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ABIDJAN — Sadio Mane’s Senegal are aiming to retain their title and Mohamed Salah is chasing a first trophy with Egypt at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, which begins in Ivory Coast on January 13.

A strong field also features 2022 World Cup semifinalists Morocco and a Nigeria team spearheaded by African footballer of the year Victor Osimhen, as organisers hope the focus will remain solely on the football at this edition of the continental showpiece.

Ivory Coast is hosting the AFCON for the first time since 1984, when only eight teams participated with Roger Milla’s Cameroon emerging as champions.

This time there are 24 teams at a tournament initially scheduled to be played in June and July last year in order to avoid a clash with Europe’s top leagues.

However, fears over staging it during the rainy season eventually led the Confederation of African Football to push it back to the more traditional January and February slot.

Focus on security 

The last AFCON, two years ago in Cameroon, was overshadowed by the tragedy at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, when eight people died in a crush and stampede.

Security is therefore at the forefront of organisers’ thoughts this time, with 1.5 million fans expected to attend from outside the country.

Matches will be staged in six stadiums across five cities, with two venues in the economic capital, Abidjan.

These include the 60,000-capacity Ebimpe Olympic Stadium, constructed especially for the competition. It will be the venue for the opening game between Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau, as well as the February 11 final.

Games will also be played in the capital Yamoussoukro and neighbouring Bouake, as well as in San Pedro on the coast and in Korhogo, in the north near the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.

Organisers will also hope the quality of the football is better this time than in 2022, when an average of fewer than two goals were scored per game.

Morocco will be expected to go far, with Africa’s top-ranked nation still riding high from their run to the last four in Qatar just over a year ago.

They have a squad full of players based at leading European sides, with Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi the headline name, but Morocco have not won the AFCON since 1976.

“With each competition that goes by we get further away from the date when we last won it, but that is not a reason for us to put extra pressure on ourselves,” insisted coach Walid Regragui recently.

Can Senegal retain title? 

Morocco is in Group F with DR Congo, Avram Grant’s Zambia and Tanzania, who have never won a game at the AFCON.

Senegal is in a tougher-looking section with neighbours Gambia, the Guinea of Bundesliga hotshot Serhou Guirassy, and Cameroon.

Mane and his team are aiming to become the first nation to retain the title since Egypt’s run of three in a row between 2006 and 2010.

“We have only ever won it once, so we are eager to go there and win, and keep winning,” insisted Senegal coach Aliou Cisse.

Winners in 2019, Algeria are aiming to make up for its woeful showing two years ago, when they exited in the group stage.

Egypt, led by Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria, boast the biggest star of all in Salah as they target a record-extending eighth AFCON title to banish the memory of defeats in the finals of 2017 and 2022.

That is what Egyptians are dreaming of, although Salah’s manager at Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, is hoping for a different outcome given that his team are currently chasing the Premier League title.

“From a personal point of view, I would be happy if they go out in the group stage but that’s probably not possible. They can go on and win it,” Klopp admitted.

Then there is the host nation, no longer the force they were when they last won the title in 2015 with Yaya Toure as captain, but looking to make the most of home advantage.

Nigeria, with Bayer Leverkusen sensation Victor Boniface as well as Osimhen, have an almost unrivalled amount of depth in attack.

South Africa, meanwhile, is back after missing the last edition, and have a team that leans heavily on the country’s leading club side, Mamelodi Sundowns.

The winners of the trophy will receive a record $7 million in prize money, 40 per cent more than what champions Senegal pocketed in 2022.

MILAN — Napoli’s nightmare season continued on Sunday after crashing to a 3-0 defeat at Torino, while AC Milan consolidated their place in Serie A’s Champions League positions with a 3-0 win at Empoli.

Livid Napoli fans launched flares onto the pitch at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino during a humiliating loss for the troubled champions, who have sunk down to ninth place.

Last season’s historic Scudetto has now been forgotten as Napoli plunge deeper into crisis with each passing week, their third defeat in four matches in all competitions fully deserved after a shambolic display in Turin.

