Category: Sports

Manchester City were unsurprisingly comfortable in a 3-1 victory over Copenhagen, copying the result from the first-leg in Denmark.

The Blues, who are pushing for a second successive treble, made use of their vast advantage over the Danish minnows, who were ultimately not up to the standard of the Champions League knockout stage.

Whether this raises questions about the expansion of the tournament’s group phase to feature more teams is another debate, however the Abu Dhabi-funded English champions will be right at the top of whichever tournament they enter.

Pep Guardiola made seven changes to the starting XI which defeated Manchester United 3-1 on last Sunday, although Erling Haaland retained his place, perhaps with the Spanish coach hoping he works through any crisis of confidence after an abysmal miss from one-yard out at the weekend.

It took just five minutes for Manchester City to open the scoring, albeit through an unlikely source, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported.

Manuel Akanji found the net wit
h a stunning volley after a cross from Julian Alvarez. The ball rocketed off his boot and into the roof of the net.

Rodri then missed a chance to double City’s lead, sending a glancing header beyond the goalkeeper but onto the crossbar.

Kamil Grabara earned plaudits for his performances against Manchester United and Bayern Munich in the group phase, but the goalkeeper was at fault for City’s second goal.

Julian Alvarez took a shot from distance that Grabara struggled to get to grips with and the ball squirmed under his body and into the net.

The tie, if it wasn’t in Denmark, was now over, and the Blues turned on their stereotypical game-management.

However, taking their foot off the gas did cause problems on the half-hour mark as Orri Oskarsson played a simple square pass towards Mohamed Elyounoussi, who was composed and he placed a shot into the bottom corner.

Haaland had a chance to redeem himself after his blunder at the weekend, finding himself on the end of a Rodri cross in injury-time of the first
-half.

However, the sensational Norwegian was clinical as he finished the chance with his usual conviction.

The second-half was a quiet affair with the job already done by the tournament holders, and they will now look towards who will have the unenviable task of facing them in the quarter-final.

Source: Oman News Agency

Upon the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, HH Sayyid Harib bin Thuwaini Al Said today presided over the conclusion of His Majesty the Sultan’s Camel Cup Festival 2024.

The 4-day festival was organized by the Royal Court Affairs at Al Fuleij Racecourse in the Wilayat of Barka, South Al Batinah Governorate.

The final race of the 62-lap competition was won by a camel from the Royal Camel Corps called Makhayil-coached by cameleer Subaih Mohammed Al Wahaibi, won first place and merited His Majesty the Sultan’s Cup for this year.

HH Sayyid Hareb handed over prizes to top winners of the six rounds of the race.

Source: Oman News Agency

Real Madrid fans will point towards Wolfsburg, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain and suggest that some of their greatest Champions League triumphs came with a slow start to the knockout phase.

Describing Los Blancos’ 1-1 draw with RB Leipzig at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu as slow would be an understatement, as a Real Madrid team that played far below their ability was able to avoid an embarrassing elimination.

In truth, the German side were kept at a safe distance by Ancelotti’s charges, but there were a number of nervous moments, despite the hosts taking the lead in the second-half.

There is talent wherever you look in the current Real Madrid team… and it’s young. When your factor in the likely addition of Kylian Mbappe in the summer, this is a potentially generational team that the club has recruited.

With that being said, they haven’t yet mastered the art of the rope-a-dope, which many great teams use to keep fitness levels fresh over the course of a season.

After taking a 1-0 victory in Germany, i
t became obvious that RB Leipzig were set up to try and score the first goal.

Lois Openda was recalled to the starting XI after missing the first-leg, and it was the visitors who made the early chances.

Xavi Simons tested Andriy Lunin, whilst Openda and Benjamin Sesko missed glaring chances. The best of which fell to Sesko who was one-on-one with Lunin but fired a shot straight at him. Sesko’s only saving grace was the fact replays showed he was offside.

