15 Sports Sunday, October 25, 2020 Iraq’s ‘stadium of horrors’ in ruins, but the game goes on Bullet-riddled stadium was caught up in deadly battles MOSUL: Mohamed Fathi, coach of Mosul’s football to the first division a decade ago. With thousands of club in northern Iraq, hardly recognizes the ruined roaring fans passionately backing their team, locals soccer stadium once used by Islamic State group dubbed it the “stadium of horrors” for visiting teams. fighters to fire rockets and lob mortars from. Piles of But that ominous label would take on a more sinister rubble lie alongside a pitch of bumpy sand. The high meaning with the arrival of IS militants. “I used to fol- concrete stadium tiers surrounding it - with all seats low soccer matches here, and suddenly out of torn out - look dangerously close to collapse. “After nowhere convoys of IS militants decked out with this was destroyed, there’s no other stadiums in the guns would show up,” recounted Omar al-Mosuli, a city to play football,” Fathi said, waving his hand at resident in his thirties. “It was a frightening scene, the crumbling building. “The impact of the destruc- and I used to walk away quietly.” tion is enough to tell you everything that happened Islamic State’s austere and terror-ridden reign here.” was marked by beheadings and shootings. Like so Jihadi fighters from the Islamic State (IS) group many other facets of daily life, football changed. seized Mosul in 2014, later expanding its so-called Soccer disappeared as a professional pursuit - and “caliphate” to over a third of Iraq and into neighbor- violence became established a past-time instead. ing Syria. In 2017, Iraqi and coalition forces forced “Under the stands, IS fighters transformed the space the hardened insurgents out in a grinding urban bat- into a massive weapons depot,” Mosuli said. “They tle that left ancient Mosul in ruins. The bullet-riddled set up launchpads inside the stadium to fire rockets 20,000-seater stadium, home to Mosul Sports Cub, during the battle to liberate the city.” He recalled how was not spared, caught up in the deadly battles for the extremists forced people to play in long shorts control. Two other smaller stadiums in town were that reached below their knees - and there was a also damaged. strict ban on anyone donning jerseys of their favorite MOSUL: Mohamed Fathi (right), coach of Al-Mosul FC, speaks with his team players at the ravaged international teams or players. Football matches Al-Idara Al-Mahalia stadium, which was once used by Islamic State group fighters as a weapons Football ‘brings life’ would be abruptly halted for prayer time, he added. depot, near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. -—AFP “Sadly the central government doesn’t realize that football is what brings life back to a town, its people ‘Plenty of talent’ and its youth,” Fathi said. “So things have stayed the Amid Mosul’s disfigured landscape, its committed International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Younis, the 34-year-old coach of the aptly-named same.” Mosul Sports Club was once a solid perform- players still train on the stadium’s dusty pitch a cou- “A foreign aid agency started reconstructing amateur team Al-Mustaqbal, or “The Future”. He ing club that produced some of the country’s best ple of times a week. Mosul SC stadium, but the province’s sports authori- urges his young players to train hard, as they prac- players. They include Hawar Mulla Mohammed, who There are no other suitable fields to play on. ty reassigned the site two years ago to a business- tice in a dusty field in Mosul’s al-Bakr neighborhood led Iraq to its historic 2007 Asian Cup championship, “We are forced to train here now,” Fathi, the man,” Mosul-based sports journalist Talal al-Ameri in front of a small but loyal following of fans. It is a far and who played professionally in Europe. Decades coach, explained. “The club’s president and some of told AFP. The businessman sat on the project — a cry from the cheering thousands who once watched earlier, Iraq’s national squad made its only World Cup the staff even pay for the equipment out of their own common occurrence in Iraq. When a respected for- in Mosul’s centerpiece stadium, but it is the best they appearance in Mexico in 1986. pocket,” he added. mer captain of the Iraqi national squad became can do for now as they wait for football to flourish Mosul’s own son, skilled midfielder Haris But the lack of a proper place play for the team is sports minister, Adnan Darjal, he reviewed the file. again. For now, hopes of a return to the glory days Mohammed, ably led his country to the rare interna- also a reflection of the rampant corruption Iraq “Due to corruption allegations, the new minister the club has seen remain a dream. “We have plenty of tional honor. Founded in 1947, Mosul SC played 18 struggles with. The country is consistently ranked as has suspended everything,” Ameri added. talent,” Younis said. “But without a stadium, it’s hard seasons in Iraq’s , before its relegation one of the worst performers on Transparency But the lack of stadium has not deterred Maytham for them to get noticed.”— AFP Rennes lose to Angers as fans Mohsen helps Ahly try to beat curfew secure comfortable

RENNES: Rennes sent 5,000 fans racing home to passage to CAF final beat a curfew on Friday ruing another wasted lead after their team lost 2-1 at home to Angers in Ligue JOHANNESBURG: An early Marwan 1. A spike in Covid-19 cases in the region brought Mohsen goal set Al Ahly of on their the introduction of a curfew from midnight on way to a 3-1 home victory over Wydad Friday. That gave fans barely an hour to get home Casablanca of Morocco on Friday and a place after the match or risk a 135-euro ($160) fine. in the CAF Champions League final. Mohsen Rennes could have moved to the top of struck after five minutes. Hussein el Shahat with a victory, instead, they suffered their first added a second midway through the first half defeat of the season as, for the fourth time in four as Ahly doubled their aggregate advantage games, they blew a lead. This time they did not having won the first leg of the semi-final 2-0 even gain a draw. RENNES: Stade Rennais’ Moroccan defender (left) vies with Angers’ Malian midfielder Lassana last weekend. The home team started well. After 18 minutes, Coulibaly during the French L1 football match between Stade Rennais and Angers on October 23, 2020. — AFP scored a third goal for Paul Bernadoni, Angers record signing, failed to record eight-time African champions Ahly hold a tame volley from . Adrien Hunou header. The victory lifted Angers into the top six. before substitute Zouhair el Moutaraji pulled pounced on the loose ball to slide it in from close “For us, it’s an exploit,” said Angers coach one back eight minutes from time. Ahly quali- range. Angers quickly hit back. In the 27th minute, Stephane Moulin adding that the Champions Matches on TV fied 5-1 overall and must wait until November former Southampton player Sofiane Boufal’s shot League had taken a toll on Rennes. “They used a 1 before knowing whether they will face fel- from the edge of the box took a small deflection off (Local Timings) lot of energy on Tuesday evening.” low Egyptians Zamalek or Raja Casablanca and a bigger one off Damien Da Angers had conceded 10 goals over their last of Morocco in the single-match final five Silva before flying past . two away games. “We had to close the floodgates days later. Zamalek were due to defend a 1-0 In the 57th minute, Angelo Fulgini chasing a and I liked the way we did it,” said Moulin Rennes ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE first leg lead over Raja on Saturday in , long punt forward wriggled past Da Siva and manager Julien Stephan made five changes to the Southampton v Everton 17:00 but the match was postponed when eight of stretched out a toe to lob the ball over Gomis to starting lineup from the club’s Champions League beIN Sports HD 1 the Moroccan squad tested positive for give Angers the lead. Almost at once, Gomis atoned debut against Krasnodar on Tuesday when they Wolverhampton v Newcastle 19:30 coronavirus. with a spectacular save from a point-blank Boufal squandered a lead and drew 1-1 at home. — AFP beIN Sports HD 1 On Friday, Ahly coach Arsenal v Leicester City 22:15 from South Africa made one enforced change beIN Sports HD 2 important game for us and a from the first-leg line-up with veteran full- back replacing injured Tunisian Bamford hits hat-trick as Leeds deserved triumph. We scored first SPANISH LEAGUE Ali Maaloul. Argentine-born Wydad coach and were a little bit lucky they Real Valladolid v Deportivo Alaves 16:00 Miguel Gamondi recalled fit-again Ivorian end Villa’s winning start didn’t score some of the chances beIN Sports HD 3 they had,” Bielsa said. Cadiz CF v Villarreal 18:00 centre-back Cheick Comara, who was missed BIRMINGHAM: Marcelo Bielsa in his rise, the Leeds boss said his For Villa, their four-game win- beIN Sports last weekend with replacement Yahya Jabrane insisted Patrick Bamford deserves player’s renaissance was down to ning run came to a halt as they Getafe v Granada 20:30 blamed for both Ahly goals. Mosimane had all the