Without Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, Walter Mazzerri’s side failed to score for the fourth straight match and are completely unrecognisable from the team which cruised to title glory last term.

Napoli are a full 20 points behind league leaders Inter Milan and are closer to the relegation zone than the top of the table.

Antonio Sanabria got the ball rolling two minutes before the break when he rolled home from close range, and things went from bad to worse in the 50th minute when debutant Pasquale Mazzocchi was sent off for a wild challenge on Valentino Lazaro.

Mazzocchi, who signed from Salernitana on Friday, had only been on the field since the start of the second half and two minutes later Nikola Vlasic doubled Torino’s lead with a brilliant low strike from outside the area.

Napoli were all over the place and they should have been three down just after the hour mark when Sanabria hit the post and Duvan Zapata somehow didn’t finish on the rebound.

However, Alessandro Buongiorno made sure of an emphatic victory in the 66th minute when he thumped a bullet header past Pierluigi Gollini.

Milan cruise 

A sumptuous early strike from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Olivier Giroud’s 31st minute penalty set third-placed Milan on the way to a win which was sealed by Chaka Traore with two minutes remaining.

Missing a host of players to injury and the Africa Cup of Nations, Milan took advantage of their closest rivals for the top four dropping points.

Stefano Pioli’s team are six points ahead of fourth-placed Fiorentina who lost 1-0 at Sassuolo on Saturday, and a further point in front of Bologna in fifth following their draw at Genoa.

Milan have had a bumpy campaign riddled with injuries and questions over Pioli’s future but Sunday’s win was their fifth in six matches in all competitions.

“We went through a bit of a difficult period... We never listened to what other people were saying, we got down to hard work and that’s why we won today,” said Theo Hernandez, who was again deputising at centre-back.

France international Hernandez is a buccaneering left-back by trade but has been forced to move to the centre of defence by an injury crisis, which has left Pioli without Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw and Pierre Kalulu.

Empoli stay second-from-bottom after failing to win for the seventh straight match, Aurelio Andreazzoli’s side missing seven first-team starters and no match for the rampant away side.

“It’s in the difficult moments that you learn if people have given up on you, and that wasn’t the case here,” said Pioli.

“When things don’t go well we stay together and we give each other a hand.”

Milan trail city rivals Inter by nine points and are four behind second-placed Juventus, who play Salernitana later on Sunday.

Lazio warmed up for their midweek derby with Roma in the Italian Cup quarter-finals by winning 2-1 at Udinese and moving up to sixth.

LOS ANGELES — The Boston Celtics used suffocating defence and 17 three-pointers to overwhelm the Utah Jazz 126-97 on Saturday, maintaining their perfect home record with a bounce-back NBA win.

Jayson Tatum scored 30 points — his 14th 30-point game of the season. Kristaps Porzingis added 19 and Jrue Holiday chipped in 14 in the wire-to-wire victory over a Jazz team that had won nine of their previous 12 games.

Boston, whose six-game winning streak was snapped in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, set the tone early with Tatum’s block of a Kris Dunn layup attempt and Jaylen Brown’s rejection of Lauri Markkanen at the rim.

The Celtics jumped to a 10-0 lead and after Porzingis drilled a three-pointer to make it 18-8 midway through the first quarter the Jazz wouldn’t get the deficit to single digits again.

The Celtics made 17 three-pointers on the way to their seventh victory in eight games.

“Tonight’s game was about taking away their speed with our physicality and off-ball defence, and I thought we did that,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said after Boston stymied a Jazz team that put up 154 points in an overtime win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

The Celtics pushed their league-best record to 27-7 and notched their ninth straight game of 120 points or more.

“I think it’s just the talent, honestly,” Porzingis said. “Us settling in a little bit to our roles and into our ways of playing. And we’re just that talented to be honest.

“Tonight they were doubling JT and he was willing to make the right pass and the right play. That’s an automatic, huge advantage for us.”

Elsewhere, Western Conference leaders Minnesota snapped their first two-game skid of the season with a 122-95 victory over the Rockets in Houston.

Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards scored 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 with eight rebounds and six assists.

Rudy Gobert added 13 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots for the Timberwolves, who led by as many as 33 points.

In Indianapolis, the Indiana Pacers’ high-octane offense was firing in a 150-116 rout of the Atlanta Hawks.

Tyrese Haliburton handed out 18 of the Pacers’ franchise-record 50 assists and also scored 10 points with eight rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter along with the rest of the Pacers’ starters.

‘Unselfish’ 

Myles Turner scored 27 points to lead the Pacers, who had eight players score in double figures.

“We’re all unselfish and we all can score the ball — that’s great basketball to see,” Pacers guard Bruce Brown said after Indiana notched a sixth straight win.

“Keep staying together, playing the right way and we’ll continue to win.”

In Brooklyn, the Nets halted their five-game losing streak with a 124-115 victory over the Thunder.

Spencer Dinwiddie and Nic Claxton scored 23 points apiece and Cam Thomas broke out of his shooting slump with 19 points for the Nets, who led by as many as 32 in the third quarter.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 34 points, six rebounds and nine assists, but Oklahoma City have now lost two straight since surprising the Celtics.

AMMAN — Jordan’s senior and U-23 squads are battling time as they prepare for their respective Asian competitions.

The senior team started a training camp in Doha as Jordan readies to play hosts Qatar on January 5 and Japan on January 9 in the final two friendlies before the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar kicking off on January 12, 2024. 

The team’s results have raised concerns after they lost their 5th consecutive match, going down to Lebanon 2-1 in extra time as coach Hussein Amouta enlisted a host of players before naming the final lineup for the Asian Cup.

In seven matches played so far, Jordan is yet to score a victory under coach Amouta, who took over the job in summer. The Moroccan coach told by Al Mamlaka TV, “The team had individual mistakes, and performance inconsistency and  needed a leader figure on the field.”

So far under Amouta, Jordan lost 6-0 to Norway, 2-1 to Azerbaijan, 3-1 to Iran and tied Iraq 2-2 before losing on penalties. 

Amouta is hopeful for an advanced spot in the upcoming Asian Cup, as well as qualifying to the 2026 World Cup, with Asia allotted 8 slots in the next edition in additional to a zonal qualifier after expanding the number to include 48 nations.

The Asian Cup will see 24 teams playing in 6 Groups with Qatar the defending champs. Jordan plays in Group E vs Malaysia (January 15),   South Korea (January 20) and Bahrain (January 25). 

Since first taking part in the Asian Cup qualifiers in 1972, Jordan has qualified to the Asian Cup five times. The highlight was in 2004, when they lost to Japan in the quarterfinals and jumped to the best ever FIFA rank of 37th. They also reached the Asian Cup quarterfinals in 2011. They also qualified in 2015 and 2019 and for the upcoming edition which was delayed from 2023 to January 2024 taking into account the weather in the Arab Gulf.

In Group G qualifiers  for the 23rd World Cup 2026, Jordan had a lackluster start tying Tajikistan 1-1 before losing 2-0 to Saudi Arabia. Jordan is now 3rd in the World Cup qualifying group after Saudi beat Pakistan 4-0 while Tajikistan beat Pakistan 6-1. A total of 36 Asian teams are playing in 9 groups, and the top two teams from each group will advance to Round 3. The Kingdom’s third qualifier against Pakistan is set for March 26. The qualifiers also advance teams to the 2027 Asian Cup.

On the World Cup qualifying scene, the Kingdom was on the verge of qualifying to the 2014 World Cup for the first time and advanced to play then FIFA 6th ranked Uruguay in an intercontinental qualifying tie before exiting the qualifiers. Jordan had never reached that far in World Cup qualifying since first taking part in qualifiers. Round 3 had been the furthest they reached in the  past 7 times since the 1986 qualifiers. 