Real Madrid’s opener came through their best two players. Jude Bellingham expertly orchestrated a counter-attack, providing a clever pass in behind at just the right time, and Vinicius Jr. finished with a powerful first time shot into the net, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported.

Leipzig, though, hit back immediately. Real Madrid’s continuous inability to clear their lines allowed the German team to string multiple corners together, and eventually a clever cross was aimed at Willi Orban, who nodded the ball into the far corner beyond Lunin.

Real Madrid
held out, although Dani Olmo tried an audacious lob which hit the bar with virtually the last kick of the game.

Nevertheless, Real can now start to prepare for the next round, although they have to raise their performance levels.

Source: Oman News Agency

Kylian Mbappe led Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) back to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad that kept alive the French club’s hopes of winning the European title in its last season with the France forward.

PSG advanced 4-1 on aggregate, with Mbappe also scoring one of the goals in the 2-0 win in the first leg in Paris three weeks ago. Mbappe has already told PSG he will not stay with the club after this season, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported.

Despite huge spending to try to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time, PSG had been eliminated from the last 16 five times in the last seven seasons, including the last two. It had made it to the semifinals in 2021 and was runner-up in 2020.

Mbappe was the difference-maker again, opening the scoring with a beautiful goal in the 15th minute after a couple of nifty moves inside the area to cut back from near the touchline and fire a firm right-footed shot into the far corner. The shot broke the netting
by the far post, prompting a short stoppage in play so it could be fixed.

Mbappe’s second goal came in the 56th with a run that started from near the midfield line. He sped to the open space to collect a long pass by Lee Kang-in and calmly found the net from inside the area.

At 25 years and 76 days, Mbappe became the second-youngest player to reach 45 Champions League goals, from group stage to final. Lionel Messi reached that mark at 24 years and 257 days. Mbappé stands at 46 goals.

Mbappé hadn’t scored in his last two appearances with PSG but had eight goals in his last eight matches with the club. He had been replaced in the last two matches but played through the final whistle.

PSG had won 10 of its last 13 matches in all competitions but was coming off consecutive draws against Rennes and Monaco in the French league.

Mikel Merino scored Sociedad’s lone goal in the 89th.

Sociedad was trying to advance past the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time. The Basque Country club hadn’t played
in Europe’s top club tournament since 2013-14. Its best European campaign was in 1982-83, when it reached the semifinals of the European Cup.

Sociedad started the season strong and won its Champions League group for the first time, but it has been going through a slump recently. It has lost six times in its last seven matches in all competitions, and has only one win in its last nine games.

The Spanish club had outplayed PSG during most of the first leg before conceding twice in the second half. Sociedad had a goal by Ander Barrenetxea disallowed for offside in the 63rd.

Source: Oman News Agency

Harry Kane scored twice to steer Bayern Munich into the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League with a 3-0 win over Lazio.

Kane’s 32nd and 33rd goals in his 32nd game for Bayern ensured the Bavarian powerhouse recovered from losing the first leg of the last 16 tie 1-0 in Rome to win 3-1 on aggregate over two legs.

Bayern, which is 10 points behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, was facing the prospect of just its second exit in 12 appearances at this stage of the competition.

But Kane finally broke the deadlock in the 38th minute after Ciro Immobile had gone close for Lazio at the other end, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported.

Thomas Mller headed Aleksandar Pavlovi’s cross back for Raphaël Guerreiro to mis-hit it, and Kane threw himself at the ball to just head it past Ivan Provedel in the Lazio goal.

There was still time before the break for Mller to score in first-half stoppage time with a glancing header to Matthijs de Ligt’s shot after a corner.

Kane sealed the result in the 66th by firing
in the rebound after Leroy Sané drew a save from Provedel. It was the England captain’s sixth Champions League goal this season.

Sané had recovered enough to start after a knee problem kept him from playing in the 2-2 draw with Freiburg over the weekend.

