Sports

AMMAN —  The CFI Professional Football League’s most anticipated match will be Wihdat vs Faisali on Saturday as the competition entered its fifth week on Thursday. 

This week’s matches include, leaders Ahli vs Shabab Urdun, Aqaba vs Salt, Ramtha vs Sarih, Jazira vs Mughayer Sarhan, Hussein vs Ma’an.

Week 4 saw Ahli held 1-1 with Faisali but still  remained atop the table after an unbeaten streak. Wihdat and Hussein remained  second and third although both had the week off for their Asian club agendas.

In other matches, Ma'an scored an important 3-2 win over Aqaba to move up 3 spots to 7^th, Shabab Urdun held Ramtha 0-0 and climbed a spot, and Jazira remained 11^th after they were held 2-2 with Sarih.

Week 5  matches come right after Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Champions League Two matches where Wihdat scored a vital win over Iran’s Sepahan FC Isfahan 2-1 in an outstanding match highlighted by the rise of two stars Ibrahim Sabra and Mohannad Simreen.

On the other hand, league holders Hussein fell 3-1 to Ahli Dubai of the UAE in a match that saw a record number of 11 saves by national team goalie Yazeed Abu Layla. 

The 21^st edition of the second tier Asian event has replaced the AFC Cup, where Wihdat are in Group C alongside UAE’s Sharjah, Tajikistan’s Istiqlal and Sepahan while Hussein are in Group D with Kuwait Club, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi and Ahli Dubai.

It is Hussein’s 1st and Wihdat’s 13^th time the event which was won by Faisali twice 2005-2006 and Shabab Urdun once in 2007. 

LONDON — Virgil van Dijk saluted Liverpool's "calm" response to conceding an early goal against AC Milan as they bounced back to win 3-1 in their Champions League opener.

Liverpool captain Van Dijk had admitted his side looked like they had no plan during a shock 1-0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last weekend.

And the Netherlands centre-back was concerned again after Christian Pulisic gave Milan the lead after just three minutes in the San Siro.

To the defender's relief, Liverpool stuck to boss Arne Slot's game-plan and equalised through Ibrahima Konate before Van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai scored to wrap up the victory.

Asked if it was the perfect response to the Forest game, Van Dijk said: "No, not after three minutes. But after three minutes I think it was very good in so many ways.

"We stayed calm, played how we wanted to play rather than running around looking like we have absolutely no plan like we did, especially in the last 20 to 30 minutes in the second half of the last game, when you can play for another hour and you won't score."

Van Dijk, 33, insisted he was never worried about the criticism that accompanied the Forest defeat, which came after Liverpool had won the first three games of the Slot era without conceding a goal.

"For who it is a disaster? What can you do about the outside?" he said.

"You can't do anything about the outside. The only influence we have is what we do on the pitch and you saw it.

"It is about delivering today and tomorrow and if you don't then the pressure comes from the outside but we have to stay calm.

"I have a big role in that, the manager himself has a role in that but at the end of the day we, as players, have to show it on the pitch."

Slot's persistence with a virtually unchanged team for the first four matches of the season had come under scrutiny, but he maintained that stance with just two changes against Milan.

Cody Gakpo, one of Slot's alterations, was a revelation on his first start of the campaign, producing a dynamic performance reminiscent of his form for Netherlands at Euro 2024.

"I think last year he played very good games as well, I don't think you should forget that," Van Dijk said.

"I've seen what he can produce but when you play one game a week and players -- in this case Lucho [Luis Diaz] -- did very well then you have to be patient.

"We need everyone to be at their best and you saw he could make a difference with crosses and an assist as well. We need everyone and this was a good example of that."

AMMAN - National team coaches and officials have much to contemplate ahead of next month’s Round 3 2026 World Cup Group B qualifiers against South Korea and Oman. 

Head coach Jamal Sellamy has left for a short break to Morocco as his two key strikers are now on the injured list and possibly doubtful for the October 10 and 15 matches against South Korea and Oman.

As reports came in that Montpellier’s Mousa Ta’mari, stretchered off the field with an ankle injury in the qualifier against Kuwait is sidelined for over a month, now, striker Yazan Nue’imat, who plays for Qatar’s Arabi, is suffering from a fractured rib and is expected to be out for six weeks.

Jordan currently tops its group on goal difference. As qualifiers kicked off on September 5, Ta’mari, now considered one of Asia’s leading players, scored for Jordan before he had to be substituted early in the second half. His teammates lacked the cohesion and missed chances before the guest team scored their equalizer in injury time.  

In the second match, Nue’imat scored twice in Jordan’s 3-1 win over Palestine who had earlier held Korea 0-0. In other results, Iraq beat Oman 1-0 and South Korea beat Oman 3-1.

Coach Sellamy acknowledged his side lacked the focus at vital moments in the opening Round 3 match and noted, “We are on the right track but not in an ideal situation,” alluding to the change in coaching staff, players on duty abroad and not regrouping for a longer time.

