In a thrilling match at Abu Dhabi's Al Nahyan Stadium, the UAE national football team, "Al Abyad," secured a resounding 5-0 victory over rival Qatar, "Al Annabi." Led by Fabio Lima's impressive super hat-trick, the UAE dominated the game and secured third place in the group standings. Their chances of directly qualifying for the World Cup have been significantly bolstered, with the team delivering their best performance in years. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia suffered a defeat while Palestine drew with South Korea in other group matches.
UAE Clinches Third Place in World Cup Qualification with Resounding Victory over Qatar
In a captivating match at Abu Dhabi's Al Nahyan Stadium, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national football team, "Al Abyad," triumphed over its regional rival, Qatar, "Al Annabi," in a resounding 5-0 victory. Led by the prowess of Fabio Lima, who netted an impressive super hat-trick, the UAE dominated the game and secured third place in the group standings.
Lima opened the scoring in the 18th minute, mesmerizing the crowd with a remarkable header. Just six minutes later, he doubled the lead, leaving the Qatar defense bewildered. The UAE's relentless attack continued in the second half, with Lima completing his hat-trick in the 55th minute.
Al Abyad's dominance extended further with additional goals from Caio Canedo in the 75th minute and Ali Mabkhout in the 86th minute, sealing their victory and bolstering their chances of directly qualifying for the World Cup. This triumph marked the team's best performance in years.
While the UAE celebrated their victory, Saudi Arabia faced disappointment in their clash with Japan. Despite taking the lead with a goal from Mohamed Kanno, they eventually succumbed to a 2-1 defeat. Elsewhere, Palestine earned a respectable draw against South Korea, with Ziyad Al-Sarhan's goal canceling out Cho Gue-Sung's opener.
Background on the UAE-Qatar Rivalry:
The rivalry between the UAE and Qatar has been simmering for decades, fueled by political, economic, and social tensions. The two countries had a falling out in the late 1960s over territorial disputes and have maintained frosty relations ever since.
Top 5 FAQs on the UAE-Qatar Rivalry and World Cup Qualification:
England secured a dominant eight-wicket victory against New Zealand in their first Test match in Christchurch. Brydon Carse led the way with back-to-back six-wicket hauls, while newcomer Jacob Bethell's debut fifty sealed the win with a flurry of boundaries off Nathan Smith's bowling. England's strong performance was supported by key contributions from Harry Brook and Ben Stokes, while New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Glenn Phillips also put up a good fight with their respective scores of 93 and 58.
In a surprising move, Jason Gillespie has resigned from his role as the coach of Pakistan's Test team, with Aaqib Javed set to replace him for the upcoming two-match series against South Africa. Gillespie's contract was set to expire in 2026 but he decided to step down after the PCB didn't review the contract of another coach brought in on his recommendation. This news comes after the recent resignation of Gary Kirsten, who had joined as the white ball coach along with Gillespie.
Pakistan's hopes of victory in the first T20I against South Africa were dashed despite a steady innings by their captain, Mohammad Rizwan. Rizwan's cautious approach saw him score a 62-ball 74 runs but unfortunately it was too little too late as Pakistan fell short of their target of 184 by 11 runs. This was Rizwan's third-lowest strike rate in an innings where he scored over 50 runs, showcasing his slow yet steady play. However, it was not enough to secure Pakistan a win against South Africa.
Led by the dynamic duo of Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones, England successfully chased down a revised target of 153 in just four overs to defeat South Africa and claim the series victory. South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt put up a valiant effort with 61 runs but the English bowlers, including Katherine Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone who both took two wickets, proved to be too much for the visitors. Unfortunately, England's Captain, Heather Knight, suffered a back spasm early in the match, but her team's exceptional performance was enough to secure the win. The teams will now turn their attention to the upcoming four-day test starting on Sunday.
Two evenly matched teams in the Bundesliga, SC Freiburg and VfL Wolfsburg, will face off in an exciting match at Park Stadion on Friday night. Both teams are tied with 21 points on the table, making this a crucial game that will potentially impact their rankings. While Freiburg has had a mixed season so far, Wolfsburg has been on an impressive winning streak, fueling their confidence and determination to secure a victory in this match. Football fans can expect a thrilling match between these two competitive teams.
Afghanistan avenged their previous loss to Zimbabwe by putting up a solid performance in the second T20 match of the series. Darwish Rasooli scored his maiden international fifty while Naveen-ul-Haq and Rashid Khan each took three wickets to clinch a 50-run victory. The teams will face off in one final match to determine who takes the lead in this closely contested series.
In a thrilling match at Centurion, South Africa triumphed over Pakistan to win the three-match T20 series with one game still remaining. After facing an embarrassing defeat in the first T20, South Africa bounced back to claim victory by six wickets in the second match, showcasing their resilience and determination. This win marks South Africa's dominance in the series and sets the stage for an exciting final game between the two teams.
The ICC has found a solution for the conflict between India and Pakistan in terms of hosting cricket matches. The Pakistan Cricket Board has ultimately agreed to play their games at a neutral venue in exchange for a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy in 2025 and the T20 World Cup in India in 2026. It has been reported that ICC Chairman Jay Shah will hold a virtual meeting with PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday to finalize the details of this agreement.
Under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar, Madhya Pradesh convincingly beat Delhi by seven wickets to enter their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final in 13 years. Opting to field, MP's bowlers, led by Venkatesh Iyer's 2/12, restricted Delhi to a modest 146/5. In the chase, Patidar's unbeaten 66 off just 29 balls, supported by Harpreet Singh Bhatia's 46 not out, helped MP reach the target in just 15.4 overs. Delhi's hopes of a comeback were dashed as they were unable to defend their total against MP's strong batting display.
The Pakistan national cricket team, led by captain Mohammad Rizwan, is all set for a three-match T20I series against South Africa. The first match will be played at Kingsmead, Durban, with start time of 09:30 PM IST. Despite a recent loss to Zimbabwe, Pakistan aims to bounce back and secure a 1-0 lead in the series. On the other hand, South Africa will be led by Heinrich Klaasen and boasts a strong squad including players like David Miller and Anrich Nortje. Fans can catch all the action live on Sports 18 channels or through the Jio Cinema app.