Bayern’s Club No. 12 fan group organized an impressive choreography before the game to show Munich’s heraldic figure over a banner saying “In the name of the city.”

Source: Oman News Agency

Barcelona were hit with a double injury blow which marred their goalless draw against Athletic Club at San Mames.

Barcelona failed to take advantage of Real Madrid’s slip-up in the title race.

Fresh off the back of their 4-0 drubbing of Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey in midweek, Athletic would have been brimming with confidence about closing the gap on the top four.

But with Real Madrid only drawing 2-2 with Valencia last Saturday and Girona suffering a surprise defeat to Mallorca, Barcelona had the opportunity to close the gap at the top to four points.

With few chances to speak of in the early exchanges, Barca were dealt a massive blow in the 26th minute when Frenkie de Jong was forced off with an ankle injury and replaced by Joao Cancelo. The Portuguese full-back nearly put the visitors in front minutes later, only to see his effort hacked clear off the line on the half-hour mark, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported.

Ronald Araujo and head coach Xavi Hernandez were both cautioned midway through
the first half, meaning the pair will be suspended for their next fixture against Mallorca on 8 March.

But Barca’s already bad evening turned into a nightmare when Xavi was forced into another change on the stroke of halftime.

Pedri, who has been plagued by injury over the past two seasons, had to be consoled by medics as he broke down in tears while walking off, suggesting his latest injury could keep him out for a lengthy period. Lamine Yamal was brought on in his place as Barca looked to spark the game into life.

The 17-year-old made an impact and felt he should have been awarded a penalty after going down under a challenge from Imanol Garcia, but the referee waved away his appeals.

With the clock running down, Xavi sent on fresh legs in the form of Joao Felix, Inigo Martinez and Oriol Romeu for Raphinha, Pau Cubarsi and the booked Andreas Christensen. But in a stop-start game of few chances, Barca never truly looked like finding the back of the net.

With De Jong and Pedri joining Gavi, Ferran Torres,
Marcos Alonso and Alejandro Balde on the ever-increasing list of injuries, Barca’s hopes of catching Real Madrid look slim at best with only 12 games

Source: Oman News Agency

Muscat: Following the success of the inaugural diplomatic initiative held in partnership between the public and private sectors from 2022 to 2023 in Italy and the Sultanate of Oman, the Foreign Ministry, in collaboration with relevant entities, revealed the details of the second edition of the Oman Golf Trophy 2024 in a press conference held this morning at the Royal Opera House Muscat.

The event was attended by Khalid bin Hashil Al Muselhi, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Administrative and Financial Affairs and Basil bin Ahmed Al Rowas, Undersecretary for Sports and Youth at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and Eng. Munthir Al Barwani, President of the Oman Golf Association.

The upcoming tournament is set to attract a diverse mix of local and international golf enthusiasts, bolstering Oman’s standing as a premier sports tourism destination.

Across seven countries, 80 qualifying rounds will take place from April to October 2024 and will see 7,400 participants vie for a spot in the fin
al.

The finale of the Oman Golf Trophy 2024 will be held at Al Mouj Golf in December 2024, featuring 140 players, accompanied by guests, who will compete for victory. Notable economic and media figures from participating nations will gather in Muscat, adding prestige to the championship’s conclusion.

Commenting on the launch of the second edition, Khalid bin Hashil Muselhi stated, “The initiative aims to introduce Oman as a tourism destination and to establish a connection with golf enthusiasts, made up of businesspeople and high net worth individuals. It also aims to highlight Oman’s potentials by attracting investors, business owners, tourists, and media from participating countries, promoting it as an attractive destination for golf and other sports.”

Basil bin Ahmed Al Rowas emphasized that the Oman Golf Trophy is the first sports championship bearing the name “Sultanate of Oman” held abroad. He highlighted that this year’s edition saw the event grow to seven participating countries in the qualifying r
ounds, compared to the initial version which included only Italy and Oman. This presents a significant opportunity to promote investment opportunities, especially in sports tourism, in line with Oman Vision 2040.

