News

Lewandowski Double Helps Barcelona Hit Five against Red StarBelgrade, 7 Nov (ONA) —- Robert Lewandowski continued his red-hot scoring form with two goals as Barcelona earned a third consecutive Champions League win by thrashing Red Star Belgrade.Lewandowski, 36, took his season tally to 19 goals in 16 games in all competitions to move within one goal of becoming only the third player in history to reach a century of Champions League goals, after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.The Poland international's reactive finish after Raphinha's shot rebounded off the post restored Barcelona's ...

Slot Outshines Alonso at Anfield as Dream Start Continues Liverpool, 6 Nov (ONA) --- When Jurgen Klopp made the shock announcement in January that he would be leaving Liverpool in the summer, only one name played across the lips of the huge majority of supporters. Xabi Alonso was the chosen one, a Champions League and FA Cup winner with Liverpool who had become Europe's hottest young coaching property by leading Bayer Leverkusen towards the Bundesliga and German Cup double in an unbeaten domestic season. In the background, however, Alonso had made it known he ...

Guardiola Comes out Fighting as Man City Hit 'Dark Place' Lisbon, 6 Nov (ONA) --- Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has come out fighting as he contemplates his side's worst sequence of results since 2018. The 4-1 Champions League defeat by Sporting in Lisbon was City’s third loss in a row. Only once during Guardiola’s reign have City lost three times in a row in a single season. Although he rejected skipper Bernardo Silva’s post-match assertion that the club is currently in a "dark place", Guardiola also accepted after a defeat of this ...

Real Madrid “Have to be Worried” after Second Straight Home Loss: Ancelotti Madrid, 6 Nov (ONA) --- Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said his side "have to be worried" following defeat by AC Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. Madrid have fallen to back-to-back home defeats and have lost two of their first four games in the Champions League. Vinicius Junior’s penalty equalised for Madrid after Malick Thiaw’s opener, but strikes from Alvaro Morata and Tijjani Reijnders secured a deserved victory for Milan, BBC sports reported. Madrid have now ...

OHA to Organize Three Championships Alongside FIH Congress in November Muscat, 29 Oct (ONA) --- Oman Hockey Association (OHA) today unveiled its programme of events to be held on the sidelines of the 49th Congress of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), to be hosted by the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the OHA, from 7 to 9 November 2024 in the Wilayat of Al Amerat. Dr. Marwan Juma Al Juma, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oman Hockey Association, said during the press conference held today that the OHA will organize three tournaments, namely Oman International ...

Manchester United Sack Manager Ten Hag Manchester, 28 Oct (ONA) --- Manchester United have sacked manager Erik ten Hag following the club's poor start to the season. Ten Hag's final game was Sunday's 2-1 defeat at West Ham that left the club 14th in the English Premier League (EPL) with just three wins from their opening nine matches, BBC sports reported. United are also 21st of 36 teams in the Europa League table, having drawn their three opening fixtures. Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined the club as Ten Hag's assistant last summer, has been named as interim ...

Lewandowski and Yamal Spoil Mbappé's First Clasico as Barcelona Routs Real MadridMadrid, 27 Oct (ONA) —- Barcelona ended Madrid's unbeaten run in the Spanish La Liga at 42 games by dealing Carlo Ancelotti's side its first loss since 23 September 2023.Lewandowski scored from a superb pass by Barcelona's latest youth talent Marc Casadó in the 54th minute and headed in a second goal three minutes later to silence Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported.Those were goals 16th and 17th overall for the Poland striker this season, taking his league-best tally to 14. He ...

Real Madrid Overcome Borussia Dortmund in Thrilling Comeback Madrid, 23 Oct (ONA) --- In an electrifying UEFA Champions League clash, Real Madrid proved once again why they are known as the kings of comebacks. Facing Borussia Dortmund, the match unfolded in a thrilling fashion, with the German side initially taking a commanding 2-0 lead. However, the iconic spirit of Madrid shone through as they fought back to secure a memorable victory. Dortmund entered the match with confidence, displaying tactical brilliance and fluid play under the guidance of new coach Nuri ...

Oman Hosts FIH Congress on 6 November 2024 Muscat, 22 Oct (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman, represented by Oman Hockey Association, will host the 49th Congress of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) during the period from 6-9 November 2024. The event will be attended by 500 athletes from 141 countries. The congress will include electing a new board of directors of the FIH and discussing various agenda aimed at enhancing the hockey sport on all shperes, among other topics of relevance. --- Ends/AG ...

Spain and Barcelona Great Iniesta Announces Retirement after 22-year Career Madrid, 8 Oct (ONA) --- Andrés Iniesta, who scored Spain’s World Cup-winning goal in 2010 and was one of the key players who made Barcelona’s tiki-taka thrive for so long, today announced his retirement from soccer. The 40-year-old Iniesta ended a 22-year career that also included two European Championship titles and four Champions League trophies. Since leaving Barcelona in 2018, he had been playing with Vissel Kobe in Japan, and for the last year with club Emirates in the UAE Pro ...

