The Syrian youth national team made its first appearance since the Assad era on Wednesday, securing a 1-0 victory against Yemen in a friendly match in Doha [Getty]
The Syrian youth national team made its first post-Assad appearance on Wednesday, defeating Yemen 1-0 in a friendly football match in Doha. The game, part of preparations for the AFC Asian Cup, marked a new era for Syrian football with the debut of a new national anthem and redesigned team kits.
Meanwhile, Lebanese tennis player Hady Habib made history at the Australian Open, becoming the first Lebanese man to win a Grand Slam main draw match, bringing happiness to a country which has been plagued by instability and war for over a year.
Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir – who has only made four previous appearances for Manchester United – became the club’s unlikely hero after making two crucial penalty saves against Arsenal in the FA Cup third round.
On the transfer front, Egyptian striker Omar Marmoush continues to attract interest from top European clubs, with Manchester City reportedly eyeing the Eintracht Frankfurt star for a potential record-breaking move.
Syria team plays first post-Assad match with new anthem, flag
The Syrian national youth team made its first appearance after the fall of the Assad regime in a friendly against Yemen in Qatar on Wednesday, securing a 1-0 victory. The match was part of their preparations for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup and marked a significant moment for Syrian football.
A key change accompanying the U20 team’s debut was the adoption of a new national anthem. The Syrian Football Association replaced the previous anthem, ‘Guardians of the Homeland’, associated with the ousted Assad regime, with ‘In Pursuit of Glory and Homeland’, written by late poet Omar Abu Risha.
The anthem was played for the first time during the match and will now be used for all age categories of the national teams, a source within the federation told The New Arab‘s Arabic language edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
The Syrian Football Association also informed FIFA of the anthem change and introduced a new emblem for Syrian football, the source added.
The federation partnered with German company Jako to redesign the team’s kits. The primary jersey is now green, with alternate options in white and black. The new kits were delivered to the team’s base in Doha and debuted during the match against Yemen.
The latest changes highlight a fresh chapter for Syrian football, both on and off the field.
Lebanese qualifier Habib makes history at Australian Open
Lebanese tennis player Hady Habib broke new ground for the strife-torn nation on Sunday as he beat China’s Bu Yunchaokete 7-6(4) 6-4 7-6(6) to reach the second round of the Australian Open.
The world number 219 became Lebanon’s first player to win a men’s singles main draw match at a Grand Slam in the professional era and soaked up wild cheers from a rowdy crowd packing the small terraces on Melbourne Park’s Court 13.
“It’s such an incredible feeling to get this win not only for myself but for Lebanon and Lebanese tennis… the crowd was absolutely wild. It made it even more special to win in front of them,” Habib told reporters.
With fans chanting his name, the Texas-born 26-year-old raised his racket at the crowd and held up a Lebanese flag after claiming the decisive tiebreak.
Habib’s success has come at a tense time for Lebanon, with a 26 November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah holding after nearly 14 months of war.
“I think to bring something positive… we’ve been having a rough time with obviously the war. We had our other issues in the past,” he said.
Habib moved back to Lebanon with his family at the age of six before returning to the US to develop his game as a junior.
He represented Lebanon at the Paris Olympics and became the country’s first player to win an event on the second-tier ATP Challenger Tour in Chile last year.
“I started to play tennis in Lebanon. I still have a lot of friends back there. My parents currently live there,” Habib said.
“Hopefully, there’s going to be a larger audience to watch me play my next match. I think it’d be better if I played on a bigger court so that more Lebanese people can come out and watch me.”
Manchester United’s Turkish delight shines against Arsenal with penalty saves
Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was Manchester United’s unlikely hero after Ruben Amorim’s squad took on Arsenal in the FA Cup 3rd round match on Sunday, and beat the London team on penalties.
Baynidir, who is the Red Devils’ usual second choice keeper after Andre Onana, earned himself a well-deserved Man of the Match award after what was described as a “heroic” display, which sent the Manchester club to the fourth round.
Manchester United opened the game with a thrilling goal from captain Bruno Fernandes at the Emirates Stadium, before the Gunners went on to equalise with a goal from Gabriel in the 63rd minute.
Bayindir saved a penalty awarded to midfielder Kai Havertz and taken by Martin Odegaard, keeping Manchester United in the game after they struggled significantly this season.
Bayindir continued his impressive form in the game, denying two chances from defensive midfielder Declan Rice.
Despite several chances by Arsenal to score, Manchester United held on and took the game to a penalty shootout, in which Bayindir really shun through.
The Turkish goalie saved a crucial penalty from Kai Havertz, which sealed the deal for Amorim’s side.
Baynidir’s heroics saw him break a 10-year FA Cup record. He became the first goalkeeper since the 2013-2014 season to save a penalty in both normal time and during a penalty shootout.
The achievement is extra commendable given that Bayindir has only made five appearances for the Manchester club since signing in 2023 from Fenerbahce.
The Turkey international was also subject to ridicule juts one month ago, after conceding a goal directly from Heung-min Son’s 88th minute corner in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on 19 December.
“Sometimes in one week, your life can change, and you can see that with Altay. Against Tottenham everyone was biting their fingers for Altay, and I understand that – and today he was our hero,” the Manchester United manager said post-match.
Egypt’s Omar Marmoush inÂ
Egyptian striker Omar Marmoush is likely heading to Manchester City soon, after the club has reportedly verbally agreed to bring the forward to the Etihad Stadium.
Agreeing to a fee with Frankfurt proved a difficult process for City, as Marmoush’s club reportedly demanded more than 60 million euros for the 25-year-old.
Famed football journalist Fabrizio Romano had reported earlier that the Eintracht Frankfurt star was top of the English Premier League champions’ list as manager Pep Guardiola seeks to bolster his injury-ravaged squad.Â
On Thursday, Romano confirmed the deal after City and Frankfurt “conducted a final round of talks”.
Marmoush is now likely set to become the most expensive Egyptian footballer in Premier League history.
The Egyptian began his career at Cairo side Wadi Degla SC, before catching the eye of VFL Wolfsburg during his first season in the Egyptian Premier League in 2017.
After enduring a tough time at the Bundesliga club, including loan spells at St Pauli and Stuttgart, Marmoush was signed by Frankfurt in a free transfer in 2023.Â
The move has paid off for the 25-year-old, with the forward enjoying an incredibly productive season for Frankfurt, scoring 20 goals and providing 14 assists in 26 appearances in all competitions.
His form has put Europe’s top clubs on red alert, with Liverpool and Arsenal also said to have been interested in the Egyptian.
The player has also received high praise from even opposition managers this season. After scoring the equaliser in a 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga giant’s manager Vincent Kompany said, “Marmoush is a player who is only going to get better with time”, also adding that the forward’s skill was “not normal”.
