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Mourinho leaves Fenerbahce after Champions League failure in latest career blow to the ‘special one’

Jose Mourinho’s fall from grace in elite football accelerated Friday when the charismatic Portuguese coach left Turkish club Fenerbahce, two days after failing to get back into the Champions League after a long absence. His latest short managerial spell – this one lasted barely a year, in a second-tier European league – leaves the 62-year-old Mourinho’s career at a crossroads, with top teams potentially no longer wanting to take a chance on a coach whose best days might be behind him. Fenerbahce’s elimination at the hands of Benfica in a Champions League qualifying playoff on Wednesday was another blow to the status of Mourinho, who once was considered one of the world’s best coaches and famously had a heated rivalry with Pep Guardiola during their time in Spain with Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. A Champions League winner with Porto and Inter Milan, Mourinho has not coached in the main stage of the marquee competition for six seasons. He won the third-tier Conference League with Roma in 2022 but his time at the Italian club from 2021-24 was pock-marked with squabbles that resurfaced in his brief and chaotic spell in Turkiye. Turbulent times in Turkiye There was an incident in April when he grabbed the nose of Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk in the Istanbul derby, earning a three-match ban and a fine. Indeed, the fiery matches between the two local rivals brought out the worst in Mourinho.

Kairat vs Celtic LIVE score and goal updates from the Champions League clash

Celtic have made the gruelling 3500-mile trip to Kazakhstan with a mammoth 10-hour flight for their Champions League showdown with Kairat Almaty.

Man Utd still winless after Fulham draw, Everton win to open new stadium

LONDON: Manchester United remain without a Premier League win this season after being held 1-1 at Fulham on Sunday, while a Jack Grealish-inspired Everton opened their new stadium with a 2-0 victory over Brighton. Ruben Amorim’s United were left to rue Bruno Fernandes’ wayward first-half penalty as they were pegged back at Craven Cottage. Rodrigo Muniz’s own-goal put United in front on the hour mark, but Emile Smith Rowe came off the bench to rescue a point for Fulham. Amorim is seeking an upturn on a disastrous 15th-placed finish last season, but so far his new £200 million ($270 million) forward line of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, who again started on the bench, is yet to fire. Despite an encouraging performance, United lost 1-0 to title-chasing Arsenal in their season opener last weekend and will feel another two points slipped away in west London. Fulham, though, felt the visitors got the better of two controversial calls. United’s penalty was awarded after a VAR review for grappling by Calvin Bassey on Mason Mount. Fernandes is normally reliable from the spot, but blasted his effort high over the bar. When United did finally get their first goal of the season it came via a Fulham body as Muniz deflected Leny Yoro’s header into his own net. However, the home side were furious that this time VAR did not intervene for a push by Yoro on Bassey. Fulham still managed to rescue a point when former Arsenal midfielder Smith Rowe’s run into the box was not tracked and he turned in Alex Iwobi’s cross 17 minutes from time. After an emotional goodbye to Goodison Park, the club’s home since 1892, Everton are hoping the move to a new 53,000 capacity stadium will rekindle their bygone glory days. Only four

Hamburg celebrates Bundesliga return with goalless draw at Gladbach

BERLIN: Hamburger SV returned from a seven-year absence and emerged from its first game back in the Bundesliga with a 0-0 draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach. The promoted side spent much of Sunday’s game defending, with goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes diving well to deny Gladbach captain Rocco Reitz among other saves. “We knew we were coming up against a strong team that would have many people in midfield, so we kept it tight in the center and tried to hit on counterattacks,” Heuer Fernandes said. “Of course you never know where you stand after such a (difficult) pre-season, but I think everyone saw today how we can take on the league and that’s exactly how it should go.” Hamburg substitutes Jean-Luc Dompé and Yussuf Poulsen increased their team’s attacking threat for the last 15 minutes.

NGSC 2025 wraps up Day 2, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s esports ambitions

RIYADH: By the time the second and final day of the New Global Sport Conference 2025 ended in Riyadh, the city had truly come alive.

Lusail International Circuit welcomes Seal for Qatar Grand Prix show

DOHA: British singer Seal will entertain the crowds at Lusail International Circuit during the F1 Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

Afghanistan announce spin-heavy squad for tri-series, Asia Cup

KABUL: Fast-rising Afghanistan announced a spin-heavy squad on Sunday led by Rashid Khan for the T20 tri-series and Asia Cup to be played in the United Arab Emirates. Along with Khan, Afghanistan will have Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar and Mohammad Nabi in the spin department as they play their first Twenty20 internationals this year. The tri-series, also involving Pakistan and hosts the UAE, starts in Sharjah on Friday, while the six-nation Asia Cup begins on September 9. The 19-year-old Ghazanfar has yet to play a T20I but has made rapid strides in domestic matches in that format and one-day internationals. Afghanistan lost in the semifinals at last year’s men’s T20I World Cup in the United States and West Indies but have not played a single T20I since the start of 2025. Fazlhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib are the fast-bowling options. Afghanistan face Pakistan in the opening match of the tri-series on Friday. For the Asia Cup, Afghanistan are drawn in Group B with Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. Defending champions India, Oman, Pakistan and UAE are in Group A. Afghanistan face Hong Kong in the opening match of the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi on September 9. Afghanistan also announced a series of three one-day internationals and three T20Is with Bangladesh after the Asia Cup, also in the UAE. The T20Is are on October 2, 3 and 5 in Sharjah, while the ODIs will be played from 8-14 in Abu Dhabi. Squad: Rashid Khan (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq

Rashid Khan to lead spin-heavy Afghanistan in Asia Cup

KABUL: Rashid Khan will lead a spin-heavy Afghanistan at the next month’s Asia Cup with uncapped mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar also named in the 17-member Twenty20 squad on Sunday. Khan was named captain and is joined by Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi as the other seasoned spinners for the Sept. 9-28 tournament in the United Arab Emirates, where pitches are expected to help slow bowlers at Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan hasn’t played a T20 since beating Zimbabwe in December last year.

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Afghanistan Sport News

Mourinho leaves Fenerbahce after Champions League failure in latest career blow to the ‘special one’

Kairat vs Celtic LIVE score and goal updates from the Champions League clash

Man Utd still winless after Fulham draw, Everton win to open new stadium

Hamburg celebrates Bundesliga return with goalless draw at Gladbach

NGSC 2025 wraps up Day 2, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s esports ambitions

Lusail International Circuit welcomes Seal for Qatar Grand Prix show

Afghanistan announce spin-heavy squad for tri-series, Asia Cup

Rashid Khan to lead spin-heavy Afghanistan in Asia Cup