U-23 team off to Iraq

Meanwhile, Jordan’s U-23 football team has regrouped as they prepare for to play Iraq on January 9 among a series of friendlies ahead of the 6th AFC U-23 Asian Cup set for April 2024, which qualifiers the top three teams to the Olympics while the fourth will play a playoff to advance. 

The Kingdom was drawn in a tough Group A alongside hosts Qatar, Australia and Indonesia.

Group B includes Japan, Korea, UAE and China.

Group C includes Saudi Arabia, Iran, Thailand and Tajikistan;

Group D includes Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Kuwait and Malaysia.

During their past participation at the U-23 Asian Cup (previously the Asian Championship), Jordan finished 3rd in 2013, reached the quarterfinals in 2016 and 2020 and were knocked out of the first round in 2018 and 2022.

Despite  challenges in regrouping and training, coach Abdullah Abu Zam’eh successfully guided his team through the qualifiers despite a lackluster preparation agenda. Jordan advanced to their 6th AFC U-23 Asian Cup after clinching the sole qualifying spot from Group A qualifiers finishing unbeaten over Brunei 9-0, Oman 1-0 and Syria 2-0. 

Forty three teams contested the qualifiers in 11 groups with the top team from each group together with four best second placed teams advancing to the U23 Asian Cup alongside hosts Qatar. 

While coach Abdullah Abu Zam’eh tries to maintain a cohesive lineup and training plan with some players on duty with the senior team in 2023 Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers, the U-23 team is hoping the Jordan Football Association will manage to set up a series of competitive friendlies as they ready for the Asian Cup. The lineup lost two against Saudi 2-1 and Qatar 1-0 and earlier also lost to Egypt in a friendly. This year, the team reached the semis of the U-23 West Asian Championship, which they won in 2021 and did not play in 2022.

BRISBANE, Australia — Rafael Nadal won his first match back from a year-long injury layoff when he defeated former US Open champion Dominic Thiem at the Brisbane International on Tuesday, calling it an “emotional and important day”.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner looked in superb touch with a clinical 7-5, 6-1 victory over the Austrian in front of a full house at Pat Rafter Arena.

The 37-year-old Spaniard has not played singles since a second-round loss at the Australian Open last year, undergoing two rounds of hip surgery.

“Today, honestly, is an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the toughest years of my tennis career, without a doubt,” he said.

“To have the chance to come back after a year and play in front of an amazing crowd, and play I think at a very positive level for the first day is something that makes us feel proud.

“For myself, all the team and my family who have been there every single day during the last year.”

The long layoff raised fears that his career could be over, but Nadal said this week he was always determined to make it back for the 2024 season.

He conceded before the match there was “a high percentage” that it would be his last season, but left the door open to play on should his body hold up.

“I missed being healthy, I missed feeling competitive and to play in front of full crowds like this,” he added courtside after beating Thiem in 89 minutes.

“Crowds in Australia all my career have been an amazing support for me. I can’t thank everyone enough.”

Nadal spent time at his academy in Kuwait to prepare for the Australian summer and trained there with fast-rising French teen Arthur Fils.

He looked like he had never been away as he lost only six points on serve throughout the match and made few unforced errors in an almost perfect display against a quality opponent.

Former World No. 3 Thiem, who has had injury concerns of his own, came through qualifying to make the main draw and matched Nadal throughout the first set.

But at 6-5 and with the set looking certain to go to a tiebreak, Nadal stepped up the pressure on Thiem’s serve, forcing a series of errors and eventually winning the set when a Thiem forehand sailed long.

Nadal then seized the advantage, holding his serve to love and then breaking Thiem to take a 2-0 lead in the second set.

The Austrian’s head then seemed to drop as Nadal lifted even further, wrapping up the match easily.

“I think the first set was very equal, both of us serving well and then I was able to have that break for 6-5,” he said.

“I know Dominic has been going through hard times with injuries too, so happy to see him on court, wish him all the very best for the season.”

Earlier, fifth-seeded American Sebastian Korda and Argentinian sixth seed Sebastian Baez both crashed out.

Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann downed Korda 7-5, 6-4 while Baez lost to Lukas Klein, with the Slovakian qualifier winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Australian qualifier James Duckworth also enjoyed a good win by ousting American JJ Wolf 6-3, 6-4.

In the women’s draw, former world number one Victoria Azarenka came back from second set jitters to see off Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 7-6 (10/8), while Sofia Kenin, a former Australian Open winner, was stunned by Australian wildcard Arina Rodionova 7-5, 7-6 (9/7).

LONDON — British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s deal to buy a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United is the latest twist in the remarkable story of one of the world’s most famous football clubs.

AFP Sport looks at the moments that helped make United a global phenomenon.

A legend is born

Although the world now knows the Old Trafford giants as Manchester United and associates the team with their vivid red shirts, their story began in different colours.

Railway workers founded Newton Heath in 1878 and, wearing “white shirts with blue cord”, they won their first recorded match 6-0 against Bolton’s reserves.

Served with a winding-up order after financial issues in 1902, Newton Heath, who wore a green-and-gold kit by then, were taken over by a group including local businessman John Henry Davies.

Renamed Manchester United and playing in red shirts, the first of the club’s English record of 20 top-flight titles was secured in 1908.

Busby Babes and Munich disaster

Matt Busby would provide the impetus for United’s first truly dominant era.

The Scot was appointed as manager in 1945 and reigned for the next 24 years, revitalising United with an infusion of homegrown talent.

His young “Busby Babes” won successive titles in 1956 and 1957 and United become the first English team to compete in the European Cup.

But disaster struck in 1958 when eight United players, including the great Duncan Edwards, died after a plane crash at Munich airport on the way home from a European Cup quarter-final against Red Star Belgrade.

Busby spent weeks in hospital before eventually returning to build another dashing young team from the ashes of the Munich tragedy.

‘Holy Trinity’

George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law formed the attacking triumvirate that spearheaded Busby’s second golden generation.

Best was the maverick genius whose pop star looks and dazzling skills made him famous beyond the world of football.

United won the English title twice before their defining moment in 1968, when they beat Benfica 4-1 to become the first English team to win the European Cup.

It was a cathartic victory for Busby, who wept on the Wembley pitch a decade after the Munich disaster.

“The moment when Bobby took the cup it cleansed me. It eased the pain of the guilt of going into Europe. It was my justification,” Busby said.

The Dark Age

Busby’s decision to step down in 1969 signalled the end of an era for United and the decline was so steep that United crashed into the Second Division in 1974.

They won promotion at the first attempt and lifted the FA Cup in 1977, 1983 and 1985.

But United never came close to regaining the title during a troubled period as their arch-rivals Liverpool reigned supreme.

Fergie effect

United were rescued from their wilderness years by Alex Ferguson, who arrived from Aberdeen to manage the under-performing club in 1986.

With 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, during his 26-year reign, Ferguson fulfilled his aim of “knocking Liverpool off their perch” in spectacular fashion.

The Scot endured a difficult start that included calls for his sacking but United won the FA Cup in 1990, buying him time to fashion a vibrant side that secured the club’s first league title for 26 years in 1993.

Inspired by the flamboyant Eric Cantona, the club won their first league and FA Cup double a year later.

Ferguson’s greatest moment came in 1999, when United became the first English club to win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in the same season.

It was United’s ‘Class of “92” — the storied youth academy crop including David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers — who were the treble winners’ driving force.

Showing the never-say-die spirit that epitomised United under Ferguson, they scored twice in the final minutes against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

Ferguson, who also masterminded Champions League glory for United in 2008, responded to the incredible triumph against Bayern by exclaiming: “Football, bloody hell.”

It was a fitting phrase for a club that provides unforgettable drama on and off the pitch.

GLASGOW — Kyogo Furuhashi’s stunning strike earned Celtic a 2-1 victory over Rangers in the Old Firm derby on Saturday to open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

A 16-game unbeaten start to Philippe Clement’s reign as Rangers manager came to an end in his first taste of the Old Firm derby, but the 10-man visitors gave Brendan Rodgers’ men a scare late on.

