
Not only did Battle of The Giants deliver in terms of action, it was also broadcast to more than 160 countries and garnered 4.4 billion impressions online. (Supplied)
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Updated 26 October 2024
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PFL’s Battle of The Giants in Riyadh delivers inside and outside the cage

PFL’s Battle of The Giants in Riyadh delivers inside and outside the cage
  • The card saw impressive victories from Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen, Paul Hughes and Raufeon Stotts

RIYADH: Last weekend, the Professional Fighters League staged its biggest mixed martial arts event of the year — Battle of The Giants: Brace For Impact — in Riyadh, featuring some of the biggest names in the sport, as well as the highly-anticipated PFL debut of the world’s best heavyweight fighter, Francis “The Predator” Ngannou.

Ngannou, who also boxes professionally, returned to MMA for the first time since 2022 and immediately reminded everyone why he’s considered the baddest man on the planet with a first-round knockout win against 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan “Problema” Ferreira. The emotional victory also saw Ngannou crowned PFL Super Fights heavyweight champion.

In the co-main event, two of the finest fighters in the world went head-to-head for five rounds. In the end, it was Cris Cyborg who left The Mayadeen as the PFL Super Fights women’s featherweight champion, having defeated Larissa Pacheco.

The card also saw impressive victories from Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen, Paul Hughes, and Raufeon Stotts.

Not only did Battle of The Giants deliver in terms of action, it was also broadcast to more than 160 countries and garnered 4.4 billion impressions online.

The event’s social media statistics included approximately 326 million video views, 34 million engagements, and hundreds of thousands of posts, replies, and quotes.

Battle of The Giants was also covered by major media outlets across the globe, generating around 1,500 media stories from many leading news outlets.

From its star power to its social media metrics, Battle of The Giants was indeed gigantic.


Carey says Australia excited by rare South Africa challenge in Rawalpindi

Carey says Australia excited by rare South Africa challenge in Rawalpindi
Updated 24 February 2025
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Carey says Australia excited by rare South Africa challenge in Rawalpindi

Carey says Australia excited by rare South Africa challenge in Rawalpindi
  • Australia chased down 352, the highest target in tournament history, against England in Lahore on Saturday
  • Carey made a brilliant 69 alongside man-of-the-match Josh Inglis, who scored his maiden one-day century

RAWALPINDI: Alex Carey said Australia are excited by the challenge posed by a formidable South Africa when they meet in the Champions Trophy for the first time in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
Australia, winners in 2006 and 2009, chased down 352, the highest target in tournament history, against England in Lahore in a Group B game on Saturday.
Carey made a brilliant 69 alongside man-of-the-match Josh Inglis, who scored his maiden one-day international hundred, to seal a five-wicket win.
South Africa overwhelmed Afghanistan by 107 runs in a clinical performance in Karachi.
“I think South Africa are playing really well in one-day cricket and look like they’ve got a great balance across their 11 players,” the 33-year-old Carey said on Monday.
“So, another exciting opportunity for us coming off the back of a great game against England, play with a lot of freedom, take the game on.”
Australia and South Africa have never met in the Champions Trophy, and the Proteas hold a clear advantage after winning nine of their past 12 ODIs against them.
Australia are also missing world-renowned pace trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
“Look, it’s an inexperienced bowling attack, there’s no hiding away from that. In and around that we’ve got some experience with our leg-spinner Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell,” Carey said.
The pace trio of Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis went for 171 runs for three wickets between them in 27 overs as England scored 351-8 in their 50 overs.
However, Carey backed a strong Australian batting line-up that includes Travis Head.
“We’ve got Steve Smith who’s a fantastic captain,” Carey said. “I think if we are to bat first throughout the tournament, I’ll back our boys to defend.”
“Travis will try to smack them at the top with Matthew Short. You’ve got Smith and Marnus (Labuschagne) through the middle and then hopefully set it up for Maxwell to go big at the end.
“We know they’re a great team... but I feel like our confidence is high and we’re really excited for tomorrow,” he said.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, with hosts Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand in Group A.


