Pioneer Hadjar flies two flags as an Arab in F1
LONDON :Formula One rookie Isack Hadjar has two flags in his room, the French tricolore and Algeria's red star and crescent on green and white.
Morocco Sport News
Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad in key Saudi Pro League clashes as title race heats up
RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League title race intensifies on Monday as Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad both face crucial tests in round 29.
Saudi Arabia open to 64-team World Cup in 2034
JEDDAH :Saudi Arabia would be ready and willing to host a 64-team World Cup in 2034 if FIFA accepts a controversial proposal to expand the tournament from 48, according to the kingdom's sports minister.
Bayern roar past Heidenheim with 34th title in clear sight
HEIDENHEIM, Germany: Bayern Munich had little trouble beating lowly Heidenheim 4-0 on Saturday to put themselves within touching distance of their 34th Bundesliga title. The table now shows Bayern at the top with 72 points, nine ahead of Bayer Leverkusen who face St. Pauli on Sunday, with four rounds left to play. With Bayern racing into a three-goal lead after just 36 minutes — courtesy of Harry Kane’s precision, Konrad Laimer’s drive and Kingsley Coman’s flair — there was little doubt about Saturday’s outcome. Kane could have doubled his tally after 22 minutes, with the pressure on the Heidenheim goal reaching a boiling point, but the Bundesliga’s leading marksman steered a close-range header just wide, letting the hosts off the hook. Joshua Kimmich then took his time before rifling a shot into the corner for 4-0 in the 56th minute as Bayern surged ahead at full throttle in their relentless pursuit of another league crown. Heidenheim, fueled by pride and eager to salvage something from an otherwise dismal performance, came close to pulling back a goal just after the hour mark.
Raphinha leads Barcelona’s thrilling 4-3 comeback over Celta in La Liga
BARCELONA: Hansi Flick ran onto the field on the final whistle and lifted Raphinha off his feet in a bear hug. The Brazil forward deserved being singled out for extra praise from Barcelona’s coach. He had just led a thrilling 4-3 fightback over Celta Vigo by scoring two late goals including a clutch penalty for an injury-time winner. Barcelona remained on pace for the Spanish league title as they opened up a seven-point gap over Real Madrid before the defending champion host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. “It was amazing to see at this stage how this team gives everything to never give up,” Flick said.
Max Verstappen on pole in Jeddah as Lando Norris crashes in qualifying
JEDDAH: World champion Max Verstappen put Red Bull on pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in track-record time on Saturday as McLaren’s Formula One leader Lando Norris hit the wall and qualified 10th. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, bidding to become the first Australian to lead the standings since Mark Webber in 2010, joined the four-times world champion on the front row for Sunday’s night race. Mercedes’s George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will share the second row in third and fourth at the super-fast Corniche circuit where the winner has come from pole three out of four times previously. “The car came alive in the night,” exclaimed Verstappen after pipping Piastri by a mere 0.010 of a second. The pole position changed hands three times in a final flurry of flying laps before the champion settled matters with a time of one minute 27.294 seconds. “I think in the race it will be difficult to keep them behind.
Man City boost top five bid, Southampton snatch late leveller
LONDON: Manchester City bolstered their bid to qualify for the Champions League with a dramatic 2-0 win at Everton, while Southampton’s last-gasp equalizer at West Ham ensured they will not have sole possession of the lowest points total in Premier League history. City were heading toward a damaging draw before Nico O’Reilly’s 84th minute strike put them on course for a vital victory that was sealed by Mateo Kovacic’s goal in the final seconds. Pep Guardiola’s side climb to fourth place, four points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea, who face Fulham on Sunday in their game in hand. Fifth-placed Nottingham Forest, who travel to Tottenham on Monday, are one point adrift of City. At a stage of the season when they are usually embroiled in a battle to win the title, City — champions in six of the previous seven campaigns — have been reduced to scrapping for a Champions League berth after a dismal season. They remain on course to achieve their bare minimum target after a hard-fought success on Merseyside. In the 84th minute, Matheus Nunes’s low cross into the six-yard box was met by the 20-year-old O’Reilly, who got in front of Michael Keane to poke home from close range. O’Reilly has emerged as an unlikely hero for City after the Manchester-born midfielder scored last week in the win against Crystal Palace and netted twice against Plymouth in the FA Cup. Kovacic wrapped up City’s victory on their last visit to Goodison Park before Everton move to a new stadium next season. The Croatian guided Ilkay Gundogan’s pass into the bottom corner to give City a third win from their last four league games. “To win here at Goodison Park, where Liverpool and Arsenal couldn’t, is massively important,” Guardiola said. “Now it is in our hands.
Morocco U-17 make history after winning their first AFCON title
BEIRUT: Morocco’s U-17 national football team made history on Saturday by winning their first Africa Cup of Nations 2025 title after edging past Mali 4-2 on penalty shootouts. The final match saw little in the way of clear chances, with both sides struggling to break the deadlock throughout 90 minutes of a goalless draw. In the second half, the Atlas Lions increased their tempo, obviously paving their way for a breakthrough, but could not hit the Malian net. With no goals to separate the two, the match went to penalties, where Morocco held their nerve.