Sports

AFC Asian Cup: S. Korea beat Saudi Arabia on penalties to reach quarters

Published

4 months ago

31/01/2024

DOHA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) — South Korea advanced to the AFC Asian Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday night with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over Saudi Arabia at Education City Stadium.

After the two sides settled for a 1-1 draw at the end of 120 minutes, goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo became the hero for South Korea as he saved Saudi’s third and fourth penalties.

Hwang Hee-chan, the forward from Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, struck into the winning penalty to help his side book a last-eight berth where they will face Australia on Friday.

It was the heavyweight clash in round of 16 with both sides combining to claim the title five times.

“We have to believe that we can beat Saudi Arabia, but it will be a lot of hard work, it will be nail biter and it might go to a penalty shootout,” said the head coach Jurgen Klinsmann before the match.

“Anything can happen in football, you cannot predict what will be next,” the 1990 FIFA World Cup winner added.

Though ranking 33 places lower than South Korea, Roberto Mancini’s side took the lead first after seconds into the second half.

Salem Al-Dawsari, the playmaker in the counterattack system for Saudi Arabia, cushioned a pass into Abdullah Radif’s path and the substitute forward controlled the ball well to make a close-range finish, leaving Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae helpless.

The Koreans dominated the match in the later stage as the Italian organized defense of Mancini was finally exposed.

Cho Gue-sung, the striker for Danish club Midtjylland, headed in from close range in the ninth minute of stoppage time, making the two sides enter the extra time at 1-1.

Earlier on Tuesday, Uzbekistan beat Thailand 2-1 in another Round of 16 match.

Azizbek Turgunboev, the winger for Pakhtakor club in the Uzbekistan Super League, and Abbosbek Fayzullaev from CSKA Moscow, scored in each half to book a fifth Asian Cup quarterfinal appearance for their national team.

Uzbekistan will meet defending champions Qatar in the next round as the hosts beat Palestine 2-1 on Monday.

Thailand, who entered the tournament’s last 16 for the second time in a row, ended their campaign in Doha.

The Asian Cup, featuring a total of 24 teams, runs from January 12 to February 10.

Source(s): Xinhua

Sports

The table tennis star Dheema, first Maldivian athlete to qualify for Olympics

Published

9 hours ago

18/05/2024

The table tennis star, Fathimath Dheema Ali, who will be partaking in the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, has received a warm welcome upon returning to Male’ City. Dheema showcased her exemplary skills amidst stiff competition from the finest table tennis players in South Asia and emerged victorious in the South Asia Regional Olympic Qualifications. Her triumph signifies a momentous milestone for the Maldives in the realm of international sports.

Upon arrival back to the Maldives, the Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu and senior officials of the ministry along with the President of Maldives Olympic Committee (MOC) Mohamed Abdul Sattar and key figures from the Table Tennis Association of the Maldives extended their heartfelt and warm welcomes to Dheema. The minister organised a special ceremony held in the Youth Centre, commemorating the groundbreaking achievement of Dheema.

Speaking at the ceremony, President of the table Tennis Association Ali Rasheed rejoiced, stating that Dheema’s historic performance marked a significant milestone in the history of the Maldives. Highlighting that this remarkable victory was a result of 10 years of her unwavering commitment and dedication, Ali affirmed that the administration and countries in which she received training played a pivotal role for her success. On this stance, he expressed heartfelt gratitude towards all who were engaged in assisting to ensure this significant opportunity was secured.

While Dheema successfully qualified for the Olympic Games, previously Maldivian athletes competed in the games in invitational (tripartite) opportunities provided. As such, Maldivian athletes have been actively participating and competing in athletics, badminton and swimming since 1988.

Source(s): PsmNews

Sports

Minister announces survey for 20-year sports development plan

Published

3 days ago

15/05/2024

Minister of Sports, Fitness, and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu has announced a special survey for the Maldives’ 20-year sports development plan.

The draft plan was developed in February and focuses on cultivating top athletes by training coaches in schools, hosting major tournaments in the Maldives, and expanding sports associations’ activities in the atolls.

At a press conference, Minister Rafiu highlighted ongoing collaboration with sports associations. He said that detailed work on the long-term policy is available on the ministry’s website. He also said that the survey is a critical part of the process and spans 22 pages and requires time for completion by each association.

Additionally, Minister Rafiu mentioned agreements with Malaysia for training athletes and administrators. He also said that discussions about the plan have taken place with France, and talks are ongoing with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Source(s): PsmNews

Sports

Mbappe announces PSG departure at end of season

Published

1 week ago

11/05/2024

MARSEILLE, May 10 (Xinhua) — Kylian Mbappe confirmed on Friday that he will leave French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, without revealing his next destination.

But according to multiple media reports, he will join the La Liga powerhouses Real Madrid after the season ends.

“I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks,” Mbappe said in a video posted on social media.

“I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.”

The French international joined PSG on loan from Monaco in 2017 and officially signed with the capital-based side after the season ended for a transfer fee of 180 million euros.

During his seven years with the team, Mbappe helped the club claim six league titles and three French Cup victories, making 306 appearances and scoring 255 goals, becoming the top scorer in the team’s history.

“It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honor to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world,” said the 26-year-old.

“It allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions,” he added.

“It’s hard and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that… but I think I needed this, a new challenge, after seven years.”

PSG have already secured the Ligue 1 title of this season and reached the French Cup final, where they will compete for the championship against Lyon on May 25th.

However, in the Champions League where the team most aspired to make a mark, they suffered another disappointing exit as they were eliminated in the semifinals after being defeated in both legs by Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

Source(s): Xinhua