Ta’mari, who helped carry his team to the final match of the Asian Cup in addition to Nue’imat became household names and have given fans hope Jordan can make it to the World Cup for the first time with FIFA expanding the format to include 16 more teams in the upcoming 2026 World Cup edition.  

LONDON — Manchester City will fight to avoid potential expulsion from the Premier League for financial breaches as sport's "trial of the century" begins on Monday.



Premier League champions City have been charged with 115 alleged breaches of the competition's financial regulations.

City deny any wrongdoing and have said they have a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" to clear their name.

But if they are found guilty, they could face a range of punishments, including a severe points penalty or even be kicked out of the Premier League.

Everton and Nottingham Forest were both hit by points deductions last season for single breaches of the league's profit and sustainability rules.

With City winning eight league titles since 2012, including six of the last seven, a guilty verdict could prompt a slew of compensation claims from rival top-flight clubs.

City's financial affairs have come under regular scrutiny since their takeover by Sheikh Mansour's Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008.

If the verdict goes against City, there is potential for strained diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, where Mansour is a deputy prime minister.

The hearing, which is not a court case, will be heard by an independent commission and could take 10 weeks to complete.



City's legal team were photographed arriving at London's International Dispute Resolution Centre for the start of the hearing on Monday.

David Pannick from Blackstone Chambers, who is City's lead barrister, was seen on his way into the venue close to St Paul's Cathedral in central London.

A verdict is not expected to be announced until 2025, with City likely to appeal if they are found guilty.

Of the 115 charges, 80 are for breaches of the regulations between 2009 and 2018, while a further 35 relate to failing to cooperate with the Premier League's investigation.

The root of suspicion comes from leaked documents published by German outlet Der Spiegel back in 2018.

E-mails purportedly sent between City executives showed the club had allegedly inflated sponsorship revenue from Abu Dhabi state-controlled airline Etihad and telecoms firm Etisalat by disguising direct investment from the Abu Dhabi United Group as income.

Other documents claimed to show off-the-books payments to then manager Roberto Mancini via consultancy fees from a club in Abu Dhabi.

'Irrefutable evidence' 

City have already defended their position in one case after overturning a two-year ban from the Champions League by UEFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2020.



CAS found most of the alleged breaches of overstating sponsorship revenue were either not established or "time-barred" because they fell outside the five-year statutory limit for prosecution.

No so such time limitation clause exists in the Premier League case, although City remain confident of avoiding sanctions.

"I know what people are looking for, I know what they are expecting.

I know it because I have read it for many years but I've said everyone is innocent until guilt is proven. So we will see," City manager Pep Guardiola said last week.

Aymeric Laporte was a serial title winner with City before moving to Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr and the defender claimed Guardiola's players were reassured there was nothing to worry about during his time at the club.

"When I was there and the news broke, the sporting director [Txiki Begiristain] and the CEO [Ferran Soriano] came and told all the players and staff that we can all be very calm because not one rule has been broken by Man City," Laporte told Mail Sport.

However, a guilty verdict could bring an end to Guardiola's glorious reign, which includes winning City's first Champions League crown in 2023.

The Spaniard, who is into the final year of his contract, has steadfastly backed City's owners but previously said he would walk if they had not been honest with him.

"If you lie to me, the day after I am not here," said Guardiola in 2022.

Severe sanctions would raise doubts over the future of City's cast of star players, including prolific striker Erling Haaland.

Should City prove their innocence, the Premier League will stand accused of being a soft touch outmanoeuvered by the deep pockets of state-backed clubs.

BAKU — Oscar Piastri delivered a cool performance on and off the track on Sunday after his measured drive to win a tense and dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix lifted McLaren past Red Bull in the race for the constructors’ championship.

His win ended Red Bull’s more than two-year domination and confirmed that McLaren are now the team to beat having outscored all their rivals in the last seven races.

In a battle of attrition on the fast and technical 6km Baku street circuit, the 23-year-old Australian drove with control and aplomb to beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started on pole for the fourth consecutive year.

“Well,” said the Australian with his trademark understatement on team radio. “That was the most stressful afternoon of my life. Thanks for the car! What a day that was! Thanks everyone.”

Piastri secured the lead on lap 20 when he dived down the inside at Turn One and finished 10.910 seconds clear of Leclerc, who was struggling on worn tyres in the closing laps.

George Russell, profiting from a late crash involving Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, finished third for Mercedes.

Perez had attempted to pass Leclerc before tangling with Sainz in a collision that left both drivers furious after hitting the wall on the penultimate lap.

The crash damaged both cars, ending their involvement and triggering a Virtual Safety Car finish to the race.

Piastri’s McLaren team-mate and title contender Lando Norris fought from 15th on the grid to finish fourth and beat three-time champion and series leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who finished fifth, extending the Dutchman’s run of races without a win to seven.

Piastri’s win lifted McLaren to 476 points ahead of Red Bull on 456 in the teams’ title race, while Norris (who claimed the fastest lap) trimmed Verstappen’s drivers’ lead by three points to 59 points.

Verstappen has 313 and Norris 254 with seven races and three sprint races remaining.

Red Bull had led the title race for 55 races.

“Considering where we started, when I joined the team last year, we were literally last and now we are leading the world championship,” said Piastri.

‘Hung on for dear life’ 

“It’s full credit to the team for the turnaround we’ve managed to have, first in terms of improving the car, but also helping me improve as well.

“Results like this definitely weren’t possible 12 months ago for myself so it’s a massive team effort and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

He said he had just not had enough pace to overtake Leclerc at the start, but grabbed his opportunity after pitting.

“I knew that if I didn’t get past him at the start of the stint, I was never going to get past. I went for a pretty big lunge, but I managed to pull it off and then hung on for dear life for the next 35 laps!

“The last couple of laps were a little more relaxing, but there is no such thing as a relaxing lap around here.

“It was hard work, but it goes down as one of the better races of my career.”

Leclerc, without a win in Baku despite four consecutive pole position starts, said he lost competitive pace on his hard tyres.

He added: “McLaren and Oscar have done an exceptional job and done better than us. A huge shame for Carlos on the last laps, hopefully everyone is ok and obviously not a great day for the team.”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner made clear that given Verstappen’s winless run, team orders were in play with Perez committed to helping the Dutchman wihn a fourth straight title.

“Our rules of engagement are very clear. And what our focus is to the end of the year — we’ve got a driver who’s fighting for a world championship.

“It’s a team sport so it’s very clear that Checo’s job is to support Max to the end of the year.”

Fernando Alonso was sixth for Aston Martin ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Argentine new boy Franco Colapinto with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton finishing ninth in the second Mercedes.

Ollie Bearman, standing in for the suspended Kevin Magnussen, was 10th for Haas ahead of his teammate Nico Hulkenberg. He became the first driver to score points on debut with two different teams.

SOUTHAMPTON, United Kingdom — Manchester United gave manager Erik ten Hag some breathing space with a 3-0 win at Southampton on Saturday thanks to goals from Matthijs de Ligt, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.



However, United had to ride out an early Southampton storm and the outcome could have been vastly different had Andre Onana not saved Cameron Archer's penalty at 0-0.


De Ligt's first United goal and Rashford's first for six months quickly flipped momentum in the visitors' favour just before half-time.

Southampton's woes were compounded when captain Jack Stephens was sent-off 11 minutes from time for a wild challenge on Garnacho, who rounded off the scoring in stoppage time.

Saints remain without a point from four games on their return to the Premier League, while United's second win of the season lifts them up to eighth.

Ten Hag began the campaign already under scrutiny after surviving an internal review of his position in May following an eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season.



Back-to-back defeats before the international break to Brighton and Liverpool had ramped up the pressure even more on the Dutchman and the Red Devils had to ride their luck early on at St. Mary's.

Ten Hag dropped Casemiro to the bench after his nightmare showing in the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool, but new signing Manuel Ugarte also had to wait for his debut as a second-half substitute.

United still struggled to control midfield in the opening quarter and were indebted to Onana's penalty save as a turning point in the game.

A failure to make the most of some promising build-up play has been the story of Southampton's their return to the top flight.

Teenager Tyler Dibling caught the eye on his first Premier League start and his trickery lured Diogo Dalot into a rash challenge inside the area.

But Archer's spot-kick lacked conviction and Onana parried his attempt before easily clutching the striker's follow-up header at the second attempt.

Just two minutes later, United led as De Ligt put a difficult week with the Dutch national team behind him to open his account.

The former Bayern Munich centre-back was subbed off at half-time by Ronald Koeman after errors that led to two German goals in a 2-2 Nations League draw in Amsterdam.



De Ligt rose to fame at Ajax under Ten Hag, who was rewarded for his faith in the 25-year-old after starting him ahead of Harry Maguire.

A short corner caught Southampton napping and Bruno Fernandes' cross perfectly picked out De Ligt to head into the bottom corner.

Saints brought in Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal on the final day of the transfer window to boost their chances of survival and the England goalkeeper did at least keep the score down.

Rashford's much-needed goal was momentarily delayed by a fine Ramsdale save at his near post.

However, Rashford's wait since March to get on the scoresheet came to an end on 41 minutes when his low strike from outside the box curled into the far corner.

Ramsdale denied De Ligt a second before half-time as United threatened to run riot.

But the second period was far more sedate as the visitors comfortably held Southampton at bay before the home side's frustration bubbled over.

Stephens' unneccessary lunge caught Garnacho on the knee and was rightly punished with a straight red card.

The Argentine then rubbed salt in Southampton wounds with a thumping finish from Dalot's cross in the 96th minute.