Al Rowas pointed out that organizing the tournament aligns with the ongoing diplomatic and cultural efforts of the Sultanate of Oman on the international stage, providing an opportunity to showcase Oman in those countries through the globally popular sport of golf.

He stressed the importance of supporting the tournament to ensure its sustainability and development, stating that this support plays a significant role in building a sports foundation that enables Omani athletes to compete at the global level.

In conclusion, he expressed his anticipation for organizing similar events in various sports, in collaboration with international partners and with the joint support of the public and private sectors.

Eng. Munthir bin Salem Al Barwani, President of the Oman Golf Association, stated, “The Oman Go
lf Trophy is an initiative from the Unified National Plan team to promote Oman under the auspices of the Omani Foreign Ministry. The first edition of the tournament was held in Italy from September to November 2022, with 800 participants in the qualifying rounds. Fourteen players qualified to compete in the final round at the Al Mouj Golf Course, where Enrico Pardazi won the men’s category and Barbara Moratti the women’s category.”

This initiative demonstrates the strength of the partnership between the public and private sectors, working together towards a common goal of promoting Oman. The success of the Oman Golf Trophy extends beyond Italy and Oman, reaching a global audience and conveying the message that Oman is an open country welcoming investor, tourists, athletes, adventurers, luxury enthusiasts, and people from all walks of life.

The Oman Golf Trophy will be held at several renowned golf courses worldwide, with the final event taking place in Muscat from 9 to 12 December 2024. Qualifying rounds wi
ll be held in various countries, including Italy (April to October), Austria (April to September), Germany (April to October), South Africa (May to August), India (August to November), France (September to October), and Japan (August to October). Omani players will have the opportunity to interact with international players and compete in an atmosphere blending fun and challenge.

The first edition of the Oman Golf Trophy took place on seven famous golf courses in Italy from September to November 2022, with 800 players participating in the qualifying rounds. Fourteen players qualified for the final round, held at the Muscat Hills Golf Course, where Enrico Pardazi and Barbara Moratti won the men’s and women’s categories, respectively. The initiative is supervised by the Oman Golf Federation (www.golfoman.com) and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, with technical and financial support from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and In
vestment Promotion, and several prestigious Omani companies

Source: Oman News Agency

Muscat: Following the success of the inaugural diplomatic initiative held in partnership between the public and private sectors from 2022 to 2023 in Italy and the Sultanate of Oman, the Foreign Ministry, in collaboration with relevant entities, revealed the details of the second edition of the Oman Golf Trophy 2024 in a press conference held this morning at the Royal Opera House Muscat.

The event was attended by Khalid bin Hashil Al Muselhi, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Administrative and Financial Affairs and Basil bin Ahmed Al Rowas, Undersecretary for Sports and Youth at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and Eng. Munthir Al Barwani, President of the Oman Golf Association.

The upcoming tournament is set to attract a diverse mix of local and international golf enthusiasts, bolstering Oman’s standing as a premier sports tourism destination.

Across seven countries, 80 qualifying rounds will take place from April to October 2024 and will see 7,400 participants vie for a spot in the fin
al.

The finale of the Oman Golf Trophy 2024 will be held at Al Mouj Golf in December 2024, featuring 140 players, accompanied by guests, who will compete for victory. Notable economic and media figures from participating nations will gather in Muscat, adding prestige to the championship’s conclusion.

Commenting on the launch of the second edition, Khalid bin Hashil Muselhi stated, “The initiative aims to introduce Oman as a tourism destination and to establish a connection with golf enthusiasts, made up of businesspeople and high net worth individuals. It also aims to highlight Oman’s potentials by attracting investors, business owners, tourists, and media from participating countries, promoting it as an attractive destination for golf and other sports.”