credit for transforming his hard work and a humble missed the chance to start a sea- beIN Sports warned his team that they could face a “diffi- career after the striker’s hat-trick approach. son with five successive victories Real Sociedad v Huesca 23:00 cult” return match against Wydad, reasoning inspired a 3-0 win over Aston “Very happy for Patrick for the first time in their history. beIN Sports that Wydad were capable of achieving in Villa on Friday. Bielsa’s side moved because he scored some wonder- Villa only escaped relegation on Cairo what Ahly did in Casablanca. into third in the Premier League ful goals. Apart from that a noble the final day of last season, so the ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE thanks to Bamford’s 19-minute player who sacrifices a lot for the first defeat could serve as a reality Cagliari Calcio v Crotone 14:30 Furious protests treble in the second half at Villa team. He’s generous also,” Bielsa check for Dean Smith’s team after beIN Sports HD 4 Ahly needed the intervention of VAR Park. Bamford had one goal in 27 said. “I think his development is their unexpectedly strong start. Benevento v Napoli 17:00 (Video Assistant Referee) to go ahead as Premier League appearances pri- more to do with him and less to Smith had told his players they beIN Sports HD 4 Mohsen was flagged offside after a chipped or to this season, but he already do with me.” Leeds’ third league would get “a bloody nose very Parma Calcio 1913 v Spezia 17:00 pass released the forward to score with a has six in six games this term. win since their promotion from quickly” if they rested on their beIN Sports HD 5 shot into the bottom corner. The South The hat-trick provided a sweet the Championship was the perfect laurels, but they did not heed the Fiorentina v Udinese Calcio 20:00 African referee opted for a review and the moment for the 27-year-old, who response after losing against warning as Bamford delivered the beIN Sports HD 4 goal was allowed amid furious protests from endured a long and winding road Wolves on Monday. “It was an knockout punches. —AFP Juventus FC v Hellas Verona 22:45 Wydad, who now needed to score at least to the top enduring long-running beIN Sports HD 4 three times to survive. There was no contro- criticism of his finishing. Bamford versy about the second Ahly goal as El had seven loan spells during his GERMAN BUNDESLIGA Shahat latched on to a diagonal pass from time as a Chelsea youth academy VfL Wolfsburg v Arminia Bielefeld 17:30 Malian and beat Yahia Attiyat graduate before moving to beIN Sports Allah twice before scoring from inside the Middlesbrough, then finally find- Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim 20:00 box. After goals from forward Mohsen and ing his feet under Bielsa’s tutelage beIN Sports midfielder El Shahat it was the turn of at Leeds. defender Yasser Ibrahim to net for Ahly. FRENCH LEAGUE “It’s a dream come true. When He headed a corner into the net past goal- Racing Club de Lens v Nantes 15:00 the third went in it was elation. I keeper Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti just before the beIN Sports HD 6 will be telling my kids about this,” hour mark to put Ahly five goals in front on Bordeaux v Nimes Olympique 17:00 aggregate. Wydad were shattered as they Bamford said after becoming only beIN Sports HD 6 the second player to score in each experienced a rare hiding in Africa, but they Stade Brestois 29 v RC Strasbourg 17:00 did have the final say as El Moutaraji cut in of Leeds’s opening three top- beIN Sports from the wing and fired past rarely-tested flight away games since Gordon FC Metz v Saint Etienne 17:00 Ahly goalkeeper . This Hodgson in 1937-38. “It is testa- beIN Sports HD 7 was the 10th match between two of the ment to how the team has worked. HSC Montpellier v Stade Reims 17:00 Without them I wouldn’t be able beIN Sports HD 6 strongest sides in Africa with Ahly winning four, Wydad two and four drawn. Should to score. “Marcelo has put a lot of BIRMINGHAM: Leeds United’s Polish midfielder Mateusz Klich (right) OGC Nice v LOSC Lille 19:00 Zamalek qualify next weekend, it will be the trust in me. People say Bielsa is a challenges Aston Villa’s English midfielder Jack Grealish during the beIN Sports HD 6 first CAF Champions League final between myth but we have shown Leeds English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Leeds Olympique Lyonnais v Monaco FC 23:00 clubs from the same country. — AFP are here to compete.” While United at Villa Park in Birmingham on October 23, 2020. —AFP beIN Sports HD 6 Bamford recognises Bielsa’s role