MENA Sports Wrap: Gulf teams shine in Asian Champions League

Clubs from across the MENA region delivered strong performances in this week's Asian Champions League Elite, while Saudi taekwondo star Dunya Abutaleb made history with a silver medal at the World Championships, and the FIFA U-17 World Cup got underway in Qatar.

Gulf sides impress in AFC Champions League Elite

Middle Eastern teams had a good run in the latest round of group-stage matches in the AFC Champions League Elite, with Gulf clubs particularly standing out.

Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli continued their flawless campaign with a 2–1 victory over Qatari side Al-Gharafa on Monday, thanks to goals from Salem Al-Dawsari and Kaio César. The result keeps the Riyadh club top of Group B with a perfect 12 points, two points ahead of their compatriots Al-Hilal, who beat Al-Sadd with goals from Riyad Mahrez, joint top scorer in the competition, and Matheus Gonçalves.

Jeddah's Al-Ittihad returned to form with a 3–0 win over Sharjah, including a goal from Karim Benzema, moving up to sixth place with two straight victories.

Qatar's Al-Duhail dominated Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai 4–1, setting up a crucial fixture against Al-Ittihad on 24 November. Meanwhile, Iraq's Al-Shorta suffered a narrow 1–0 loss to Iran’s Tractor, leaving them second from bottom.

In the Saudi Pro League, Al-Nassr maintained their lead after a 2–1 win over Al-Feiha, with both goals coming from Cristiano Ronaldo. Al-Taawoun sit second following five consecutive wins, the latest a 2–0 home victory against Al-Qadisiyah.

Taekwondo player Dunya Abutaleb makes history for Saudi Arabia at World Championships

Saudi taekwondo athlete Dunya Abutaleb made history at the World Taekwondo Championships in China, winning a silver medal in the 53kg category - Saudi Arabia's first ever medal in the competition.

Abutaleb defeated China's Chuling Zhang 2–0 in the semifinal, overcoming strong competition including Iran's Mobina Nematzadeh and Egypt's Jana Khattab, who took bronze. Turkey's Merve Dincel won gold.

Abdullah Hamad Al-Harbi, president of the Saudi Taekwondo Federation, hailed Abutaleb's achievement as "a historic accomplishment for Saudi Taekwondo", calling her "a shining example of Saudi women’s ambition and determination".

Abutaleb thanked God for her win in an Instagram post, while her coach said she is now aiming for gold in the next championship.

Taekwondo athletes from Turkey, Iran, Jordan, and Tunisia also celebrated podium finishes, with medals for Mahmoud Al-Tayreh, Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi, Fadia Khirfan, and Wafa Masghouni.

Abutaleb, 28, has repeatedly made history for Saudi Arabia. She was the first Saudi woman to compete in a World Championship (2022), where she won bronze, and the first female athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games on merit, competing in Paris 2024.

FIFA U-17 World Cup kicks off in Qatar

The FIFA U-17 World Cup opened in Qatar this week, showcasing some of the region’s most promising young players from Egypt, the UAE, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Qatar.

Results were mixed for Arab teams in the opening matches. Tunisia got off to a flying start with a 6–0 win over Fiji, with Fedi Tayechi and Wassim Slama scoring twice each. Host nation Qatar lost 1–0 to Italy, while Morocco fell 2–0 to Japan.

The UAE drew 1–1 with Costa Rica, and Egypt impressed with a 4–1 victory over Haiti, featuring goals from Belal Attia, Abdelaziz Elzoghby, Hamza Abdelkarim, and Omar Kamal.

However, the second round of fixtures proved challenging. Saudi Arabia were beaten 1–0 by Austria, while Morocco suffered a heavy 6–0 defeat to Portugal, leaving their qualification hopes in doubt. Tunisia and the UAE also lost their Thursday matches, while Qatar drew 1–1 with South Africa.

On Friday, Egypt will look to extend their winning streak when they face Venezuela at the Aspire Zone in Al Rayyan, giving Arab fans renewed hope for a strong regional showing in the tournament.