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Tears after a fatal miss: Brahim Diaz is the top scorer of the Africa Cup of Nations

Lesley Summerville
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Tears after a fatal miss: Brahim Diaz is the top scorer of the Africa Cup of Nations

Brahim Diaz is the top scorer of the Africa Cup of Nations—and cried when he received the trophy. Other awards went to Sadio Mané and Bono.

There could hardly have been a weaker consolation. When Brahim Diaz was presented with the Golden Boot for the top scorer of the Africa Cup of Nations by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, he had tears in his eyes and the impression was clear: this man would rather be anywhere else than here right now. The Real Madrid forward won the award with five goals. But it would have been the sixth that would have given him – and the host country – the title.

But the 26-year-old star chipped his penalty kick in extra time of the final against Senegal on Sunday evening, after a nearly 20-minute interruption because the opposing players had left the field in protest against the penalty call, far too casually into the middle of the goal. There, Senegal’s keeper Edouard Mendy easily caught the ball.
Instead of becoming Africa Cup winner, Brahim Diaz “only” became top scorer. He won the Golden Boot thanks to a remarkable streak: although he did not score multiple goals in any game, he scored once in each of his first five tournament games.
After that, he didn’t score again—fatally, not even in the final. Just under two years ago, the Malaga-born striker changed national teams after playing for Spain in a friendly but never in a competitive match. Since then, he has played for Morocco, his father’s country of origin. Remarkably, Since changing federations, Brahim Diaz had not lost a single one of his 22 international matches. The first defeat now came at the worst possible moment.

As top scorer, Brahim Diaz succeeds Emilio Nsue from Equatorial Guinea, who surprisingly won the title two years ago in Ivory Coast, even though his team had already been eliminated in the round of 16. The Real Madrid player is also the first Moroccan to be the sole top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations. Khaled Al Abyad Labied (1980), Youssef Mokhtari (2004), and Houssine Kharja (2015) had to share the title with other players.

Mané best player – Bono best goalkeeper

Sadio Mané was voted the best player of the tournament, accepting the award with considerably more joy than Brahim Diaz. The national hero had already been named best player at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, where he also triumphed with his team. Mané had “only” scored two goals in the tournament, but one of them was the important 1-0 winner in the semi-final against Egypt.

Morocco’s goalkeeper Bono was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament. The decisive final goal by Senegal’s Pape Gueye was the first and only goal conceded by the experienced keeper from open play in the entire tournament. Bono had already made two outstanding saves in the final, and in the semifinal against Nigeria, he saved two attempts in the penalty shootout. The fair play award for the tournament also went to the Moroccans. Of course, they are unlikely to be particularly pleased about that.

Bono and Mané: Two greats and their great achievements

T0m@dmin1
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Bono and Mané: Two greats and their great achievements

The Africa Cup of Nations final was also a clash between two players who have shaped African soccer in recent years. Sadio Mané’s greatest moment came when the game wasn’t even being played.

It wasn’t a private duel between the two. And yet, right from the kickoff of the Africa Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Morocco, it was clear that both Sadio Mané on one side and Bono on the other were in form worthy of a final on this Sunday evening.

Mané, who had secured Senegal’s place in the final with his 1-0 winning goal in the semi-final against Egypt, was one of the most important factors in the game with and against the ball right from the start. Sure, the entire Senegalese team once again underlined its status in Africa, combining offensive ideas with defensive power, unlike the rest of Morocco’s opponents.

Mané embodied both of these qualities, especially in the first half. Hard-working against the ball, creative and technically outstanding with the ball, the 33-year-old gave his team something that Nigeria, for example, had lacked in the semifinal against Morocco: the will and, above all, the quality to impose their own game on the hosts.

Not throughout the entire game, but selectively, used wisely, when it was possible. Mané shone not only as a player on the pitch, but also as the leader of a team that was reeling at times. Namely, when the game was interrupted for over 20 minutes due to riots after the penalty kick was called.

His teammates wanted to leave the field twice in protest against what they considered to be a wrong call. Mané, who had been talking to French coaching legend Claude le Roy, stopped them, knowing that the Senegalese now had to deal with this situation.

Sure, despite the defeat in the final, Morocco is the best team in Africa in terms of its squad alone. No type of player is missing from this team, as was evident not least in the final. It has pace, finesse, physicality, cleverness, experience, mentality—in short, the building blocks for a tournament victory. And although the Moroccans didn’t win it, that was only due to the arrogant action of Brahim Diaz, who, in a moment of complete ecstasy, chipped a questionable penalty far too casually into the middle of the goal.