India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty

India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty
Updated 24 February 2025
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India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty

India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty
  • Champions Trophy clash in Dubai showed two teams moving in opposite directions
  • It was not until the 42nd over that a Pakistani batter hit a six, through Khushdil Shah

DUBAI: Living within a stone’s throw of the Dubai International Stadium, I was able to watch and experience how the atmosphere started to build before this eagerly awaited clash between India and Pakistan in the ICC Champions trophy.

More than three hours before the first ball was bowled, the horns started their familiar chorus. The rituals remained unchanged — the early pilgrimage to the stadium, the face paint, the flags. Despite this, something fundamental has changed in cricket’s most politicized rivalry. The match laid this truth bare.

What we witnessed was not a contest between two equals. Although this is still the message pumped out by the marketing machine and broadcasters continue to sell India against Pakistan as the game’s ultimate clash, the reality on the field tells a different story. In 36 C heat, we watched a stark display of two teams moving in opposing directions.

The demographic in the stands told its own story — a drowning sea of blue with mere patches of green. A visual metaphor for the competitive imbalance that has come to define these encounters. Even Pakistan’s supporters, who are usually defiant and vocal in even the toughest of times, sensed the inevitability of what was coming.

The match felt like a formality from the start. Pakistan’s approach was puzzling at best and self-destructive at worst. After losing Babar Azam early on, followed by Imam-ul-Haq, who ran himself out on his return to the team, the innings descended into an exercise of damage limitation. Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan needed to rebuild yet still try to be positive. It seemed they had a different plan altogether. Their lack of intent was so profound as to be puzzling. If they were trying to provide a basis for a late assault, then what should not happen is for them both to be dismissed in quick succession. This is exactly what happened.

Any hope of a challenging total vanished and Pakistan lost six wickets for 82 in less than 15 overs, setting India a modest total of 242 to chase.

India’s approach was the opposite of Pakistan’s. This brought the crowd alive and, for the first time, it felt that there were people in the stadium.

It was not until the 42nd over that a Pakistani batter hit a six, through Khushdil Shah. Rohit Sharma took only six balls to launch Naseem Shah for six. This was not just a shot, it was a pathological hammer blow, a statement that India no longer regards Pakistan as an equal but just another team to be dispatched.

Shubman Gill, the ICC’s new No. 1 ranked batter, had the crowd in awe of his classical shots, mixed with aggression. Even the Pakistani contingent clapped his majestic cover drives. Then came a vintage Virat Kohli performance. He played simple cricket against the spinners and attacked the seamers, saying afterwards: “I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs.”

India never left second gear because they never needed to and therein lies the problem. Rivalries require uncertainty. Both teams need to believe that they can win and, more importantly, they need both sets of fans to believe in the possibility of a victory. The Ashes have endured because, even when one team is stronger, the other always has the potential to retaliate. India against Australia captivates because both teams possess the ability to dominate.

India against Pakistan seems to have lost its edge on the field. The political tensions add edge to these encounters, but they can no longer mask the cricketing chasm that has opened up between the teams. We seem to be left with a rivalry running on nostalgia, fueled by memories of Miandad’s last-ball six in 1986 and Tendulkar’s uppercut off Shoaib Aktar’s bowling in 2003. Now, the contests are failing to create new moments worthy of that history.

The empty seats at the start of play would be unthinkable a decade ago for an India-Pakistan match. The crowd never reached its traditional fever pitch for such a match as it has become too one sided and predictable. “Men against boys,” was the sentiment being bandied about in the stands. It is hard to argue with that assessment. India’s victory felt inevitable from the moment Shakeel was caught in the deep. This is not the stuff of which great rivalries are made. They should make your heart race. They should keep you on the edge of your seat. They should make you believe in miracles.

There were no miracles, no edge-of-seat moments, no heart-racing finishes. Just the methodical dismantling of one team by another, executed with clinical efficiency that speaks of a rivalry in name only.

Perhaps it is time to be honest about what India versus Pakistan has become — a historical rivalry whose greatness now resides more in the past than the present. While the political undertones ensure these matches will always carry extra significance, the on-field contest has lost its competitive soul. For this rivalry to reclaim its place at cricket’s summit, Pakistan needs to rediscover its swagger, its intent and, most importantly, its belief. Until then, we are left with echoes of what once was, memories being played out to an increasingly indifferent audience.

The result has put India on the brink of a semi-final and Pakistan on the brink of elimination. Mathematically, there is a chance but, if New Zealand beat Bangladesh, it would mean that Pakistan becomes the first team to be ousted from the tournament, after only two matches. This will be a bitter blow. Pakistan’s return to hosting an ICC tournament will end in deep disappointment, after the high hopes which had built up.

Cricket in Pakistan has been badly buffeted from all angles in recent years. This latest defeat by India will serve only to make life in the eye of the storm even more uncomfortable.


India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty

India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty
Updated 24 February 2025
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India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty

India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty
  • ICC Champions Trophy clash in Dubai showed two teams moving in opposite directions

DUBAI: Living within a stone’s throw of the Dubai International Stadium, I was able to watch and experience how the atmosphere started to build before this eagerly awaited clash between India and Pakistan in the ICC Champions trophy.

More than three hours before the first ball was bowled, the horns started their familiar chorus. The rituals remained unchanged — the early pilgrimage to the stadium, the face paint, the flags. Despite this, something fundamental has changed in cricket’s most politicized rivalry. The match laid this truth bare.

What we witnessed was not a contest between two equals. Although this is still the message pumped out by the marketing machine and broadcasters continue to sell India against Pakistan as the game’s ultimate clash, the reality on the field tells a different story. In 36 C heat, we watched a stark display of two teams moving in opposing directions.

The demographic in the stands told its own story — a drowning sea of blue with mere patches of green. A visual metaphor for the competitive imbalance that has come to define these encounters. Even Pakistan’s supporters, who are usually defiant and vocal in even the toughest of times, sensed the inevitability of what was coming.

The match felt like a formality from the start. Pakistan’s approach was puzzling at best and self-destructive at worst. After losing Babar Azam early on, followed by Imam-ul-Haq, who ran himself out on his return to the team, the innings descended into an exercise of damage limitation. Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan needed to rebuild yet still try to be positive. It seemed they had a different plan altogether. Their lack of intent was so profound as to be puzzling. If they were trying to provide a basis for a late assault, then what should not happen is for them both to be dismissed in quick succession. This is exactly what happened.

Any hope of a challenging total vanished and Pakistan lost six wickets for 82 in less than 15 overs, setting India a modest total of 242 to chase.

India’s approach was the opposite of Pakistan’s. This brought the crowd alive and, for the first time, it felt that there were people in the stadium.

It was not until the 42nd over that a Pakistani batter hit a six, through Khushdil Shah. Rohit Sharma took only six balls to launch Naseem Shah for six. This was not just a shot, it was a pathological hammer blow, a statement that India no longer regards Pakistan as an equal but just another team to be dispatched.

Shubman Gill, the ICC’s new No. 1 ranked batter, had the crowd in awe of his classical shots, mixed with aggression. Even the Pakistani contingent clapped his majestic cover drives. Then came a vintage Virat Kohli performance. He played simple cricket against the spinners and attacked the seamers, saying afterwards: “I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs.”

India never left second gear because they never needed to and therein lies the problem. Rivalries require uncertainty. Both teams need to believe that they can win and, more importantly, they need both sets of fans to believe in the possibility of a victory. The Ashes have endured because, even when one team is stronger, the other always has the potential to retaliate. India against Australia captivates because both teams possess the ability to dominate.

India against Pakistan seems to have lost its edge on the field. The political tensions add edge to these encounters, but they can no longer mask the cricketing chasm that has opened up between the teams. We seem to be left with a rivalry running on nostalgia, fueled by memories of Miandad’s last-ball six in 1986 and Tendulkar’s uppercut off Shoaib Aktar’s bowling in 2003. Now, the contests are failing to create new moments worthy of that history.

