16/12/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | DEC 16, 2025 28 Desert Foxes seek redemption Striker Amoura has starring role to get Algeria to Afcon last 16 S TRIKER Mohamed Amoura is set to be a key figure as Algeria seek redemption at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco after disastrous cam paigns in the past two editions. a hattrick against Mozambique and two each against Botswana, Somalia and Uganda. “It is a huge honour to wear the Algerian jersey. I want to help my team as much as possible, whether it is scoring, creating goals or dropping back to defend.” Amoura hailed Petkovic for creat

Marko blames Horner for Max losing F1 title

FORMER Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has said that Max Verstappen would have clinched the world championship in 2025 if Christian Horner had been sacked earlier. The British team principal was let go in July after a two decade stint with the team, which saw a significant upturn in performance under new leader Laurent Mekies. Verstappen narrowly missed out on the title, losing to Lando Norris in the season’s final race in Abu Dhabi. Shortly after the season concluded, Marko also departed from his role, having spent 20 years with Red Bull. He has since taken a swipe at his former colleague, accusing Horner of hindering Verstappen’s progress. Marko, who shares a close bond with the driver, is “absolutely convinced” that Verstappen would have outpaced Norris had the team severed ties with Horner earlier. “We had to do something because our on-track performance was lagging,“ Marko revealed to De Limburger . “If we had done that sooner, we would have gotten back on track faster this year, and Max

would have become world champion. I’m absolutely convinced of that.” Despite securing more Grand Prix victories than either of the McLaren drivers throughout the season, Verstappen finished just two points behind Norris. The Dutchman triumphed in the season’s final three races, but his poor early-season form proved too much to overcome. It’s been a period of major struggle for Red Bull, who’ve bid farewell to two of their most senior figures in Horner and Marko. Meanwhile, Isack Hadjar is set to partner Verstappen in 2026 following a remarkable maiden campaign. The departing pair are reportedly walking away with substantial financial packages, though. Horner is understood to have secured an £80 million (RM464m) settlement and retains the option to return to the paddock next year. He’s already held preliminary talks about rejoining the sport with a new team in an ownership capacity. Marko will also pocket his complete 2026 salary as part of his exit deal, according to German publication Bild . That sum is believed to be around £8.7 million (RM50m). – Express Newspapers

Since then he also found the net in an Afcon warm-up victory over Zimbabwe as Algeria prepare for Group E showdowns with Sudan, Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea. It is a mini-league Algeria are expected to win, and Petkovic acknowledges that the Desert Foxes are considered the strongest of the four contenders. “The main objective is to get past the first round, (then) go as far as pos sible in the tournament,” he said after announcing his squad. Amoura told the Algerian media he is optimistic Algeria will win Group E and qualify for the round of 16. “It is a strong group. We respect every team, but fear no team. Algeria have a balanced squad that includes some outstanding players. “Our goal is to go deep into the tournament and represent our coun try in the best possible way. We want to make our supporters happy and fight for the title. “There is no secret to my scoring 10 goals in World Cup qualifiers. My achievements are due to hard work and the confidence given to me by my teammates and coaches.

ing an atmosphere during training camps that is conducive to success for a country that also won the Afcon in 1990. “The atmosphere is excellent, It is serious, focused and there is a desire to give our best. It has to be that way because the 2025 Afcon is packed with strong teams.” Amoura left Wolfsburg for Algeria at the weekend after scoring in a 3-1 league win at fellow bottom-half club Borussia Moenchengladbach. He and Ivorian teenager Yan Diomande are the leading African scorers in the Bundesliga this season with six goals each. Amoura made his professional debut just five years ago with Entente Setif. He made an immediate impact leading to transfers to Lugano and Union Saint-Gilloise before joining Wolfsburg last year. He initially left Union on loan, but the German club, releasing the poten tial of the Algerian, made the move permanent this year. – AFP

The Desert Foxes won the premier African football competition a second time in 2019, edging Senegal 1-0 in the final in Cairo. But in two Afcon appearances since they failed to win a match in six attempts and twice made humbling first-round exits, leading to the sacking of coach Djamel Belmadi. His place was taken by Vladimir Petkovic, who took Switzerland to two Euro Championship tournaments and one World Cup during a seven-year reign. The 62-year-old born in Bosnia & Herzegovina rang the changes when he took charge of Algeria last year, including giving more opportunities to Amoura. His faith in the 25-year-old, now with Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg, has been richly rewarded with Amoura becoming the leading scorer in 2026 World Cup African qualifying with 10 goals. Amoura tormented a variety of rivals as Algeria secured a fifth appear ance at the global showpiece, scoring Mbeumo faces double challenge MANCHESTER UNITED star Bryan Mbeumo (pic) must handle the twin challenges of scoring and captaincy when playing for Cameroon at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco this month. With veteran striker Vincent Aboubakar surprisingly axed, the responsibility for scoring falls heavily on the 26-year-old who moved to Old Trafford from Brentford last July. Goals have been hard to come by for the Indomitable Lions lately as they failed to find the net in two crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Needing maximum points at home against Angola two months ago to have any hope of automatic qualification, Cameroon managed only a 0-0 draw. Given a second chance to qualify a month later as one of the best four African group runners-up, Cameroon fell 1-0 to the Democratic Republic of Congo in a playoff and were eliminated. For Cameroon supporters, recalling the past exploits of star strikers like Roger Milla, Patrick Mboma and Samuel Eto’o, consecutive blanks were difficult to accept. Mbeumo started in both matches, but poor service from midfield and tight marking meant scoring opportunities were scarce.

Liverpool’s Van Dijk (left) and Salah. – REUTERSPIC

Van Dijk hopes Salah remains at Liverpool VIRGIL VAN DIJK revealed he has told Mohamed Salah he wants the winger to stay at Liverpool but admitted he is not sure if he will. leaders. But obviously the fact is he is going to Afcon. I wish him absolutely all the best. We will be in contact over the next days and weeks, we always are.”

Aboubakar was the eight-goal leading scorer in the 2022 Afcon as hosts Cameroon finished third behind Senegal and Egypt. It was an outstanding performance in the modern era of the premier African football tournament, finishing just one goal shy of matching the 1974 record of Congolese Ndaye Mulamba. But Mbeumo was left without a potentially key partner in attack when new Cameroon coach David Pagou omitted Aboubakar from the Morocco-bound squad. “We wanted to do things differently. They are good players, but we set our sights on others to create a different mindset,“ said Pagou, referring to Aboubakar and goalkeeper Andre Onana. While Mbeumo seeks goals in Group F against Gabon, title-holders Ivory Coast and Mozambique, he must also shoulder the additional responsibility of succeeding Aboubakar as captain. He must lift a team whose morale is low after their failure to qualify for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Cameroon hold the African record for World Cup appearances with eight. Losing out to Group D winners Cape Verde, a west African archipelago with a population of just 525,000, was a bitter blow. – AFP

Salah returned to the Liverpool team as a substitute in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brighton after manager Arne Slot and the club hierarchy decided not to take him to Italy for the Champions League victory over Inter Milan following an interview when the Egyptian made a series of accusations. Slot brought him back following talks on Friday but Salah had brought his own future into doubt as he claimed he was thrown under the bus and made a scapegoat. Saudi Pro-League clubs are believed to be interested in the 33-year-old, who has not started any of Liverpool’s last five matches, but Van Dijk is keen to keep him at Anfield and has let Salah know what he thinks. “Of course I’ve told him I want him to stay,” said the Liverpool captain. “Of course I speak to him. I speak about everything with him.” Salah will depart now for the African Cup of Nations and Van Dijk has vowed to remain in contact with him. “He is one of the leaders,” he added. “I would love to have him around because he is one of the

Van Dijk said Salah has impressed in training this week as well as during his appearance against Brighton, when he got the assist for Hugo Ekitike’s second goal. “Mo reacted perfectly fine,” he said. “He was good against Brighton. He was good Sunday and Monday when we were training. He didn’t travel but trained on Friday together and he was perfectly fine too. “It is all about how the team reacts but in my eyes and what I see and speaking to the guys, everyone handled it perfectly well. “I think we showed this week we are absolutely united and we go forward as one. Mo goes to the Africa Cup of Nations. We hope he will be successful there and all hope he comes back and is important for us for the rest of the season. “But on the other side of it, we all know football and have no idea what will happen. I hope he stays as he is one of my leaders, a very important player which you saw with another assist. He is still important for the football club but there are more parties to this situation.” – The Independent