Bono shows his full range

Once again, Bono played a decisive role in taking the game into extra time. The keeper had already secured victory in the penalty shootout against Nigeria, but against Senegal he became the decisive man after just six minutes. Corner situation, the ball flies over the players gathered in front of the goal and spins dangerously towards the far post. Pape Gueye is waiting there. A header, Bono makes himself big and makes a great save. The corner was taken, of course, by Sadio Mané.

The second scene shows the range of Bono’s skills: when Iliman Ndiaye was played in by Nicolas Jackson on the right side after 38 minutes, the goalkeeper was at exactly the right angle, spread his arms, and then reacted brilliantly with his foot.

And then there was this: in the 111th minute, Cherif Ndiaye was free in front of the Moroccan goal, received a perfect pass to his right foot, and only had to tap it in—but Bono was so quick to get down that it looked as if he had already anticipated a low shot to the center. Then he dived for the ball again, preventing the 0-2 in the follow-up shot, threw his arms up in the air and celebrated himself and his save. Three chances, three misses – and Bono was to blame for each one.

The now 34-year-old “only” plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Hilal, where he is no longer challenged as much as he once was in Seville. And yet he stood out in the Africa Cup final. One of his opponents in the Saudi Pro League: Sadio Mané. It once seemed likely that the former Munich player would also end his career in the desert. Similar to Bono, that is only part of the truth.

Vinicius Junior: Whistles fueling his departure

Sotd Editor
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Vinicius Junior: Whistles fueling his departure

Things are boiling over at Real Madrid. Vinicius Junior in particular felt the wrath of the crowd at the Bernabeu on Saturday. Right in the middle of it all: Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who tried to smooth things over.

When the fans start waving white handkerchiefs before kickoff, even the last person in Spain knows what’s coming. It’s a gesture that means “Adios, you can all go.” When the team came out of the locker room, there was a “deafening chorus of boos” (Marca) at the Bernabeu.

The fans’ anger was directed primarily at Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian, like Jude Bellingham, had to endure loud boos when his name was read out during the team announcement. The controversial figure in the Royal jersey was considered one of the biggest critics of Xabi Alonso, whom he had snubbed when he was substituted in the Clasico win against Barcelona.
Since then, it has been all downhill for Real. On Saturday, the fans made it clear to the winger that no player is bigger than the club. Criticism from outside or boos from opposing fans seem to roll off the 25-year-old, but clearly not from his own supporters.
A video emerged from the dressing room before kick-off showing Vinicius sitting on a staircase, close to tears. Among others, Kylian Mbappé tries to comfort him.

It’s a complicated situation that Alvaro Arbeloa, an inexperienced coach, has to moderate. The 42-year-old tried to pep up Vinicius after his mediocre performance in the cup defeat in Albacete and also let him play the full 90 minutes in the 2-0 win against Levante. Perhaps he also wanted to spare his protégé a particularly impressive chorus of boos when he was substituted. Arbeloa now hopes that the fans will look beyond the immediate situation. “What Vinicius has achieved since his arrival as a child here has been accomplished by few in the history of Real Madrid,” Arbeloa said of a player who, among other things, has scored in two successful Champions League finals for Real.

What will happen in the summer?

But can the relationship really be repaired? One cannot help but be reminded of Vinicius’ words when he was substituted against Barcelona, which were easily deciphered by the eager lip readers on the Iberian Peninsula. “I’m leaving the team. I’m leaving, I’m better off leaving.”

Vinicius’ contract runs until 2027, and according to reports, Los Blancos do not want to let the 2024 FIFA World Player of the Year leave on a free transfer. A separation in the summer is therefore looming, but Arbeloa is still hoping for a turnaround. “He is fearless, has character and has defended this club with everything he has,” said the coach. The striker will win “many more titles for Real, just as he has already done.”

Even Perez is not spared

But even countless successes cannot protect the club’s patron from the fans’ wrath. The chants of “Florentino dimision” against Florentino Perez were unmistakable, but Arbeloa found the calls for the 78-year-old to resign more than inappropriate. “I know where the boos are coming from. These campaigns are not coming from people who don’t like Florentino, but from people who don’t like Madrid,” said Arbeloa. “They won’t fool me, he is the most important person in this club after Bernabeu – and we Madridistas are aware of what Florentino has done for this club.”