The empty seats at the start of play would be unthinkable a decade ago for an India-Pakistan match. The crowd never reached its traditional fever pitch for such a match as it has become too one sided and predictable. “Men against boys,” was the sentiment being bandied about in the stands. It is hard to argue with that assessment. India’s victory felt inevitable from the moment Shakeel was caught in the deep. This is not the stuff of which great rivalries are made. They should make your heart race. They should keep you on the edge of your seat. They should make you believe in miracles.

There were no miracles, no edge-of-seat moments, no heart-racing finishes. Just the methodical dismantling of one team by another, executed with clinical efficiency that speaks of a rivalry in name only.

Perhaps it is time to be honest about what India versus Pakistan has become — a historical rivalry whose greatness now resides more in the past than the present. While the political undertones ensure these matches will always carry extra significance, the on-field contest has lost its competitive soul. For this rivalry to reclaim its place at cricket’s summit, Pakistan needs to rediscover its swagger, its intent and, most importantly, its belief. Until then, we are left with echoes of what once was, memories being played out to an increasingly indifferent audience.

The result has put India on the brink of a semi-final and Pakistan on the brink of elimination. Mathematically, there is a chance but, if New Zealand beat Bangladesh, it would mean that Pakistan becomes the first team to be ousted from the tournament, after only two matches. This will be a bitter blow. Pakistan’s return to hosting an ICC tournament will end in deep disappointment, after the high hopes which had built up.

Cricket in Pakistan has been badly buffeted from all angles in recent years. This latest defeat by India will serve only to make life in the eye of the storm even more uncomfortable.


Kohli, Rohit ‘have a lot of cricket left’ after sending Pakistan to brink

Kohli, Rohit ‘have a lot of cricket left’ after sending Pakistan to brink
Updated 24 February 2025
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Kohli, Rohit ‘have a lot of cricket left’ after sending Pakistan to brink

Kohli, Rohit ‘have a lot of cricket left’ after sending Pakistan to brink
  • Kohli hit 51st ODI century on Sunday as India beat Pakistan by six wickets in Champions Trophy clash
  • Kohli, 36, and Rohit, 37, have struggled since retiring from T20 internationals after last year's World Cup win

DUBAI: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have “a lot of cricket left in them,” former India opener and Champions Trophy winner Shikhar Dhawan says, adding that the mere presence of the veteran duo can unsettle any opposition.
Kohli hit an unbeaten 100 on Sunday, his 51st ODI century, as India swept aside Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai to stand on the cusp of the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals.
Pakistan, who are hosting all of the games except those involving India, are on the brink of elimination after their second defeat of the tournament.
Rohit made a quickfire 20 at the top of the innings as India went after 242 for victory and Kohli took charge after the captain’s exit to steer the team home with 45 balls to spare.
Kohli, 36, and Rohit, 37, have struggled for form since retiring from T20 internationals after last year’s World Cup win, with speculation swirling that they could soon retire.
But Kohli rolled back the years with his first ODI century since November 2023.
“Virat standing on the crease, his presence is big. The opposition have fear in them,” said Dhawan, who is in Dubai as a tournament ambassador.
Kohli went past 14,000 ODI runs early in his innings, becoming only the third batsman to achieve the landmark after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.
Rohit struck form with a century in India’s 3-0 home sweep of England earlier this month and hit a 36-ball 41 in India’s opening win over Bangladesh.
“Recently Rohit scored an amazing century, but it’s not about a century or half-century,” said Dhawan, a swashbuckling opener who played his last ODI in 2022 and won the Champions Trophy in 2013.
“Today Rohit played a quick 20 runs, that also carries value. He created that fearless environment for the whole team,” he added.
“He’s got a great impact in early overs in today’s cricket.
“Things have changed, so now it’s good to take that risk and play aerial shots.
“We used to see it only in T20 cricket but now we see it in 50-over cricket.
“The Pakistan batsmen did not play any aerial shots, but Rohit came and took that risk, which played in India’s favor.”
Pressed on the futures of Rohit and Kohli, Dhawan said: “They have a lot of cricket left in them.”
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who took a crucial 3-40 to peg back Pakistan, hailed man-of-the-match Kohli.
“There is only one big player in the team and that is Virat ‘bhai’ (brother), who played a brilliant innings,” Kuldeep said.
“Hope that I can continue performing well,” added the left-arm wrist spinner, who recently returned after hernia surgery.
“Obviously if you play good cricket, stick around with good players, and you know you have a good team with two senior players who are greats.”


