World Soccer - UK (2020-11)

WORLD SERVICE

COLOMBIA:After almost
six months of hiatus due to the
coronavirus pandemic, football
in Colombia returns with the first
leg of the Super League final
betweenJunior and America
de Cali in Barranquilla.
ITALY:Italy and Roma midfielder
Nicolo Zaniolo suffers a second
serious knee injury after only
just overcoming an ACL tear
in his other knee. Meanwhile,
the Rome club sells left-back
Aleksandar Kolarov to Inter.

All is not quite lost, as the pair will be working
with one of the best European players in the
modern era in Doha. InJuly, Xavi decided not to
go to Barcelona and extended his contract as Al
Sadd head coach for another year. The former
midfield maestro has high hopes for Akram.
“With this kind of talent, he has many ambitions,”
Xavi said. “He’s still young and I think he can do
many things in his career.”
And then there is Almoez Ali. The Sudanese-born
striker who had early spells in Austria and Spain,
grabbed nine goals in the 2019 Asian Cup triumph.
That tournament record led to rumours ofJuventus
and Tottenham Hotspur interest but instead, the
24-year-old has been playing in Qatar for the past
four years with Al Duhail. At the moment, Ali, who
scored against Paraguay to help Qatar pick up their
only point at the 2019 Copa America, doesn’t look
like moving, which is a surprise as he looked to be a

The duo [Afif and Hassan] were

expected to return to Europe soon

after the Asian Cup finished, but

that has not been the case

Goalscorer...Almoez Ali

genuine star in the making and well capable of

playing at a higher level.

It remains to be seen if playing in the Qatar

Stars League has Ali where he wants to be when

the 2022 World Cup comes around – and the same

can be said for all of The Maroons. At the moment,

the entire squad is based at home. The league is

improving but a bit more European experience

would not go amiss.

Xavi believes that Qatar will be OK. “I think they

are working really well,” the Spaniard said. “They

have a very good team, also a very good coach

and they are very well organised on the pitch. They

have a very, very good generation of young players,

not only Akram – he’s one of the best – but also

Almoez Ali and Boualem Khoukhi.”

Time will tell if Xavi is right and whether Qatar

will regret not having more players in the big

leagues two years from now.

ENGLAND:KevinDeBruyne

adds the 2019-20 PFA Player

of the Year award to his

Premier League gong.

GERMANY:Bundesliga outfit

RB Leipzig re-sign Manchester

City full-back Angelino on loan

for another season.

WednesdaySeptember 9

USA:A report fromThe Athletic

reveals that MLS side Houston

Dynamo are weighing up a

potential rebrand that could

include changes to their crest,

team colours and team name.

IRAQ:The Iraqi Football

Association announces that the

2020-21 season will kick-off

in October.

ThursdaySeptember 10

JAPAN:Japanese women’s

football superstar Yuki Nagasato

joins Hayabusa Eleven – an

amateur men’s team from

Kanagawa Prefecture – on

loan from Chicago Red Stars.

FRANCE:A PSG side, severely

depleted due to positive COVID-19

cases, loses1-0 away to newly-

promoted Lens.

ENGLAND:Fulham snap up

Netherlands defender Kenny Tete

from Lyon and loan out keeper

Marcus Bettinelli to Championship

club Middlesbrough.

FridaySeptember 11

ENGLAND:Leeds United boss

Marcelo Bielsa signs a new

one-year deal with the club.

Defender...

Abdelkarim Hassan