Sports

AMMAN — Jordan hosts Palestine on Friday in qualifiers for the 31st FIBA Asia Cup 2025 before heading to Saudi Arabia to play its host on February 26 in Group D which also includes Iraq.

A total of 24 teams are playing Round 1 qualification matches for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in three windows in February and November 2024 and February 2025. Meanwhile, teams will also battle for qualifyingspots for 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup alongside hosts Qatar who automatically qualified. The top two teams of each group qualify for the final tournament and the six third-placed teams will play another qualifying tournament for the final four places.

The last year was an impressive one for Jordan as it finished second at the Asian Games and played at the 2023 World Cup. However, the basketball scene has since had its worst season in the past few months, with the Jordan Basketball Association canceling the league, and teams having had to sit out the season with no competitions.

Jordan’s squad just returned from a friendly tourney in Qatar where the team lost to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Central African Republic as the lineup missed Ahmad Duweiri and Ronday Jefferson. Results drew critiscm from observers and fans as the squad tries to balance advancing at upcoming events and gradually revamping the team.

Jordan previously qualified to the FIBA Asia Cup (previously FIBA Asia Championship) 16 times with itsbest performance finishing runner-up in 2011, when it reached the final for the first time, but lost the chance of qualifying to the 2012 Olympic Games after losing to China in the final 70-69. 

In 2023, Jordan won a historic silver medal after they reached the final of the Asian Games thus securing the first ever team sports medal at the Games. The Kingdom’s previous best finish was 4th in 1986 and 2006. 

Last summer, Jordan also played at the FIBA World Cup for the third time, where they finished 32nd and last despite some hard effort by a lineup playing an elite group of the best nations in the game.

AMMAN — Jordan U-23 squad and other age-divisions are now battling time as they prepare for their respective Asian competitions.

After the senior national team played for the title of the recently concluded 2023 Asian Cup, the U-23 team has upped its aspirations, hoping to advance Jordan to the Olympic Games for the first time.

Despite a bumpy preparation agenda, during which team coach Abdullah Abu Zam’eh was recalled for assistant coach duty with the senior team at the Asian Cup, the U-23 squad has started the countdown to the West Asian Championship which will be held in Saudi Arabia March 18-26 with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE competing alongside guest teams Egypt, Australia and Korea.

In 2023, Jordan reached the semis of the U-23 West Asian Championship, which they won in 2021. They did not play in 2022.

The West Asian event will be followed by the 6th AFC U23 Asian Cup set for April 15 in Qatar, which qualifies the top three teams to the Olympics while the fourth will play a playoff to advance.

Jordan was drawn in Group A alongside hosts Qatar, Australia and Indonesia.

Group B includes Japan , Korea, UAE and China.

Group C includes Saudi Arabia, Iran, Thailand and Tajikistan;

Group D includes Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Kuwait and Malaysia.

The U-23 squad was hoping to have a series of competitive friendlies as they prepare for their events. They lately lost two friendlies against Saudi and Qatar and earlier also lost to Egypt.

On the other hand, the U-20 team has concluded two training camps in Turkey. In the first they won two matches and drew in a third after they earlier hosted Lebanon beating them twice.

The team is preparing for the Asian Cup qualifiers in September — a qualifier to the U-20 World Cup.

BERLIN — Andreas Brehme, who scored from the penalty spot to seal victory for West Germany against Argentina in the 1990 World Cup final, died overnight into Tuesday at the age of 63, his former club Bayern Munich said.

“FC Bayern is deeply shocked by the sudden death of Andreas Brehme,” the club said in a statement.

“We will always keep Andreas Brehme in our hearts. As a world champion and as a very special person.”

A versatile left-back, Brehme spent two seasons with Bayern Munich between 1986-1988.

His professional career saw him play for Saarbruecken, Kaiserslautern, Inter Milan and Real Zaragoza, among others.

He played 86 times for his country, scoring eight goals, the most famous of which, an 85th-minute penalty against Argentina at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, brought West Germany their third World Cup title.

Kaiserslautern, where Brehme played for 10 seasons over two stints, winning the Bundesliga and the German Cup, said the club would “honour his memory”.

“A magnificent player, a true Interista,” Brehme’s former club Inter Milan said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

“Ciao Andy, forever a legend,” said Italian giants, where Brehme played together with his national team colleagues Juergen Klinsmann and Lothar Matthaeus.

The Nerazzurri said their players would wear black armbands in honour of Brehme during their Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid later on Tuesday.

Brehme’s passing comes shortly after the death of another German footballing legend, Franz Beckenbauer.

Beckenbauer, who died in January, was in the dugout for West Germany as manager when the team won the World Cup in 1990.

“Unfortunately, the sad news doesn’t stop,” 1990 World Cup winner Pierre Littbarski told SID, AFP’s sports news subsidiary.

“This is very, very sad for German football and especially for us, the 1990 world champions.”

WASHINGTON — Four-time NBA champion LeBron James said on Sunday he has not formulated a farewell timetable but he looks forward to the Paris Olympics and wants to finish his playing days as a Los Angeles Laker.

The 39-year-old superstar and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player pondered the end of his career at Indianapolis ahead of the 73rd NBA All-Star Game, where he was selected to play for a record 20th time.

“I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left. I know it’s not that many,” said James, who is in his 21st NBA campaign.

“I am a Laker and I’ve been very happy being a Laker the last six years and hopefully it stays that way. But I don’t have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I’ll be in.

“Hopefully it’s with the Lakers. It’s a great organisation and so many greats. But we’ll see. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it’s coming. It’s coming, for sure.”

James has said he would like to play in the NBA alongside his son, Bronny James, a freshman standout at the University of Southern California.

NBA’s all-time scoring leader James is also undecided if he might play out a “farewell tour” season, as such legends as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan have done, or just walk away.

“I’m 50-50”, he said. “There’s times when I feel like I owe it to my fans that have been along this journey with me for two decades plus, to be able to give them that moment where it’s every city and whatever the case may be and they give you your flowers or whatever the case may be. That seems cool.

“But the other side, I’ve never been that great with accepting praise. It’s a weird feeling for me.

“I’ve seen Mike’s, I’ve seen Kobe’s. I’ve seen a lot of guys. I just don’t know how I’d feel. I don’t know if I’d feel great about it.”

James helped organise players to represent the defending champion US Olympic squad in Paris this year and plans to be in France himself, if he is healthy.

“I told myself before the season when I committed to being a part of the Olympic team, obviously it was all predicated on my health,” James said. “As it stands right now, I’m healthy enough to be on the team and perform at a level that I knew I could perform at.

“I don’t know what the future holds as far as post-season. It’s 11 [extra Olympic] games, but it is 5 1/2 weeks and it’s more miles put on these tyres.”

James is not worried about lifting the team on his shoulders as he might have in younger days when sparking gold medal efforts in 2008 at Beijing and 2012 in London.

“I’m going to commit my mind, body and soul to being out there for Team USA, being out there representing our country with the utmost respect and go out and play,” James said.

“But the one thing I know for sure, I don’t have to carry the load. I’ve never had to carry the load on any one of the three teams I’ve been on. I just try to do my best and be as great as I can be on the floor in the minutes I’m out there.

“I’m not sure right now what the full team is going to look like, but from some of the names, I know I don’t have to feel any pressure going out there to feel like I have to carry the team.

“That’s going to be a full 12-man roster that’s capable of doing it both offensively and defensively on any given night versus any country in the world.”

James had treatment for a sore left ankle before the All-Star Game and will have more during the All-Star break.

“Trying to get my ankle as strong and as back to where I feel confident that I can finish off this last third of the season,” he said. “The most important thing for me is definitely my health.”

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner powered to his first Rotterdam Open on Sunday, breaking down a determined defensive effort from Australia’s Alex De Minaur to win 7-5, 6-4 in a high-quality battle.

The win extended the Italian top seed’s unbeaten streak to 15 — including his run to glory in Melbourne — and takes him to a career-high third in the world rankings.

De Minaur, seeded fifth, hadn’t beaten Sinner in six previous attempts but came into the match in the form of his life and went toe-to-toe with his opponent in the early exchanges.

But Sinner’s consistency and power off both wings eventually pierced De Minaur’s valiant defence and the Italian broke serve at 2-2 after some entertaining rallies.

The key game of the first set came in the 10th, De Minaur eventually breaking back after saving two set points with some extraordinary retrieving.

A lengthy rally at game point left Sinner lying on the floor gasping for breath after diving unsuccessfully for a powerful backhand drive up the line from his opponent.

But the confident Sinner recovered quickly and had his own break points in the very next game, converting at the second time of asking as De Minaur ill-advisedly left a volley that dropped on the baseline.

Serving a second time for the set, Sinner this time made no mistake, closing it out to the delight of a packed Rotterdam crowd.

There was no let-up in intensity at the start of the second set, De Minaur scrapping back everything Sinner threw at him and the two players trading breaks to level at 3-3.

A tired-looking De Minaur backhand into the bottom of the net gifted Sinner another break of serve in the next game and this time the Italian held serve to take him within one game of the title.

The gritty De Minaur made him serve it out and fought to the end but Sinner was ultimately too strong and finished it off 6-4.

The two are good friends off the court and former doubles partners and they embraced warmly at the net as the Rotterdam crowd gave them a thunderous ovation for an entertaining match.

De Minaur’s run to the final included a pulsating semifinal against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, later describing it as his “best match on tour”.

Sinner’s path was serene, with injury-prone Canadian veteran Milos Raonic withdrawing at the start of the second set in the quarter-final and a straightforward win over local boy Tallon Griekspoor in the semis.

BERLIN — Bayern Munich could be as many as eight points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen when they travel to Bochum on Sunday after one of the club’s worst weeks in recent memory.

Bayern were outclassed in Saturday’s 3-0 loss in Leverkusen, before losing 1-0 to Lazio on Wednesday — their first defeat in an opening leg in the Champions League last 16 since 2012.

Speaking afterwards in Rome on Wednesday, England captain Harry Kane said, “We’re in a difficult spell, there’s no hiding that.”

A “frustrated and angry” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said he was “at a loss” to explain the “huge drop in performance” in the second-half.

For Bayern fans, the statistics make for sorry reading. Famed for reacting when stung by a poor result, Bayern lost twice in a row for the first time since January 2021.

The German champions were last held scoreless twice in succession in 2015. Against Lazio, Bayern failed to register a shot on goal for the first time since 2019’s 0-0 home Champions League draw with Liverpool.

Bayern have thrashed Bochum 7-0 in three of their past five meetings, but their bid to avoid three straight losses for the first time since 2015 is not as simple as it appears.

Despite sitting in 14th, Bochum have been hard to beat, losing just once at home this season.

Bochum have lost seven times all season, a better record than every team outside the top six, while they have a league-high 10 draws.

With Bayern eliminated from the German Cup by third-tier Saarbruecken, the perennial German champions are staring down a trophyless season for the first time since 2012.

Yet, to win a team trophy despite a glittering career, Kane called on his side to put the “really tough week” behind them and “focus on the next challenge”.

“[There are] big things to fight for still. We’re not out of it. We will never give up.

“One game or one spark can change a lot in football and we need to try and find that...

“We’ll push each other in training and on the weekend and try and find it.”

Leverkusen play away at promoted Heidenheim on Saturday — another task less straightforward than it may seem.

Sitting ninth, Heidenheim have had a strong top-flight debut campaign, thanks largely to an excellent home record.

Heidenheim have claimed 18 of their 27 points at the 15,000-capacity Voith Arena, losing just twice all year.

Leverkusen dropping points in Heidenheim could give Bayern a sniff of a chance, which is usually all the 33-time German champions need.

One to watch: Sebastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller returned to Germany on Thursday having won the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast.

Few footballers have endured a more difficult time than Haller over the past 18 months.

Arriving on a big-money deal from Ajax in the summer of 2022, Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer and spent six months on the sidelines as he battled the illness.

He returned and played a key role as Dortmund pushed for the title, but missed a penalty in their final-day draw with Mainz, which meant Bayern were champions again.

Haller scored the winners in the semifinal and final as hosts Ivory Coast won the tournament for the third time.

“We know how long his path back to the top was” Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said Thursday, calling Haller a “celebrated hero”.

“Although things didn’t go well, he stayed positive and was rewarded.

“We’re really happy that he’s back and we hope he’ll bring the momentum from the tournament with him.”

AMMAN — Jordan shot up to 17 spots to 70th in the latest FIFA rankings issued on Thursday.

The new ranking came after Jordan reached the final of the 2023 Asian Cup this week where they had an impressive run before eventually losing 3-1 to hosts and reigning champs Qatar in a match marred with officiating mistakes including three questionable penalties. It was Jordan’s 5th time  at the Asian Cup with their previous best past performance reaching the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2011.

Jordan’s results boosted team confidence and fan morale as the squad now shift focus to Group G qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup resuming in March. In two matches played so far Jordan held Tajikistan 1-1 and lost 2-0 to Saudi Arabia in November 2023.

Argentina, France, England, Belgium, Brazil, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Croatia are the top ten.  Newly-crowned African champs Ivory coast shot up to 39th and runner-up Nigeria to 28th, while Qatar shot up 21 spots to 37th.

Jordan was ranked 87th before the Asian Cup and  not even the most optimistic of fans would have thought the Kingdom’s team will make it this far through after a rough, inconsistent preparation period. Observers, ex-players and coaches point out to the leadership and tactics of Moroccan coach Hussein Amouta in steering Jordan through to the advanced position combined with the concerted effort of Jordan’s top stars which enabled the squad to steadily gain confidence in the event. 

Stars Mousa Ta’mari, Yazan Nue’imat, Yazan Al Arab, Ehsan Haddad, Ali Alwan as well as goalie Yazeed Abu Laila wrote history for Jordan and they were within reach of being  crowned the continent’s champs for the first time in history. Three penalties enabled the hosts to retain the title as Jordan settled for silver and $3 million in prize money.

On their way to the final, Jordan’s squad, dubbed “Al Nashama” finished 3rd in Group E in Round 1, after they lost 1-0 to Bahrain, tied  Korea 2-2, and scored a 4-0 win over Malaysia.  In the  Round of 16, Jordan came from 2-1 down to beat 2007 champs Iraq 3-2 in the injury time. The turning point came when they beat Tajikistan 1-0 in the quarterfinals, and made it to the semis  where they ousted two-time Asian champs Korea 2-0.

As the team returned home, fans held their breath as Coach Amouta, seemed to allude to the fact that his plans with the team were still not finalised, while he praised the players dedication and efforts to achieve Asian Cup runner-up. “It was a team effort. We do not underestimate and do not fear any opponent. This mindset was vital in getting us here. Results depend on performance, ” Amouta underlined.

The coach, who took over the job in summer was criticised for his choice of lineup and winless results in friendlies. However, he seemed to have a masterplan for an advanced placement in regional and international competitions while striving to revamp the team and create a competitive lineup for the future.  That was echoed by assistant coach and Jordan’s U23 team coach Abdullah Abu Zam’eh who noted “I’m lucky to be learning by working alongside someone like him.” 

MADRID — Rafael Nadal said on  Wednesday he is unsure if he will be ready to return to action in Doha next week after he withdrew from the Australian Open with a muscle tear.

The Spaniard missed most of last year with a hip injury sustained in Melbourne but made his comeback at the Brisbane International in the lead-up to this year’s Australian Open.

However, a small muscle tear forced the 38-year-old to pull out of the season’s first Grand Slam.

“It’s going to be very tight for Doha. I’ve had some discomfort these past few weeks and I’m a bit on the limit,” Nadal said in an interview with La Sexta television that will be broadcast in full later Wednesday.

“At this point every blow I take, every injury, is a setback not only in tennis and physically, but also mentally.”

The 22-time Grand Slam winner is far more optimistic about playing in Indian Wells, the year’s first Masters 1000 event which runs from March 6-17 in the California desert.

“I am 100 per cent confident of being in Indian Wells, it’s a very special tournament for me. I don’t know if it’s going to be the last time I play in it, so I would like to be in Indian Wells, for sure.”

Nadal was named on the entry list last month for the Qatar Open, to be held February 19-24.

“I would love to be in Doha, what I know is that it’s cutting it fine. I see the decision for Doha more at the last minute. I will travel to Indian Wells for sure if there is nothing wrong,” he said.

Nadal reiterated that his “main goal is to try to get to the clay season as healthy as possible, to at least give me the chance to enjoy this part of the season”, which the Spaniard has dominated in his career.

He has won a record 14 French Open titles and holds an astonishing 112-3 win-loss record at Roland Garros.

Nadal won two matches in Brisbane in January after a year on the sidelines but felt pain in his upper left thigh during a quarter-final loss to Jordan Thompson.