Casteels stands tall as Al-Qadsiah continue to rise in the Saudi Pro League

Casteels stands tall as Al-Qadsiah continue to rise in the Saudi Pro League
Updated 24 February 2025
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Casteels stands tall as Al-Qadsiah continue to rise in the Saudi Pro League

Casteels stands tall as Al-Qadsiah continue to rise in the Saudi Pro League
  • Belgian goalkeeper speaks to Arab News about the King’s Cup, superstar colleague Aubameyang and coach Michel’s motivation

LONDON: Something special is happening at Al-Qadsiah this season. Since returning to the Saudi Pro League after a five-year absence, coach Michel’s side — emboldened by a host of new summer arrivals — is defying expectations and stands on the brink of a historic campaign.

Currently third in the Saudi Pro League table after a 2-0 win over Al-Okhdood on Friday and with a King’s Cup semi-final against Al-Raed to come in April, Qadsiah have been one of the Kingdom’s most consistent sides in 2024-2025. Just as he did when winning the Saudi First Division title last season, Michel has built a team that is defensively sound, but sprinkled liberally with attacking stardust.

Providing Qadsiah’s solidity between the posts this time around is Belgium national team goalkeeper Koen Casteels, who ended a nine-year stint at Wolfsburg to move to the Kingdom last summer.

Casteels was one of several new arrivals, joining the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Julian Quinones and Nacho Fernandez in seeing Qadsiah’s potential to be more competitive than most normal newly-promoted sides.

“I think it was very clear from how the club talked to me before I signed, but also in the way they recruited other players, that there were big ambitions,” Casteels told Arab News. 

“But simply getting good players is not enough in football. I think the recruitment was very smart in every position — not only big names but smart decisions.

“Now we have a team that fits together very well and I think that’s one of the main reasons why we are now up there (at the top end of the table).”

Casteels admitted that seeing the exodus of talented players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema from Europe to Saudi Arabia piqued his interest in a move to the Kingdom, although he is keen to highlight the increasing depth in quality throughout the Saudi Pro League.

“It’s very nice to play against these big names but I think it’s far more than only these big names,” Casteels said. “I think there are also a lot of players who maybe don’t have the name of Ronaldo or Benzema but are just quality-wise very good; this is what you see in teams throughout the league — they all have good players.

“You see every transfer window that there are big names and good players coming to the league. That was also the point that made me say ‘OK, why shouldn't I go?’ Because the quality is improving and the league is getting better and better.”

Casteels was one of Qadsiah’s first summer acquisitions, announced before his participation in Euro 2024 with Belgium. It was followed by the marquee signings of Real Madrid stalwart Fernandez and former Barcelona and Arsenal forward Aubameyang, which really signalled Qadsiah’s intent for the 2024-2025 campaign.

“On the pitch they bring a lot of quality, experience and know-how in certain situations,” Casteels said of Nacho and Aubameyang. “Especially for me as a goalkeeper, it’s great to have a guy like Nacho in front of me who knows exactly what to do in different situations — making smart decisions and positioning himself.

“It’s very nice to play with those guys and obviously Auba is also scoring for us and doing well. Apart from the hard work that he does for us as a team, he’s entertaining too. It’s also nice to have a guy who is also speaking French. He’s a really great guy.