Rangers still have two games in hand on their Glasgow rivals which could cut the gap at the top of the table.

However, Clement now has to deal with the first major setback since he replaced Michael Beale in October.

Paulo Bernardo’s sweet hit separated the sides before half-time.

Furuhashi then lashed in his eighth goal against Rangers in the past year.

Victory seemed assured for the Hoops when Leon Balogun was shown a straight red card for hauling down Daizen Maeda as he broke clear on goal.

But James Tavernier’s stunning free-kick halved the arrears on 88 minutes and Celtic’s nerves showed during 10 minutes of added time.

Back-to-back shock defeats to Kilmarnock and Hearts for Celtic earlier this month has opened the door for Rangers to haul themselves right back into the title race.

Celtic, though, have since steadied the ship with three consecutive wins to pull clear once more.

“It feels great, it’s a very important win for us,” said Celtic boss Rodgers.

“The atmosphere in the game was fantastic. The players played well on the surface which was difficult — scored two great goals. My only downside was when we are playing against 10 men, we have to control the game much better than that.

“We invited pressure when there was no need, but other than that delighted for everyone.”

A heavy snow shower before kick-off made conditions difficult for flowing football, but all three goals were of high quality.

Bernardo scored his first Celtic goal in a 3-0 win at Dundee on Boxing Day and opened the scoring in style midway through the first half.

A corner was only half cleared to the Portuguese midfielder at the edge of the box and he rifled a fierce effort into the far corner.

Celtic’s talisman Furuhashi has endured a poor spell in front of goal of late, but the Japanese international showed he is still the man for the big occasion.

Furuhashi turned on the edge of the area before firing on his weaker left foot into the top corner from outside the box just two minutes into the second half.

Tavernier responded with a similar moment of magic as he whipped a free-kick into Joe Hart’s near post from a narrow angle for his 16th goal of the season.

But Rangers could not find a dramatic late leveller to leave them with plenty of work to do in 2023 to deny Celtic a 12th title in 13 seasons.

Clement was left frustrated by some decisions as he felt Bernardo and Alistair Johnston were lucky to escape also seeing red in the second half.

“A few strange decisions,” said the Belgian.

“We were not decisive enough in our finishing today and they were really decisive. The second goal is a quality goal”.

SAINT PETERSBURG — Russian swimming star Kliment Kolesnikov is all about winning Olympic medals — but not at all costs.

The world record holder in the men’s 50m backstroke has vowed to sit out the Paris Games over the “unacceptable” conditions imposed on Russian competitors due to the assault on Ukraine.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said this month athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus would be able to compete in Paris as neutrals, outside of team events and as long as they did not actively support the campaign in Ukraine.

“At this time, under the current conditions, it’s unacceptable for me” to take part in the 2024 Games, Kolesnikov told AFP in an interview on the sidelines of a recent swimming competition in Saint Petersburg.

“The dream of an Olympic gold medal remains, but I’m not sad about not being able to go,” said the 23-year-old, who won bronze in the 100m freestyle and silver in the 100m backstroke at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The IOC says there are currently only 11 athletes — eight Russians and three Belarusians — who have qualified for the Olympics that meet the above criteria. Around 60 Ukrainians have qualified.

Moscow has denounced the “discriminatory” conditions but has not yet decided whether it would recommend that its athletes go to Paris or instead call on them to stay home.

‘Black sheep’ 

Kolesnikov, who at 20 was crowned European champion in the 100m freestyle in 2021, has his mind made up about the Paris Games.

“I decided that for me personally, it would not be possible to participate in the Olympic Games under these conditions,” he said, explaining that he did not want to be a “black sheep” among the other athletes.

“The other guys are taking part, competing like nothing ever happened. Meanwhile we won’t have the right to a delegation... nor a flag nor hymn,” he added.

While the athlete spoke to AFP, young swimmers gathered around him to ask for autographs.

“I’ve always prepared for the Olympic Games,” he said, calling it the “coolest” event for any sportsman.

