MENA Sports Wrap: Al-Ittihad bag 10th Saudi Pro League title after stellar season

The Saudi Pro League season is set to end next week, but Jeddah's Al-Ittihad have accumulated enough points to secure their 10th title in the league's history. Rivals Al-Nassr, however, are set to end the season without qualifying for the AFC Champions League - a blow for their star player Cristiano Ronaldo.

In cricket, the UAE team made history with their first win over Bangladesh in a T20 match.

Meanwhile, the international community's decision to lift sanctions imposed on Syria could usher in a new era in the country's sports sector, giving them access to much-needed funds.

Al-Ittihad clinch Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo's Al-Nassr fail to qualify for Asian Champions League

Al-Ittihad have been crowned Saudi domestic football champions for the 10th time in their history, after beating the already-relegated Al-Raed at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah last Thursday.

Karim Benzema’s side won the title with two matches to spare, having accumulated enough points to guarantee the title.

Al-Ittihad surprisingly went down 1-0 early to the hosts, but quickly came back with goals from Steve Bergwijn, Danilo Pereira and Abdulrahman Alobud – all within the first half.

The Jeddah-based outfit also went on to win their match on Tuesday against sixth-place Al-Shabab 3-2. One last match is set to take place on Monday against Damac —a victory lap for the now-crowned champions.

This is Al-Ittihad’s second title in three years. Al-Hilal - the defending champions - faltered halfway through the season.

Al-Qadsiah currently sit in third place – an excellent feat for the newly promoted Khobar-based team.

Al-Ittihad’s rise to the top of the season’s table is a far cry from last season’s poor performance, which saw the Jeddah outfit finish fifth and a staggering 42 points behind champions Al-Hilal.

Analysts have credited Frenchman Laurent Blanc’s management, Benzema’s resurgence after a disappointing run last year, and the impact of new signings – particularly Moussa Diaby.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr is set to end the season in disappointment, as the Riyadh side has failed to qualify for the AFC Champions League next season.

Despite drawing against Al-Taawoun last Friday and beating Al-Khaleej on Wednesday, the side will not finish among the top two of the Saudi Pro League table, needed for Champions League qualification.

Should Al-Nassr finish third, they will qualify for the AFC Champions League Two — Asia's equivalent to the Europa League.

Despite being a prolific goal scorer with 92 goals in 104 appearances since joining the side in January 2023, the Portuguese star has only managed to win one piece of silverware with Al-Nassr.

Ronaldo’s future at the club also remains uncertain, as his contract is due to expire by the end of June.

Syria's sports sector eyeing revival following lifting of sanctions

Syrian athletes, officials, and fans are welcoming the European Union's decision to lift economic sanctions, with hopes high that it will jumpstart a long-stalled revival in the country's sports sector, especially football.

The impact of years of war and sanctions has been severe. Syria's sports infrastructure has deteriorated, with many stadiums across the country unfit for use. International bans on hosting events forced national teams to play "home" games abroad, and made it difficult to bring in foreign coaches or access international funding.

Before the war, sports facilities were limited to just a handful of major projects, including three stadiums in Damascus in the 1980s, Latakia Sports City for the 1987 Mediterranean Games, and the 60,000-seat Hamdaniya stadium in Aleppo opened in 2007. But even these suffered from chronic neglect.

The lifting of sanctions could open access to frozen funds, such as the estimated $8 million allocated by FIFA for Syrian football that has been locked in Swiss banks. It could also restore access to FIFA's development programme, FIFA Forward, and to funding from the Asian Football Confederation, which cut support to Syria in 2020.

This financial unblocking would allow investments in infrastructure, training, and domestic competitions. Syrian referees and officials, many of whom haven't been paid for international work due to banking restrictions, may finally receive their dues.

While Syrian football stands to benefit the most, the effects could extend to other sports if the government and local federations can act quickly to channel the new opportunities into tangible development.

Still, lifting sanctions won’t resolve everything. Hosting matches in Syria remains off the table, as the ban on international games relates not only to infrastructure but also to political and security factors. 

UAE fell cricket giants Bangladesh in T20

The UAE cricket team made history on Monday by beating Bangladesh in a T20 match in Sharjah for the first time.

The Emiratis had the daunting task of chasing a 206-run target set by Bangladesh, who batted first, with Muhammad Waseem knocking 82 runs from 42 balls for the home side.

Haider Ali then hit a six to take the UAE over the line, the first time the Gulf side had managed to successfully chase a 200-plus run lead.

That put both sides at 1-1 with the decider held on Wednesday, amid added pressure on the home side as a historic series win looked within their grasp.

The Emiratis managed to pull it off, with Aayan Afzal Khan and Alishan Sharafu, who was named player of the match, finishing the game in the 19th over with a stunning six-wicket win.

Sharafu said there was a simple game plan against the Bangladeshis, 9th in the T20 international rankings: go out and win.

"The plan was pretty simple: to go out there and play as many balls as possible," he said.

"When Waseem got out early, it was another opportunity for us to step up. Asif and I just kept things ticking, picked our boundaries, and stayed calm."