MENA Sports Wrap: Palestine salvage dramatic draw in World Cup qualifier

In a thrilling week of football across the Middle East, Palestine and Kuwait played out a dramatic four-goal contest, ending in a 2-2 draw after a last-minute Palestinian equaliser kept fans on the edge of their seats. Meanwhile, Jordan powered to a commanding 4-0 victory over Oman in the AFC World Cup qualifiers, propelling themselves to second place in Group B.

Also this week, Nigeria's national football team returned home after boycotting their AFCON qualifier in Libya, citing "inhumane treatment" in a developing controversy that has drawn the attention of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Meanwhile, snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan made waves in Saudi Arabia by launching his first snooker academy, as part of the kingdom’s ambitious efforts to grow the sport.

Ruthless Jordan hammer Oman 4-0 in World Cup qualifiers; Palestine and Kuwait play out four-goal thriller

Jordan blasted their way to second in Group B of the AFC World Cup 2026 qualifiers after thumping Oman 4-0 in Amman. 

Things started badly for Oman from the start, with slack play only going unpunished as Jordan squandered chance after chance. Sadly, the visitors' luck ran out on the 26th minute, when Yazan Al-Naimat headed home a goal for Jordan.

Though the Omanis could have easily buckled, with Jordan outclassing them, looking to finish the game early, they more than held their own and saw out the first half only a goal down and with all to play for.

However, whatever hope for a result The Reds had was crushed when, just four minutes into the second half, Al Naimat was hauled down in the box, with the referee instantly awarding a penalty to the hosts. Ali Olwan colly slotted the penalty home in the 49th minute, giving the The Chivalrous Ones a 2-0 lead. 

Oman's misery was only compounded, with rampant Jordan romping home to a 4-0 win, with Al Naimat and Olwan each getting a brace.

Jordan's performance more than made up for their 2-0 loss to group leaders South Korea in the last round of qualifiers, while Oman's 4-0 victory over Kuwait in the same round of games might them cause for optimism.

Also in group B, ten-man Palestine scored a dramatic 93rd goal to secure a 2-2 draw with Kuwait. Youssef Nasser put the visitors ahead in the 3oth minute with a well-taken penalty, only for Wessam Abou Ali to return the compliment for the Palestinians with a coolly struck spot-kick in the 41st minute. 

After a dull start to the second half, the game exploded into controversy when Camilo Saldana was sent off in the 55th minute. Despite being reduced to ten men, the Palestinians dominated most of the second half but squandered numerous gilt-edged chances to go ahead. In the 80th minute, Kuwait caught The Fedayoon, as Palestinians are known to their fans, on the break, with Nasser slotting home his second.

The Kuwaitis were, however, unable to see out the rest of the match, with Zaid Qunbar rising above The Blue Wave's defence to score an excellent header and providing Palestine only their second point in qualification so far, which comes at the backdrop of much more serious events at home than football.

In the final match in Group B, Iraq were unlucky as they lost 3-2 to group leaders South Korea,  In Group A, the United Arab Emirates slumped to a 1-0 loss against Uzbekistan, while Iran thumped Qatar 4-0 in a match played in Dubai, while in Group C, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain played out a 0-0 draw.

Ronnie O'Sullivan launches Saudi snooker academy

Ronnie O'Sullivan launched a snooker academy in Saudi Arabia this week, in the latest push by Riyadh to promote the game in the kingdom.

The Riyadh snooker school is O'Sullivan's first academy and will feature five tables for students to learn and compete on.

The plush facility stands in stark contrast with the gloomy and (formerly) smoky interiors associated with snooker clubs in the UK, injecting some vigour, and a new image, for the sport which has been in decline since its heydays of the 1980s.

Young Saudis will be able to learn first-hand from both the game's GOAT, O'Sullivan, and head coach Nigel Bond, which might help more Arab players push into the world rankings.

It comes as Saudi Arabia launched two major snooker tournaments in the kingdom, including the Saudi Arabian Snooker Masters - a ranking event which became the "fourth major" in the Triple Crown calendar.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has previously spoken warmly about his time in Saudi Arabia and is excited by this new chapter in his career.

"This is a fantastic new facility, and I am excited to be working here alongside the best talent in the Kingdom," said O'Sullivan at the launch.

"In snooker, like most sports, there is no substitute for hard work, and this academy will give players an opportunity [to] practice in a great environment."

Nigerian team return home after boycotting AFCON qualifier in Libya

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed on Monday that their national team had returned home after alleged "inhumane treatment" in Libya ahead of a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

"The Nigeria delegation departed the Al-Abraq Airport at exactly 15.05 hours, bound for the city of Kano, and onwards to the Federal Capital, Abuja," the NFF said in a statement.

NFF director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, outlined in a 20-point statement the team's "ordeal on Libyan soil", saying the "keenly-anticipated match" had been "relegated to a fiasco by Libyan federal authorities and Football Federation".

The Nigerian team were held at an abandoned airport in Libya for more than 20 hours after their chartered flight landed on Sunday.

The Super Eagles were due to land in Benghazi but their plane was diverted to Al-Abraq, 230 kilometres [143 miles] away from their intended destination.

A formal complaint by Nigeria was sent to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) whose disciplinary board is now investigating the incident.

Captain William Troost-Ekong had said the team would not make a three-hour bus ride from Al-Abraq to Benina, where the qualifier was scheduled to be played on Tuesday, for safety reasons.

"As the team captain together with the team we have decided that we will NOT play this game," he posted on social media. "Let them have the points."

CAF said they viewed "the disturbing and unacceptable experiences of the Nigerian National Football Team at an airport in Libya in a very serious light", adding that the federation was in contact with both the Libyan and Nigerian authorities.

"Appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations" the statement concluded.

The Libyan football federation denied any impropriety, saying in a statement it had the "utmost respect" for Nigeria.

"We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation," the statement said, adding: "Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles."