Football

Doha: CR Flamengo claimed their second consecutive title in Al Rayyan, lifting the FIFA Challenger Cup after an impressive 2-0 victory over Pyramids FC at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium yesterday. With their second triumph in three days, the Rio giants also sealed a date in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025 final against European champions Paris Saint-Germain at the same venue on Wednesday. Filipe Luis-coached Flamengo dominated the African champions for most of the contest, scoring through headers from Leo Pereira in the 24th minute and Danilo in the 52nd. Giorgian de Arrascaeta, who scored both goals in Flamengo’s 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul in Wednesday’s FIFA Derby of the Americas, delivered two clinical set pieces to create both goals. Pyramids FC, who spent long spells on the back foot, particularly in the first half, applied late pressure but were unable to mount a comeback. The in-form Flamengo, winners of both the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores and Brazil’s Serie A, promise to deliver a thrilling contest against PSG. They have now lost only one of their last 13 matches. Flamengo were in control from the outset. They nearly took an early lead when Everton attempted a finish from the centre of the box, only for defender Ahmed Samy to produce a timely block. The Brazilian side remained firmly on the front foot, with Everton enjoying several promising spells in possession as Pyramids were forced into prolonged defensive work. Flamengo’s pressure eventually paid off midway through the first half. Everton won a free kick on the left side of the penalty area, and De Arrascaeta delivered a dangerous ball into the box. Pereira rose highest to power a close-range header past goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy to open the scoring. Everton and De Arrascaeta went close again as Flamengo continued to dominate proceedings, while Pyramids’ midfield struggled to gain a foothold in the match. The Egyptian side began to find some space late in the opening half, with Flamengo goalkeeper Agustin Rossi called into action for the first time when he rushed out to deny Fiston Mayele, who had latched onto a through pass and gone one-on-one. Mayele scooped a volley early in the second half as Pyramids made a strong start after the break. Mahmoud Zalaka then smashed the side netting as the Egyptians pressed for an equaliser before Flamengo responded with another dangerous set piece. Once again, De Arrascaeta delivered a superb free kick, and Danilo met it with a powerful header from the right side of the box, sending the ball into the right corner to double Flamengo’s advantage. Mayele continued to threaten as Pyramids looked to respond, but Rossi was alert to deny his effort from the centre of the box. Mohanad Lashin also went close as Pyramids mounted spirited attacks. Ahmed Atef made another attempt late in the match, while Flamengo came close to extending their lead in stoppage time. Substitute Pedro, introduced in the 86th minute, was denied by El Shenawy before another late effort, but Flamengo had already done enough to seal their passage to the title clash.

Qatar Sport

Doha, Qatar: The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 Fan Zones have welcomed tens of thousands of Arab fans throughout match days, bringing the community together in a spectacular celebration of unity and culture, ahead of every match. Located across the six tournament venues, the Fan Zones feature a number of local businesses and artists, treating fans to a vibrant mix of culinary, cultural and folkloric experiences from across the region. As part of a community-focused initiative, the tournament Local Organising Committee (LOC) brought on board more than 77 local food and beverage businesses, to participate at the Fan Zones, offering them free space at the venues. “The significance of the Arab Cup goes beyond football. The tournament continues to serve as a platform to celebrate the talents of our region. Our Fan Zones are the pulse of this tournament, celebrating the diversity and richness of Arab culture. We see this as a wonderful opportunity to support home-grown businesses that play a key role in bringing the community together through a variety of offerings,” said Hassan Al Kuwari, LOC Executive Director of Marketing, Promotion and Commercial. For Sahab Yousef, from Anbara Kitchen, being part of the FIFA Arab Cup is an opportunity to showcase the diverse culinary flavours from across the Arab world: “Having our small business featured in a tournament such as the Arab Cup is a real honour. It helps restaurants like ours to gain exposure. We are excited to introduce Levantine flavours to Arab fans. No celebration is complete without good food, and we are here to celebrate as one family.” Mohamed Aladdin Ibrahim, manager of Egyptian street food restaurant, Dokani, shares his excitement about the tournament: “The event has been top-notch. Everyone is happy. I am grateful for Qatar and to the organisers for hosting the Arab Cup, a tournament that celebrates our culture and brings us together. We are proud to be able to contribute to this tournament, by allowing fans to enjoy the flavours from the region.” The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 has also brought together a number of regional artists at the Fan Zones, through traditional music, dance and cultural showcases that celebrate the heritage of each of the participating nations. During the group stage, a total of 103 unique performances were delivered across all Fan Zones, featuring more than 686 performers. For Al Waleed Al Ateeri, a Jordanian performance artist, seeing Arab culture celebrated on a global stage, is what makes tournaments in Qatar truly special. “It is amazing to see the camaraderie amongst fans, as everyone comes together to join in the revelry ahead of the match, which makes this tournament unforgettable.” The Fan Zones will continue to operate on all match days during the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025.

Football

Doha: Ahead of the FIFA Arab Cup 2025, Syria were ranked below many nations that they ended up outlasting. In their group, they advanced to the knockouts ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026-bound pair Qatar and Tunisia. Elsewhere, they lasted longer than an Egyptian side also heading to North America next year. Oman and Bahrain, fellow AFC nations that were ahead of them in the FIFA World Ranking, also exited before they did. In the end, however, a tight and tense tussle with Morocco - the highest ranked of all Arab nations - was where Syria’s dream run was finally halted as they lost 1-0 in Al Rayyan. Rather than viewing their exit as a disappointing end, Syria are looking at things as the start of something really positive. On a night where he made outstanding save after outstanding save, goalkeeper Elias Hadaya was in tears speaking to FIFA post-match, reflecting on a tournament where he felt his nation still had more to give. “It’s really, really difficult right now. The team were great, we were fighting for each other and we wanted so much more and the people of Syria deserve so much more. But football is brutal, a small slip and it’s a goal,” he said. “Of course, we can reflect that we had a great tournament but we wanted more. We know though that this is a new starting point for Syria and that we will build on this. Today we are sad but tomorrow is a new day and a day where we keep building. “For us, if we keep working and following the instructions of the coaching staff then we don’t see that we have any limits to what we can achieve.” Syria won widespread praise for their calm approach in possession and tactically disciplined and organised efforts without the ball and much of that was down to the work of coach Jose Lana. The highly-regarded, former Spain youth coach was quick to praise the team’s performance in Qatar and is adamant that this is just the start of the rise of Syrian football. “I think the team is improving, it’s definitely improving. Maybe we weren’t able to have the ball a lot in the last matches. In the play-offs we were amazing with the ball, I think as well as in the previous matches before this tournament,” he said. “Our objective today was to be brave with the ball and try to build up the game with short passes. We were able to do it many times, but we didn’t find the next option after overcoming the first lines of pressure. Every match that we play, our objective is to try to be a better team when we don’t have the ball and when we have the ball. “I think we are on the right path and I think the future is good for us, we have a lot of skilled players here, young players. They are 19, 20, 21 or 22. That’s a really good age to play football. They have to continue working hard with the clubs. If they do, I think with the potential that they have, our future will be good.” One of those young talents is 22-year-old central defender Ahmad Faqa, who was an imposing presence throughout for his nation. Alongside fellow centre-back Abdulrazzak Al Mohammad and full-backs Khaled Kourdoghli and Zakaria Hannan, Faqa was a calm and composed figure. “The squad has total trust and belief in the coach and 100 per cent we feel that we are building something really special here in Syria,” he said.