Basil bin Ahmed Al Rowas emphasized that the Oman Golf Trophy is the first sports championship bearing the name “Sultanate of Oman” held abroad. He highlighted that this year’s edition saw the event grow to seven participating countries in the qualifying r
ounds, compared to the initial version which included only Italy and Oman. This presents a significant opportunity to promote investment opportunities, especially in sports tourism, in line with Oman Vision 2040.

Al Rowas pointed out that organizing the tournament aligns with the ongoing diplomatic and cultural efforts of the Sultanate of Oman on the international stage, providing an opportunity to showcase Oman in those countries through the globally popular sport of golf.

He stressed the importance of supporting the tournament to ensure its sustainability and development, stating that this support plays a significant role in building a sports foundation that enables Omani athletes to compete at the global level.

In conclusion, he expressed his anticipation for organizing similar events in various sports, in collaboration with international partners and with the joint support of the public and private sectors.

Eng. Munthir bin Salem Al Barwani, President of the Oman Golf Association, stated, “The Oman Go
lf Trophy is an initiative from the Unified National Plan team to promote Oman under the auspices of the Omani Foreign Ministry. The first edition of the tournament was held in Italy from September to November 2022, with 800 participants in the qualifying rounds. Fourteen players qualified to compete in the final round at the Al Mouj Golf Course, where Enrico Pardazi won the men’s category and Barbara Moratti the women’s category.”

This initiative demonstrates the strength of the partnership between the public and private sectors, working together towards a common goal of promoting Oman. The success of the Oman Golf Trophy extends beyond Italy and Oman, reaching a global audience and conveying the message that Oman is an open country welcoming investor, tourists, athletes, adventurers, luxury enthusiasts, and people from all walks of life.

The Oman Golf Trophy will be held at several renowned golf courses worldwide, with the final event taking place in Muscat from 9 to 12 December 2024. Qualifying rounds wi
ll be held in various countries, including Italy (April to October), Austria (April to September), Germany (April to October), South Africa (May to August), India (August to November), France (September to October), and Japan (August to October). Omani players will have the opportunity to interact with international players and compete in an atmosphere blending fun and challenge.

The first edition of the Oman Golf Trophy took place on seven famous golf courses in Italy from September to November 2022, with 800 players participating in the qualifying rounds. Fourteen players qualified for the final round, held at the Muscat Hills Golf Course, where Enrico Pardazi and Barbara Moratti won the men’s and women’s categories, respectively. The initiative is supervised by the Oman Golf Federation (www.golfoman.com) and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, with technical and financial support from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and In
vestment Promotion, and several prestigious Omani companies

Source: Oman News Agency

Liverpool moved four points clear atop the English Premier League standings with a dramatic 99th-minute 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest courtesy of Darwin Nunez.

The victory could prove crucial for the Reds as they battle it out with Manchester City for the title, as a draw looked likely with each passing minute at City Ground.

However, just when it seemed the two sides were set to share the spoils, Nunez, in what was his first game since 17 February, managed to send Alexis Mac Allister’s cross into the back of the net with a glancing header.

The victory crucially moves Liverpool four points clear of Manchester City in the standings, ahead of the Citizens’ derby clash with United later today. It’s also their first win at the City Ground since 1984.

Neither side were able to create much of substance in the first half, with the best chance falling to Forest.

Former Liverpool forward Divock Origi’s pass sent Anthony Elanga in on goal, but the forward failed to send his effort past the leg of Caoimhin Kel
leher.

The Reds responded through Luis Diaz, but the Colombian could only push the ball over the bar.

Liverpool seemed to wake up after the restart when Andy Robertson was presented with a chance, but Matz Sels denied him with his boot.

Forest responded, Elanga firing just wide of the mark as both teams tried to find the breakthrough despite creating few clear cut chances.

In the end Liverpool did find a winner, though they couldn’t have left it any later. Forest couldn’t clear their lines, which allowed the Reds to recycle the ball from a corner.