Omani Sailors Lead in Three Events in 13th Mussanah Race Week Muscat, 6 Oct (ONA) --- Day two of Oman Sail’s Mussanah Race Week saw an incredible action across all five categories with Omani sailors ending the day on top in three. Perfect conditions promised great sailing and it certainly delivered. Four races were completed in ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7, while Optimist completed three and RS Venture Connect sailed two, setting up a strong second half to the week as the leaders began to break away. Oman’s Al Moatsem Al Farsi put on a masterclass in ILCA 6 sailing on day ...

Real Madrid Bounce Back from Champions League Defeat and Sink Villarreal Madrid, 6 Oct (ONA) --- Real Madrid moved level with rivals Barcelona, ahead of the Blaugrana's match this afternoon, by defeating Villarreal 2-0 in the Spanish LaLiga. Los Blancos entered the match off the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Lille in the Champions League midweek, and while they weren't at their free-flowing best, they did manage to claim all three points against a plucky Villarreal outfit. The home side needed just 14 minutes to open the scoring, and they did so in spectacular ...

Gallagher Concedes Penalty as Benfica Thrash Atletico Lisbon, 3 Oct (ONA) --- Conor Gallagher conceded a penalty as Benfica thrashed Atletico Madrid to continue their perfect start to this season's UEFA Champions League. Kerem Akturkoglu gave the Portuguese side the lead in Lisbon with a composed 13th minute finish. Four minutes after coming on as part of a triple half-time substitution, Atletico's Gallagher was deemed to have caught Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis in the penalty area after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check. Former Real Madrid forward Angel ...

Liverpool Beat Bologna in Slot’s First Anfield CL Tie Liverpool, 3 Oct (ONA) --- Arne Slot's first home UEFA Champions League (CL) match as Liverpool boss ended in victory as goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah helped the Reds defeat battling Italian side Bologna at Anfield. Slot became the first man in Liverpool's distinguished history to win eight of his first nine games in charge, but his side had to survive some nervous moments in this hard-fought match, BBC sports reported. The hosts scored in the 12th minute when Mac Allister was able to ...

Ten-man Juventus Come from Behind to Beat RB Leipzig Leipzig, 3 Oct (ONA) --- Juventus produced a remarkable comeback after having goalkeeper Michele di Gregorio sent off to beat RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League. Di Gregorio was dismissed in the 59th minute for a handball outside the box with the score at 1-1, after Dusan Vlahovic cancelled out Benjamin Sesko's goal for the hosts. Slovenia forward Sesko restored Leipzig's lead with a 65th-minute penalty before Serbia striker Vlahovic made it 2-2. In a thrilling match, Francisco Conceicao scored in ...

Arnautovic Scores as Inter Beat Red Star Belgrade Milan, 2 Oct (ONA) --- Inter Milan cruised to their first Champions League win of the season with a fine victory over Red Star Belgrade. Hakan Calhanoglu gave his side an 11th-minute lead with a fine curling free-kick that went in off the post. Former Stoke and West Ham striker Marko Arnautovic doubled Inter's lead in the 59th minute with a simple finish after Mehdi Taremi won the ball high up the pitch and played in the 35-year-old, BBC sports reported. Taremi also pinched the ball in a dangerous area ...

Foden Shines as Man City Stroll Past Slovan Bratislava Bratislava, 2 Oct (ONA) --- Phil Foden scored and got an assist as Manchester City claimed a comfortable first UEFA Champions League win of the season at Slovan Bratislava. The England midfielder has struggled to find the form that saw him named PFA Player of the Season last year (2023), but he made the most of only his second start this term. After Ilkay Gundogan had scored his first goal since his return to City with a deflected strike in the eighth minute, Foden opened his own account for the campaign with a ...

Lewandowski Scores Twice as Barca Thrash Young Boys Barcelona, 2 Oct (ONA) --- Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Barcelona comprehensively beat Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League. Lewandowski struck after eight minutes for the hosts, poking home Raphinha's ball across the box at the back post. Barca doubled their lead as Brazil forward Raphinha netted the rebound from Pedri's blocked shot, BBC sports reported. The Spanish La Liga leaders continued to dominate as Inigo Martinez added another goal three minutes later, heading in from close range after ...

France's Griezmann Retires from Internationals Paris, 30 Sep (ONA) --- France forward Antoine Griezmann has announced his retirement from international football. The Atletico Madrid player, 33, made 137 appearances for his country, scoring 44 goals, and helped them win the 2018 World Cup, converting a penalty in the final as France beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow. He also won the 2021 Nations League with his country. Griezmann started for France in a 3-1 Nations League defeat by Italy in September before his last appearance came as a substitute in a 2-0 win ...

Madrid Derby Drawn after Disruption Madrid, 30 Sep (ONA) --- Angel Correa scored a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser for Atletico Madrid against city rivals Real Madrid in a derby that was halted for about 20 minutes midway through the second half following crowd issues. Shortly after Eder Militao scored Real's opener in the 64th minute, visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois complained to officials that home fans behind his goal were throwing objects on to the field. An announcement was made over the public address system inside Atletico's stadium and, after speaking ...