“Some people maybe would think he’s 35 and he’s just ending his career in Saudi Arabia, but he’s so hardworking. Every day I see him in the gym, still putting the work in. That’s also very important because we want to evolve as a team and we want to grow as a team and therefore we need everybody on their top level. These guys are doing that.”

With quality now running through the backbone of Qadsiah’s team, the club is enjoying its best season in more than 30 years. Qadsiah won the Crown Prince’s Cup in 1992, before adding the Saudi Federation Cup and Asian Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994; they remain the club’s only major trophies.

But with a convincing 3-0 victory over Al-Taawoun last month, Casteels and Co. put Qadsiah into the King’s Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1989. Now only Al-Raed stand in the club’s way of a first final — in which either Al-Ittihad or Al-Shabab would await.

“If you’re into the last four, I would lie if I say, ‘let’s only see in the next game’,” Casteels said. “Of course, if you’re into the last four, you want to win the tournament. But it also depends on a lot of factors and it is really the next game we have to win to get into the final. Then everything is possible.

“I have had some experiences in Germany where you face a team which on paper is maybe not the biggest. But it’s the cup and it’s the semi-final of the cup so you have to take it as an extremely difficult game. I think when there are still four teams left, there are no easy games anymore.

“It’s still a long way off so we will focus on the league and then the cup can come. But of course we are very hungry for it. I think all the players want to go into the final to see what happens there.”

Whether or not Michel’s side wins the King’s Cup, their league form may still be enough to carry Qadsiah to qualification for their first AFC Champions League Elite campaign. Casteels, however, is keen to take it one game at a time.

“I think if you focus on trying to get better every game or every training then maybe this (AFC Champions League qualification) will come automatically if you’re good enough. We are not thinking a lot about that to be honest at the moment — it’s not a big talking point in the dressing room.”

Casteels has been playing at the top level for his entire career — spending 13 years in Germany with Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg. Before that, he came through the academy of four-time Belgian Pro League winners Genk.

The goalkeeper is in illustrious company, with fellow Belgian national team players Yannick Carrasco, Christian Benteke, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois also on Genk’s impressive list of academy graduates. Casteels is the same age as Courtois, but played a year ahead of the Real Madrid goalkeeper as both players emerged at Genk.

“We both had games on the weekend, which was very important for our development,” Casteels recalled. “I think he played one game for the Genk first team when he was 16 but then a few months later I went to Hoffenheim so we went our separate ways and had our own careers. 

“It was nice to have him with me at Genk. We were friends — going to the same school, sitting in the same class. We grew up together in Genk and played in two different youth teams so there was not really competition. We trained together a few times and obviously it’s nice to have quality goalkeepers because this also elevates you.”

When it comes to world-class goalkeepers, however, there was one name who stood head and shoulders above the rest as a role model for Casteels growing up.

“I always looked up to Edwin van der Sar because he was doing his job in a very easy way,” Casteels said. “He was always in the right position, good with his feet — and there was never too much show or shouting a lot.

“He was maybe not like the typical footballer — quite shy and with his feet on the ground. He would just do the job and I think this was something I could relate to.”

At Qadsiah, Casteel has quickly built a reputation as a reliable No. 1 whose solidity has helped his team have the meanest defence in the Saudi Pro League this season. The Belgian has conceded just 15 goals, and kept 11 clean sheets, although he is quick to credit the contributions of others.

“One of our strengths this season and why we kept so many clean sheets is that the whole team is defending,” he says. “The defence is doing well and they rely on the midfielders — then the midfielders rely on the attackers to press and run.”

Casteels also believes the guidance from Michel has been key to the club’s success so far this season and says that with the Spaniard at the helm, Qadsiah’s players believe that anything is possible.

“He is a very good coach tactically but also a very good people manager,” Casteels said. “He has a lot of experience and knows exactly what a team needs. He’s a guy who you can always go to talk to about something. He's very open-minded — like a father to us.

“This team fits well together and tactically I have to say every time when we followed the plan of the coach that we trained for in the week, we felt that we were at the right pace, even if we didn’t win. I can say that technically he was not wrong in any games — this is a great quality for any coach.”