Latest in Tag: Football Highlight
Latest in Tag: Football
Mounting Israeli-Palestinian tensions reverberate on the football pitch
By James M. Dorsey Mounting tension between Israel and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem have spilt onto Israeli Palestinian football pitches in Israel proper as Israel swings towards ultra-nationalists that make Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu look like the best card in a bad hand. Israeli human rights and legal advocacy …
Football and militant Islam intersect in incidents across the Middle East
By James M. Dorsey A successful football player near the peak of his career, 22 year-old Nidhal Selmi, died last week a foreign fighter for the Islamic State, the jihadist group that controls a swath of Syria and Iraq. His death followed that of Tunisian handball goalkeeper Ahmed Yassin and Ahmed El-Darawi, a former policeman …
Egyptâs banning of ultras constitutes effort to outlaw legitimate opposition
By James M. Dorsey An expected decision by Egyptian football authorities to ban as terrorist organisations groups of militant football fans builds on the definition by Arab autocrats of legitimate, democratic opposition forces as violent threats to their grip on power. By leaving youth with ever fewer, if any, options for venting pent-up anger and …
âPort Said Massacreâ retrial pushed back to 21 September
11 defendants retried after being convicted in absentia
In Egypt, rich and poor equally likely to be overweight
As opposed to most low-income countries, there is no link between socioeconomic status and the prevalence of obesity in Egypt, according to a new study
Egypt keeps changing suits â but its mindset remains intact
By Mohammed Nosseir Egypt has not changed a bit! It claims to have gone through two revolutions in less than three years and it has managed to have four different rulers since Mubarak was toppled from power, and has been shaped by the diverse styles of its successive rulers. However, the same mindset that was …
Qatar invests in Israeli football despite Gaza and war of words with Jerusalem
By James M. Dorsey Qatar is emerging for the second time in a decade as the only Arab state without a peace treaty and diplomatic relations to have invested in Israel. Qatarâs latest investment in Israeli Palestinian football comes against a backdrop of a war of words between the two countries over the Gulf stateâs …
Egypt Cup goes to Al-Zamalek, Smouha left empty-handed
Alexandriaâs Smouha mourns after league loss; miss out on cup title, beaten by Cairo giant Al-Zamalek in final
Egyptian football roundup: Smouha and Al-Zamalek in Egypt Cup final
Premier League winners Al-Ahly eliminated in semi-finals by Alexandrian side Smouha
Qatarâs direct World Cup expenditure âsmallâ, estimated at $16bn: Bank Merrill Lynch
By Evline Meshreky The direct effect for Qatar of losing the 2022 World Cup hosting rights would be small, concluded a report issued by the Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Monday. Broader infrastructure projects, however, would likely lose execution focus and face potential delays, the report stated. FIFAâs ethics committee is investigating the awarding …
Germany crowned world champions in Brazil
Extra time goal Götze stuns Argentina and delivers Die Mannschaft fourth World Cup title
Israeli investigation into Palestinianâs murder focuses on football fan group
By James M. Dorsey An Israeli investigation into the murder of 16-year old Mohammed Abu-Khdeir in apparent revenge for the killing of three teenage Israeli settlers on the West Bank has focused attention on Israelâs most militant, racist football fan group. The focus, irrespective of the groupâs involvement in Abu-Khdeirâs death, is likely to end …
World Cup 2014 â Brazilâs dream turns into 7 goal nightmare
First semi-final produces shocking result to send Germany through to the final
Egyptian football roundup: Al-Ahly triumph earns 8th successive title
Red Devils extend their list of trophies winning 37th league title after 0-0 draw with Smouha
YallaKora.com sees 135% more daily visits than market average
Around 47% of Arab online football viewers visited YallaKora.com, according to the sportsâ website
Egyptian football roundup: Victorious Al-Ahly eyes league title after Cairo derby
Al-Zamalek fail to beat rivals for 17th consecutive time, falling behind in final stage of Premier League
In Pictures: Egypt Cup action
Al-Ahly and Al-Zamalek secure quarter final spots in Egypt Cup
World Cup sparks Islamist debate on footballâs integrity
By James M. Dorsey Ultra-conservative clerics are condemning football as a Jewish and Christian tool undermining Islamic culture as millions of Muslims worldwide tune in to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The condemnations revive an enduring debate among conservatives and militants about the footballâs integrity. They constitute one side of a jihadi and Salafi …
Egyptian football roundup: Al-Zamalek qualifies for mini-league
Al-Ahly, Smouha and Petrojet total quartet to compete for 2014 title in final Premier League phase
AFC power struggle reflects sorry state of football governance
By James M. Dorsey FIFA Vice President and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee member Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, in an uncommon display of elegance and magnanimity in the rarefied world of world soccer as well as of Middle Eastern and North African leaders, has conceded defeat in a battle that is symptomatic of …
Time for Brazil
On Thursday, brace yourselves, because the football feast will start at the nation where football has been always at its best: Brazil.
Will Brazil win the World Cup?
By Dr CĂ©sar Chelala When Diego Maradona was asked in 1998 who would win that yearâs football World Cup being played in France, he said: âCountries organise the World Cup to win it,â thus suggesting that France would be the winner. And it was. The same thing could be said for this yearâs World Cup in Brazil. For most people, Brazil is …
Qatar corruption allegations may prove to have potentially massive fall-out
By James M. Dorsey British weeklyâs, The Sunday Times, disclosure of millions of documents allegedly revealing Qatari vote buying in the Gulf stateâs successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup could alter the Gulfâs fragile balance of power. It could also reverse hopes that Qatar would initiate significant social change in the region, and return the worst corruption …
Middle Eastern youth football coaches join US Sports Visitors programme
Part of the State Departmentâs Sports Diplomacy programme, it aims to create dialogue through sport
Egypt football round-up: Pharaohs in London to prepare for Jamaica match
National team looking for redemption after Saturdayâs defeat in friendly against Chile
Qatari paid millions for World Cup bid support: report
FIFA is investigating the 2010 vote that awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and the 2018 tournament to Russia, following previous corruption accusations.
Qatar misses the plank on labour reform
By James M. Dorsey A long awaited and much hyped announcement on a reform of 2022 World Cup host Qatar in response to condemnation of its controversial kafala or labour sponsorship system has sparked more questions than answers and costâs the Gulf state an opportunity to gain the upper hand in a bruising debate that …
Al-Zamalek bounces back in CAF Champions League with win over Al-Hilal
Al-Ahly holds ES Sahel to a draw in Tunis, leading Group B in Confederations Cup
Protest and human rights shape debate on awarding of mega events
By James M. Dorsey Mass protests against Brazil’s hosting of the World Cup, Turkey’s loss of opportunities to host sports events and controversy over 2022 World Cup host Qatar’s labour system are impacting the global sports world’s thinking about the requirements future hosts will have to meet. The impact is likely to go far beyond …
Al-Zamalek suffer first Champions League campaign defeat
Al-Ahly go top of their CAF Confederation Cup mini league after a 2-0 win over Nkana in Cairo