Club World Cup 2025 in 12 Stadiums in 11 American CitiesNew York, 29 Sep (ONA) --- The new-look Club World Cup with 32 teams will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 American cities next year (2025), culminating in the final in New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, the ruling body FIFA said. The announcement was made at the Global Citizen Festival in New York's Central Park in the presence of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, actor Hugh Jackmann und music producer DJ Khaled. The other venues for the 15 June to 13 July, tournament are in Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, ...

Osasuna Hits Four to Dismantle Barcelona Pamplona, 29 Sep (ONA) --- In a stunning turn of events, Osasuna delivered Barcelona their first LaLiga loss of the season, defeating the Catalan side 4-2 at El Sadar. The German coach of Barcelona, Hansi Flick's bold decision to field a youthful starting lineup backfired, as the team struggled to cope with Osasuna's well-organized counterattacks and defensive solidity. This defeat not only stopped Barcelona's winning streak, but also raised questions about Flick's tactical approach and use of squad rotations. Facing a packed ...

Lewandowski Goal Enough to Lead Barcelona Past Getafe in Spanish LaLigaBarcelona, 26 Sep (ONA) —- Barcelona weren't at their best in Wednesday's matchup against Getafe, but in the end it didn't matter as Robert Lewandowski first-half strike was enough to claim all three points.The Blaugrana have enjoyed a sparkling start under German tactician Hansi Flick, winning all six of their LaLiga matches heading into Getafe fixture.They made it seven from seven despite failing to put away Getafe, as Barcelona struggled to put the match away despite plenty of chances.Barcelona needed just 19 minutes ...

EPL Spends over £45 Million on Legal Costs over RulesLondon, 26 Sep (ONA) —- The English Premier League (EPL) spent more than £45 million ($60 million) on legal costs last season as it fights to uphold its rules. The league is involved in two separate legal disputes with four-times-in-a-row champions Manchester City, while it is also investigating Chelsea over alleged irregular payments linked to the club’s former owner Roman Abramovich. On top of that, there have been legal cases connected to its profit and sustainability rules (PSR) involving Everton and ...

Real Madrid Striker Mbappé Sidelined with Hamstring InjuryMadrid, 25 Sep (ONA) —- Kylian Mbappé will be sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Spanish Giant Real Madrid Club said today.“Following tests carried out today by Real Madrid’s medical services on our player Kylian Mbappé, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg,” Madrid said. “His progress will be monitored.”The club did not give a time frame for Mbappé’s recovery, but he is set to miss at least Sunday’s derby at Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league. He could also miss ...

Man City Rescue Dramatic Late Draw against 10-man Arsenal Manchester, 23 Sep (ONA) --- John Stones scrambled home an equaliser seconds from time amid chaos and controversy to deny Arsenal a famous victory against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium. Arsenal had mounted a magnificent rearguard action following the first half-dismissal of Leandro Trossard - and stood moments away from arguably the finest moment in manager Mikel Arteta's reign - until substitute Stones forced in following a well-worked short corner at the end of seven minutes of added time, BBC sports ...

Barcelona Maintain Perfect Run After Beating Villarreal Villarreal, 23 Sep (ONA) --- Barcelona maintained their flawless start in the Spanish LaLiga EA Sports, securing a commanding 5-1 victory against Villarreal at Estadio La Ceramica. The Catalans sit comfortably at the top of the standings, showcasing their attacking talent, although the match was overshadowed by a serious injury to goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen. From the outset, the match was filled with intensity, featuring rapid chances for both teams. Villarreal thought they had taken an early lead when ...

Vinícius Sets up One and Scores Another as Real Madrid Beats EspanyolMadrid, 22 Sep (ONA) —- Vinícius Júnior went off the bench to set up one goal and score another as Real Madrid topped a tenacious Espanyol 4-1 in the Spanish league.Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García made several saves including of shots by Kylian Mbappé before the Olympic gold medalist started an attack with a long pass from his box that ended with an own goal by counterpart Thibaut Courtois in the 54th minute.García's only slip of the match let Dani Carvajal equalize four minutes later when Jude Bellingham's low pass ...

Rashid Jabir Appointed as Coach of Oman National Football TeamMuscat, September 19 (ONA) --- Oman Football Association (OFA) announced the appointment of Rashid Jaber Al Yaf’ee as coach of the National Football Team in lieu of Czech Jaroslav Šilhavý, who was dismissed recently.Rashid Jaber qualified to the new position through his extensive experience in training national teams and local and Arab clubs.His most prominent achievements included winning the AFC Cup title in 2022/2023 when he coached Oman’s A’Seeb Club. --- Ends/Bishara/AG ...

Talented Young Sailors from 9 Nations Ready to Set Sail at 13th Mussanah Race Week Muscat, 18 Sep (ONA) --- The 13th edition of Oman Sail’s Mussanah Race Week gets underway on 4 October 2024 where 100 sailors from nine countries will come together at the Barceló Mussanah Resort for a week of competition, camaraderie and knowledge sharing. New this year will be a programme for local schools which, for the first time in event history, offers 75 students the chance to race for three days during the competition. Sailors from Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, Kuwait, United ...