“Of course, I’d like to go. Of course, I’d like to win Olympic gold. But considering the current situation, I’d run the risk of coming home with the medal only to see it taken away [by the IOC],” he added.

New world records 

While waiting for the situation to change, Kolesnikov said he wanted to focus on setting “new world records”.

The number of tournaments organised in Russia has increased significantly ever since Russian athletes were banned from international competition following the assault on Ukraine in February 2022.

“This whole time that we’ve been competing at home, the guys have been improving and breaking records... And me too,” said Kolesnikov, who in July reclaimed his world record in the 50m backstroke in 23.55sec.

“We swim and we remain in competition with athletes from other countries through our results,” he added.

Although for now Kolesnikov does not intend to participate in next year’s Paris Games, he is open to a change of plans.

“If the conditions [of the IOC] change” and if Russian authorities decide that “we must go win medals on behalf of the fatherland” then “of course I will go,” he added.

AMMAN  — Jordan’s national football team is set to play three friendlies in the next two weeks as they prepare for the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar kicking off on January 12, 2024 where the Kingdom will play in Group E alongside Malaysia, Bahrain and South Korea.

As national sides start the countdown to the Asian Cup, Jordan faces Lebanon in Tripoli on Thursday where the lineup is set to be joined by some pros playing abroad. Montepellier’s Mousa Ta’mari, Yazan Arab and Yazeed Abu Laila will miss the first friendly following which the squad will return home to play the U-23 national side ahead of coach Hussein Amouta’s final lineup list for the Asian Cup. The team then leaves to Qatar where they will play their hosts on January 5 and Japan on January 9 in the final two friendlies.

In six matches played so far, Jordan is yet to score a victory under coach Amouta, who took over the job in summer. Interviewed by Al Mamlaka TV on Wednesday, the Moroccan coach acknowledged, “The team lost many scoring chances, had individual mistakes  and players had been inconsistent with their clubs which clearly reflected on their performance, especially in the official matches.”

It will be vital for Jordan to alter their performance and start to score wins. In their first friendlies under Amouta, Jordan lost 6-0 to Norway, 2-1 to Azerbaijan, 3-1 to Iran and tied Iraq 2-2 before losing on penalties. Many players noted the lineup was getting more coherent and adapting to new coach’s strategy and style who has announced his eventual aim would be “to have a younger competitive group who can serve the national team for upcoming years”. 

As official matches kicked off, Jordan had a lackluster start in Group G qualifiers for the 23rd World Cup 2026, tying Tajikistan 1-1 before losing 2-0 to Saudi Arabia. Jordan is now 3rd in the World Cup qualifying group after Saudi beat Pakistan 4-0 while Tajikistan beat Pakistan 6-1. The Kingdom’s third qualifier against Pakistan is set for March 26. The qualifiers also advance teams to the 2027 Asian Cup.

A total of 36 Asian teams are playing in 9 groups with the top two teams from each group advancing to Round 3. Jordan is now ranked 87th, Saudi 56th, Tajikistan 106th and Pakistan 195th.

In a candid interview, Amouta told Al Mamlaka’s Muhannad Mahadeeen, a former national squad star, that a local coach will be assigned to assist him soon, adding the team needed a “leader figure on the field”.

Amouta added he “was hopeful and ambitious for an advanced spot in the upcoming Asian Cup, as well as qualifying to the 2026 World Cup”, Amouta, with Asia allotted 8 slots in the next edition in additional to a zonal qualifier after expanding the number to include 48 nations.

The Asian Cup will see 24 teams playing in 6 Groups with Qatar the defending champs:

• Group A: Qatar, China, Tajikistan, Lebanon 
• Group B: Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria, India
• Group C: Iran, UAE, Hong Kong, Palestine
• Group D: Japan, Indonesia, Iraq, Vietnam
• Group E: Jordan vs Malaysia (Jan 15),  vs South Korea (Jan 20), vs Bahrain (Jan 25)
• Group F: Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Oman