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Gwangju focused on Al-Hilal’s Saudi contingent in Champions League clash

JEDDAH: Al-Hilal’s foreign players have made the Saudi team one of the favorites to lift the Asian Champions League Elite title but Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo has his sights set on the club’s domestic contingent ahead of the quarter-finals on Friday. The Riyadh-based outfit are aiming for a record-extending fifth continental title when the finals phase of this year’s competition begin in Jeddah with attention largely focused on the expensively acquired talent within Jorge Jesus’ side. While Serbian duo Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic have played key roles in a team of high-profile signings such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo, Lee believes the key to prevailing against Al-Hilal lies elsewhere. “We have to take care of the Saudi Arabian players, their domestic players,” said Lee, who has led the South Korean club into the continental championship for the first time. “We know the big name players, we know how they play. We have to keep an eye on Salem Al-Dawsari, Mohamed Kanno or Ali Al-Bulayhi.

New York Knicks to face Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 presented by ADQ

ABU DHABI: The New York Knicks will face the Philadelphia 76ers in a preseason match-up during the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025, presented by ADQ, on Oct. 2 and Oct. 4 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

Top F1 qualifiers face intense competition in Jeddah

Jeddah: After Max Verstappen secured pole position in the top qualifiers for the F1 Saudi Arabian GP on Saturday night, the leading three drivers said that the competition was very intense for Sunday’s race.

De Bruyne ‘surprised’ over Man City exit

LONDON: Kevin De Bruyne has revealed he was “a bit surprised” to be told his glittering Manchester City career will finish at the end of this season.De Bruyne recently announced he will leave the Etihad Stadium once the current campaign is over, bringing the curtain down on a memorable era in Manchester for the Belgian midfielder.The 33-year-old arrived from German club Wolfsburg in 2015 and has been instrumental in City’s incredible success during boss Pep Guardiola’s reign.De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and the 2023 Champions League — which capped an incredible treble-winning season.Guardiola hinted it was his decision to end De Bruyne’s stay after the playmaker’s struggles with injuries and inconsistent form over the last two seasons.City have dipped dramatically this term, surrendering their four-year spell as champions and were reduced to focussing on the battle to qualify for the Champions League.But De Bruyne admitted he was shocked not to receive a new contract offer because he believes he can still shine at the highest level.“I have not had any offer the whole year, they just took a decision,” he said after City’s 2-0 win at Everton on Saturday.“Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I just have to accept it.

Basketball legends hail impact of Jr NBA Abu Dhabi League after conclusion of fourth edition

Abu Dhabi: Basketball legends Danny Green and Gary Payton praised the impact of the Jr NBA Abu Dhabi League after it recently concluded its fourth edition with the finals event at NYU Abu Dhabi.

Saudi Arabia back on track for World Cup after victory over 10-man China

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia defeated 10-man China 1-0 in Riyadh on Thursday to get their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign back on track. Salem Al-Dawsari’s goal early in the second half moved Herve Renard’s men into third place in Group C, a point behind Australia in the battle for the second automatic qualification spot, and three clear of Indonesia, Bahrain and China. Japan defeated Bahrain 2-0 to remain nine points clear at the top of the group with three games to play, and become the first nation to clinch qualification for the tournament. Australia’s 5-1 win over Indonesia earlier in the day had piled more pressure on the Saudis, who knew that after collecting just two points from their past four qualification games, and with a trip to a dominant Japan coming up on Tuesday, only a victory would do. As expected, the Green Falcons made most of the running, and midway through the first half they came within millimeters of taking the lead. Al-Dawsari slipped the ball to Nawaf Boushal on the left side of the area and the Al-Nassr star curled a shot that bounced back off the underside of the crossbar. Eight minutes before the break the home team came even closer.

Perisic stars as Croatia stun France in Nations League

SPLIT, Croatia: Ivan Perisic scored one goal and made another as Croatia beat France 2-0 on Thursday to seize the upper hand in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie. Perisic crossed for Ante Budimir to head in the opener at the Stadion Poljud in Split after the home side had squandered an early penalty. With France out of sorts, Perisic made it 2-0 before the break and a Croatia side captained by Luka Modric saw out the victory to take to Paris for the return match on Sunday. It was not a good night for France as captain Kylian Mbappe made his comeback having not featured in either of the last two international windows, in October and November. Mbappe did have chances, notably seeing a deflected second-half shot from Ousmane Dembele’s cutback kept out by a fine Dominik Livakovic save. The Real Madrid superstar has now failed to find the net in his last six appearances for his country, since scoring a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Poland at Euro 2024. Les Bleus will now have to find a way of overturning the deficit at the Stade de France on Sunday, otherwise Croatia will be heading to the final four of the Nations League. The semifinals and final will take place in June and will be hosted by either Italy or Germany, depending on which of those sides emerges victorious from their last-eight encounter. France won the Nations League in 2021 but suffered a first ever defeat against Croatia in the group stage of the following year’s edition. This latest repeat of the 2018 World Cup final, won 4-2 by the French in Moscow, saw Croatia win a spot-kick just five minutes in. Liverpool center-back Ibrahima Konate was penalized for a blatant handball inside the area, but Mike Maignan saved Andrej Kramaric’s

Coventry vote not ‘women versus men’, says outgoing IOC chief Bach

“I don’t think it was a vote on women versus men or vice versa,” he saidBach insisted he had “no preferred candidate“COSTA NAVARINO, Greece: Outgoing International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said the election of Kirsty Coventry as his successor should not be reduced to a gender battle of “women versus men.”Bach played down the importance of the 41-year-old from Zimbabwe, an Olympic gold medallist in swimming, becoming the first woman to be elected head of international sport’s wealthiest organization, defeating six other candidates, all men.“I don’t think we should reduce this election to the fact that there were six men and one woman.

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ABU DHABI Sport News

Gwangju focused on Al-Hilal’s Saudi contingent in Champions League clash

New York Knicks to face Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 presented by ADQ

Top F1 qualifiers face intense competition in Jeddah

De Bruyne ‘surprised’ over Man City exit

Basketball legends hail impact of Jr NBA Abu Dhabi League after conclusion of fourth edition

Saudi Arabia back on track for World Cup after victory over 10-man China

Perisic stars as Croatia stun France in Nations League

Coventry vote not ‘women versus men’, says outgoing IOC chief Bach