This allowed Mac Allister to chip a left-footed cross into the box, with Nunez getting between two defenders to send his glancing header home to the despair of the home fans.

Source: Oman News Agency

Members of the International Tent Pegging Federation (ITPF)’s general assembly, who convened in Muscat today, discussed a variety of issues, most notably Turkey’s accession to membership of the ITPF.

Through a unanimous vote, the ITPF’s general assembly endorsed amendments to the laws of the game and agreed to hold the next ITPF World Cup in 2026.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mohammed bin Issa Al Fairuz, President of the International Tent Pegging Federation, and attended by representatives of member states.

Al Fairuz said that the meeting discussed the most important international championships, programmes, events and training courses organized by the ITPF. The discussions dealt with the ITPF World Cup’s qualifying tournaments.

In his speech, Al Fairuz also touched on joint cooperation agreements inked with the Asian Equestrian Federation and Qatar Equestrian Federation.

During the meeting, the ITPF general assembly accepted Russia’s request to organize two tournaments, the first in tr
aditional sports uniforms in July 2024 and the second a friendship tournament in August 2024. It also approved Pakistan’s request to hold a Youth Tournament (U-21) and it endorsed the ITPF Board of Directors’ report and its 2023 financial report.

Source: Oman News Agency

Vinicius Junior responded to a hostile reception from Valencia fans with a brace to rescue Real Madrid with a 2-2 draw at Estadio Mestalla in a game that ended with referee controversy.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side had a golden opportunity to go nine points clear of second-place Girona as the title race begins to reach its climax, but Real Madrid may live to rue their lackluster first-half performance if their title rivals win their game in hand.

Hugo Duro put the hosts in front on 27 minutes after heading home from a Fran Perez ball into the box, with Valencia looking dangerous on the counter.

And only three minutes later, Los Che doubled their lead. Roman Yaremchuk stunned the visitors after pouncing on a miscommunication between Dani Carvajal and Andriy Lunin, tapping home into the empty net to leave his compatriot looking red-faced.

But right on the stroke of halftime, Real Madrid clawed their way back into the contest – and it simply had to be Vinicius Junior to score the goal. After boos and jeers every t
ime he received the ball, he stepped up to bring the leaders back from the brink, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported.

The Brazilian, back at the Mestalla a year after accusing fans of allegedly racially abusing him, had the last laugh with a goal in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time, bundling home at the far post.

Both goalkeepers were forced to make decent stops, with Lunin keeping out Duro this time with a smart stop and Giorgi Marmardashvili denying Jude Bellingham a goal on his return to the team.

Ancelotti sent on Brahim Diaz and Luka Modric in search of an equalizer midway through the second half, and the pair would repay their boss by having a part to play in the equalizing goal.

Modric and Brahim combined in the build-up before the latter sent in a cross to the far post. Unmarked, Vinicius met the delivery with a header into the ground to bring the score level to 2-2. A brief VAR check deemed that he was onside when the ball was played and the comeback was complete.

The game didn’t e
nd without some controversy as Real Madrid were handed a corner in the closing stages. Just when Bellingham headed the ball into the back of the net, the goal was ruled off.

While unclear at first, the goal was called back after the referee had already blown the whistle as the ball crossed the line, much to the anger of Real Madrid.

It means Real Madrid have still only tasted defeat once in the Spanish LaLiga this season, although they now face an anxious wait to see if their advantage will be cut to four points, with Girona travelling to Mallorca and Barcelona facing a tough test against Athletic Club today.

Source: Oman News Agency

Syria’s men basketball team beat its Emirati counterpart 78-63 points in the 2nd round of the first window of Asian Cup Qualifiers, in a match that brought them together Monday in the United Arab Emirates(UAE).

Meanwhile, the Syrian team lost to its Lebanese counterpart 87-78 points in the first round of the 1st stage.

24 teams are participating in the current qualifiers, and they are distributed into six groups, and the first and second teams in each group will qualify directly for the next Asian Cup.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency