24/12/2025

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | DEC 24, 2025

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Morocco’s El Aynaoui inspired by Iniesta stays true to his passion

NEIL EL AYNAOUI has always followed his heart and despite growing up in the shadow of his father Younes, a Moroccan tennis player ranked 14th in the world in 2003, Neil chose football. That decision has brought the 24 year-old to the biggest moment of his career, his first major continental tourna ment, the Africa Cup of Nations, where he is proudly representing his country. After emerging as one of Ligue 1’s brightest talents with Lens, El Aynaoui sealed a move to AS Roma in July, signing a five-year contract after two standout seasons in France, where he played 49 league matches and scored nine goals. “I’ve always loved football more than tennis, and my father encouraged me to follow my pas

sion,” Aynaoui told Roma’s website. He wears the No. 8 shirt in tribute to Barcelona and Spain great Andres Iniesta. “Since I was a kid, I adored Iniesta,” Aynaoui said. “He’s my role model and inspiration. I try to match his creativity.” Born in Nancy, France, Aynaoui came through the local academy before join ing Lens in 2023. His dynamic style and versatility caught Roma’s eye, and the move to

DEFENDING Al-Ahli cruised to a 5-0 win over Al-Shorta in Baghdad yesterday as the Saudi Pro League side confirmed their progress to the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League Elite alongside Iran’s Tractor FC. Goals from Roger Ibanez, Ivan Toney, Galeno, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat and Ziyad Al-Johani sealed a comfortable win for Matthias Jaissle’s side, who moved on to 13 points from six matches to guarantee a top-eight finish in the 12-team stand ings. “We did well today and we go home with three points,” Ibanez said. “That’s the important part.” Al-Ahli are joined in the next round by Tractor, who claimed a 2-1 win over Qatar’s Al-Duhail through a late goal by Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh. Tractor moved on to 14 points and second in the table behind Al-Hilal who recorded a sixth consecutive win in the competition with a 1-0 victory over Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Simone Inzaghi’s side had already confirmed their place in the next phase and picked up another three points when Malcom struck with nine min utes remaining. Al-Gharafa kept their qualification hopes alive through a 1-0 win over Al-Wahda from the UAE with Al-Ahli confirm ACL progress with Al-Shorta win champions with record crowds expected after the team’s shock World Cup semifinal run in 2022. The draw for next year’s World Cup pitted Morocco against five-times world champions Brazil in their opening group game before meet ing Scotland and Haiti. “It’s a dream come true,” he said. “Facing Brazil at a World Cup is something I’ve wished for since childhood. Brazil have an exceptional gen eration and incredible individual talent. Our group is tough with Scotland and Haiti too.” But El Aynaoui’s ambition goes well beyond the group stage. “Morocco’s historic achievement in Qatar changed how the world sees African football,” he said. “After 2022, things are different. African teams can go far – we’re no longer here just to take part.” – Reuters

Serie A has sharpened his tactical awareness. “It’s completely different from French football,” he said. “I don’t

know if I’ll score as many goals, but I’m confident I’ll help the team even without scoring. Numbers aren’t the most important thing – giving eve rything you have is.” Aynaoui made his Morocco debut this year and has earned

seven caps, including a start in Monday’s win over Comoros as the hosts opened their

Afcon campaign. Morocco next face Zambia and Mali,

Salah scores late winner Egypt end run of draws as Pharaohs join South Africa atop Group B

M OHAMED SALAH snatched a dramatic stoppage-time win ner as Egypt came from behind to beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in their first fixture at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco yesterday. Egypt’s captain, starting his first game after four successive matches on the bench at Liverpool, fired home a left footed effort in the 91st minute to earn the seven-times champions a late victory after Zimbabwe had stunned them by going ahead in the first half. Egypt laid an early siege to Zimbabwe’s goal, but it was the under dogs who netted first through Prince Dube in the 20th minute. It was left to Egypt’s Premier League contingent of Omar Marmoush, who equalised in the 64th minute, and talis man Salah to see them to a last-gasp vic tory. Salah had come into the tourna ment in Morocco under the spotlight fol lowing a fiery outburst after being dropped by the Premier League champi ons, and struggled to find his rhythm for most of the match at the Grande Stade d’Agadir. When it counted, however, he swept home the winner to see Egypt join South Africa, who beat Angola 2-1 earlier in Marrakech, at the top of Group B. It was as much as Egypt deserved, breaking a run of six successive draws over the last two editions of the Cup of Nations. They had four good chances in the opening 10 minutes as they put Zimbabwe under intense pressure but fell behind when Emmanuel Jalai fed the LYLE FOSTER scored a superb winner from outside the box as South Africa defeated Angola 2-1 in Africa Cup of Nations Group B in Marrakech yesterday, the first time they have won their opening match at the continental finals in 21 years. The winner came after Tshepang Moremi had a goal ruled offside and Mbekezeli Mbokazi rattled the crossbar with a shot that rebounded into play. Oswin Appollis put 2024 Afcon bronze medallists South Africa ahead on 21 minutes and, as Angola took control, they levelled through Show after 35 minutes. Victory ended a six-match winless run in their opening Afcon match since 2006 by South Africa. The win also confirmed their dominance over Angola with three victories and two draw in five

ball inside for Dube, who turned in possession and placed his effort into the bottom left cor ner. It could have been 2-0 as Daniel Msendami’s pace set up a scrambled chance for Washington Navaya that

Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy managed to gather before it could be bundled over the line. Marmoush equalised in the 64th minute, picking up a long pass on the left wing before cutting inside and firing home with his right foot from an acute angle for a superb solo goal.

“We created many chances without being able to score early, but in the end everything went well,” Marmoush said. “We kept a good mindset and finished the match strongly. We will learn from everything that happened in tonight’s game.” Substitute Ahmed Zizo should have headed home at the back post from Mohamed Hamdy’s inviting cross but put his effort wide, and missed again four minutes from the end when Salah teed him up with a good chance. It was left to Salah to secure the three points, holding off his marker to bring the ball under control before steering it home for his first goal since early last month. In the next set of Group B fixtures, Egypt meet South Africa (11pm Malaysian time) in Agadir on Boxing Day while Zimbabwe and Angola (8.30pm) clash in Marrakech. – Reuters

Seydou Sano scoring an 87th minute winner for the Qatari side. Al-Gharafa climbed to six points and ninth in the table while Al-Wahda, who have qualified, dropped to fourth. The first eight finishers in the league phases in east and west Asia advance to the round of 16, which will be played in March, with the quarterfinals, semifinals and final in Saudi Arabia in April. – Reuters

Zimbabwe’s Teenage Hadebe (left) challenges Egypt’s Mohamed Salah during their Afcon group B match at Adrar Stadium in Agadir yesterday. – AFPPIC

Foster’s strike fires Bafana Bafana to victory

“The equaliser felt like a victory for Zambia and a defeat for Mali. Now we have to prepare properly for the next matches, starting against Morocco on Friday (Sat, 4am Malaysian time). “Zambia have good players in midfield, and they prevented us from achieving our objectives. Now we will need at least a point against the Moroccans.” “We have to finish at least second in the group. We said we want to reach the final, and that is still possible,” added the coach who took debutants Gambia to the 2022 quarterfinals. Hosts Morocco, who opened the tournament on Monday with a 2-0 win over Comoros, have three points and Mali and Zambia one each. – AFP

Mali coach Tom Saintfiet admitted that conceding a late equaliser in a 1-1 Group A draw with Zambia in Casablanca was “very painful”. After El Bilal Toure had a first half penalty saved by Willard Mwanza, Mali took the lead on 61 minutes through Lassina Sinayoko. But as two Mali defenders stood still when the ball was crossed two minutes into added time, Patson Daka pushed forward to head the equaliser. “We were aiming to score three goals in this match. Our difficulties began after the missed penalty. We let our emotions take over,” said Belgian Saintfiet. “Obviously, I would have preferred to take all three points against Zambia, especially after controlling the game.

Afcon meetings. Belgian coach Hugo Broos, who guided Cameroon to the Afcon tilte in 2017, admitted he was unhappy with the first-half Bafana performance. “We had to avoid losing tonight because next up for us are Egypt. We led in the opening half and then we fell asleep,” said Broos. “We let Angola back into the game so we put something right during halftime. In the second half we applied more pressure, there is more movement and we had chances. “Tshepang (Moremi) was wonderful when he came on, suddenly there was speed in our team, we were dangerous. He was a threat and he did it very well in the second 45 minutes.”