Sports

13 Jan 2023; MEMO: Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune yesterday inaugurated the Nelson Mandela Stadium in the capital in the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football, and Mandla Mandela, the grandson of the South African leader.

12 Jan 2023; MEMO: The French Football Federation's executive committee has suspended Noel Le Graet, president of France's football federation, following accusations of sexual misconduct.

A statement published by the French Federation yesterday said Le Graet, in agreement with the federation's executive body, had decided to step down until the results of an investigation ordered by Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera are published.

08 Jan 2023; MEMO: Saudi Arabia is looking to bring Formula 1 racing teams to the region, with its sights set on McLaren and Aston Martin to relocate their headquarters to the kingdom.

Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Faisal, president of the Saudi Automobile and Motor Federation reportedly wants to compete with Britain by becoming a major motor racing hub and hosting some of the top F1 teams. Currently, Britain is home to seven of the 10 F1 teams.

01 Jan 2023; MEMO: Iranian police briefly detained several unidentified top-tier football players in a raid on a party on New Year's Eve where alcohol was served in violation of an Islamic ban, Iranian media reported, Reuters reports.

28 Dec 2022; MEMO: Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo was a victim of "a political ban" at the Qatar World Cup as a result of his support for the Palestinian cause, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

"They have wasted Ronaldo. Unfortunately, they have imposed a political ban on him," Erdogan told youth in an event in Turkey's eastern city of Erzurum.

22 Dec 2022; MEMO: Just days after the FIFA World Cup during which the issue of Palestine featured prominently, Israeli occupation forces have today shot dead a Palestinian footballer and wounded at least 24 other people in Nablus. Local sources said that Ahmad Atef Daraghma, 23, from the northern West Bank city of Tubas, played for the Thaqafi football club in Tulkarem and was hit by live rounds in the back and feet.

21 Dec 2022; MEMO: Algerian Sports Minister Abdel Razzak Sabkak announced on Tuesday that the new football stadium currently under construction near Algiers will be named after the late South African leader Nelson Mandela, Anadolu news agency has reported. Sabkak made the announcement at a press conference.

21 Dec 2022; MEMO: Qatar has estimated that it will make $17 billion in revenue after hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar News Agency (QNA) has reported. With 1.2 million visitors and the sale of three million tickets for matches, the immediate revenue will be linked directly to visitor spending.

19 Dec 2022; MEMO: Former England footballer David Beckham has praised the quality of the visitor experience at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar for uniting fans from across the globe. Beckham played in three World Cup tournaments for the England team.

"Seeing the fans come together and the level of football, it's been amazing," he told Qatar2022.qa. "It's been a privilege to see the excitement and the fun the fans are having."

18 Dec 2022; MEMO: Morocco's dream run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup ended in defeat as Croatia held on for a 2-1 win in the third-place playoff on Saturday, reports Anadolu Agency.

A frantic start at the Khalifa International Stadium saw Croatia take the lead in just the 7th minute through a diving header from defender Josko Gvardiol that capped off a cleverly worked free-kick routine.

It took Morocco all of two minutes to level matters with a headed goal of their own from defender Achraf Dari.