Incidentally, the chants are nothing new for Perez, even though he hasn’t had to hear them for a long time. When Real Madrid lost 4-0 at home to FC Barcelona in November 2015, for example, he heard them too, and the infamous handkerchiefs were also waved at the Bernabeu at that time. Six months later, Real won the Champions League, as they did in the following two seasons.

In the starting lineup against Monaco too?

Perhaps the Champions League can help the Royals reconcile with their fans again this time. Monaco are the visitors next Tuesday. The exciting question is: with or without Vinicius in the starting lineup? The Brazilian had had enough of the Bernabeu after the final whistle and immediately disappeared into the dressing room.
A break would be conceivable, not only because of Saturday’s events. The fact is that Vinicius is hardly scoring anymore. He has yet to score in six Champions League appearances and has been waiting for a goal in La Liga for twelve games. However, Arbeloa’s words suggest a new approach. “I will work to get the best out of Vinicius. I will ask my players to look for him,“ explained the coach. Vinicius is ”one of the most unpredictable players, if not the most unpredictable in the world.”

However, the fact that this does not only apply to his sporting achievements has become an irrefutable problem for Real Madrid.

New Roma dream duo? Malen and Dybala impress against Torino

Sports Of The Day
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New Roma dream duo? Malen and Dybala impress against Torino

Without shining, AS Roma celebrated their third league win in a row against FC Turin and jumped to a Champions League spot in the table. In the rematch for their recent cup exit, new signing Malen and Dybala impressed as a strong strike duo.

Roma and Torino had only met on Tuesday in the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia, with the Giallorossi losing 3-2 at their home stadium, the Stadio Olimpico. For the rematch in Serie A, Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini made seven changes: former Frankfurt player Ndicka and former Gladbach player Koné moved into the starting lineup. In addition, Malen, who had only been loaned from Aston Villa on Friday, made his debut. The capital club had Torino, who are eleventh in the table, well under control – with Ngonge replacing Simeone as the only change from the cup upset – without shining themselves. However, Malen and Dybala immediately showed that they understand each other well on the pitch: First, the Dutchman failed to convert a pass from the Argentine due to a foot save by Paleari (20′), then “La Joya” put a pass from Malen just centimeters wide of the goal (22′).

The duo, who were really noticeable and played cheekily right from the start, finally put Roma in the lead – but it took two attempts: Malen’s first goal from Dybala’s pass was disallowed by VAR for offside (23′); three minutes later, there were no complaints about the World Cup winner’s pass. Former Dortmund player Malen was able to celebrate his first goal in his first Serie A appearance.

After that, little happened, and the game drifted along.

Roma only wake up after an hour

The visitors came back onto the pitch strangely passive after the break. As a result, Torino suddenly created a number of good chances to equalize. However, former Hertha player Lazaro aimed too centrally at Svilar (48′), Casadei didn’t put enough power behind a header (50′), and Ndicka prevented Ngonge from breaking through with a surgically precise tackle (51′).

It wasn’t until the 65th minute that Roma grew stronger again and sought to seal the deal. Dybala took control, his first shot was blocked, but the technically skilled attacker followed up with an outside-of-the-foot finish to make it 2-0 (72′). Malen almost added a third, but his shot from a tight angle only hit the side netting (76′) and he was substituted shortly afterwards after an impressive debut.

Roma welcomes Stuttgart to the Olimpico

The game was largely decided, with only Adams having the chance to make it exciting again, but he missed the equalizer by inches (80′). With their third league win in a row, Roma overtook Torino’s city rivals Juve in the table and jumped back into a Champions League spot.

Before the Giallorossi host second-placed Milan in a top-of-the-table clash at the Olimpico on Sunday (8:45 p.m.), they face VfB Stuttgart in the Europa League on Thursday. Torino are in action on Saturday at Lake Como.

Next show of strength: Bayern wins twelfth game in a row in Chemnitz

Lesley Summerville
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Next show of strength: Bayern wins twelfth game in a row in Chemnitz

⁠The Bayern Munich basketball team continues to float in its own sphere in the Bundesliga and has extended its lead in the table with its twelfth league win in a row.

The German champions didn’t give the Niners Chemnitz a chance, winning 87-59 (42-27) and confirming their impressive form after their gala performance against record champions Panathinaikos Athens in the EuroLeague (85-78) during the week with a composed performance.

Bayern immediately lived up to their role as clear favorites on paper: Within six minutes, Svetislav Pesic’s team pulled away to 16:7. Chemnitz tried hard, but could hardly find a way to counter Munich’s flow of play. The Saxons played too recklessly and were unable to hide the class difference for long periods of the game without the necessary precision at the basket.

Bayern wins with its defense

Meanwhile, as so often under the disciplinarian Pesic, Bayern impressed above all with its defensive strength. Thanks to its overwhelming rebound superiority (25:12), it brought the game to a routine conclusion.

On the Munich side, Isiaha Mike in particular played a big role at his former club. The former Chemnitz player was the top scorer with 16 points. Yordan Minchev was the most accurate Niners pro (12 points).

Munich thus continues to dominate the standings: Thanks to the Würzburg Baskets’ 86:92 defeat in Bamberg, Bayern now sits atop the table with an eight-point lead.

Record: This DTM driver’s debut and retirement are separated by 30 years!

Sports Of The Day
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Record: This DTM driver’s debut and retirement are separated by 30 years!

It’s been 30 years! This DTM driver’s debut and final race are separated by more than three decades – and it’s not DTM legend Bernd Schneider.

There’s no question about it: Bernd Schneider is the face of the DTM. Born in Saarland and also known as “Mr. DTM,” he competed in a total of 236 DTM races during his career, celebrating 43 victories and winning five titles. Schneider remains the sole record holder in all of these categories to this day.

But there is one exciting statistic that puts Schneider “only” in second place in the all-time rankings: exactly 22 years, two months, and nine days lie between his DTM debut in Zolder in 1986 and his last start at the 2008 finale in Hockenheim.

However, there is one driver who has significantly fewer starts but can boast an even longer DTM career: Hubert Haupt only competed in 40 races, but his personal DTM career spanned three decades.

Hubert Haupt even holds two DTM records

The Munich native made his debut at the 1991 season opener in Zolder, before returning to the series in the 2021 season with his own team for two guest starts at the Nürburgring and Hockenheim.

This means that an impressive 30 years, six months, and two days passed between his debut and his farewell—a record! At the same time, Haupt is the first and, to date, only driver in the history of the DTM to have competed in at least one race in all three eras of the traditional series.

Haupt made his debut with Audi in the classic DTM from 1984 to 1996, competed in the second era from 2000 to 2020 with Opel, and completed this milestone in the current GT3 generation (from 2021) with Mercedes-AMG.

The record for the longest DTM career, measured by the longest gap between debut and retirement, is therefore unlikely to be broken by Hubert Haupt. Only one active driver is currently in the top 15 of the rankings.

Brawn: Only rule change prevented Schumacher from winning more titles

Sotd Editor
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Brawn: Only rule change prevented Schumacher from winning more titles

Ross Brawn is certain that Michael Schumacher would have won more world championship titles if Formula 1 had not changed the rules after the 2004 season.

After Michael Schumacher won his seventh world championship title overall and his fifth in a row with Ferrari in 2004, the German’s winning streak came to an end a year later. However, Ross Brawn is certain that this would not have happened without a certain rule change.

“I think the highlight of my time at Ferrari was the 2004 car,” Brawn told Formula1.com. The Brit, who joined the Scuderia as technical director at the end of 1996, says of the F2004: “Everything just came together.”

“What I loved about Ferrari was that every year was better than the previous one—in terms of the team, the cars we built, and the way everything worked. Every year we refined it, and every year we made things a little bit better,” he explains.

“In my opinion, that culminated in the 2004 car, which was the best ever,” says Brawn. In fact, Schumacher won twelve of the first 13 races of the season with the F2004 and ended the year as the clear winner of the world championship title.

“After that, we were disadvantaged by the change in tire rules,” says Brawn, explaining: “I think we had simply become too successful and had to be stopped somehow.” In 2005, ‘Schumi’ won only one race and had nothing to do with the World Championship battle.

This change slowed down “Schumi” and Ferrari

At the start of the new season, tire changes during a race were banned. This was a major disadvantage for Ferrari’s tire partner Bridgestone, which is why the two Michelin teams, Renault and McLaren, fought it out for the 2005 world championship title.

Brawn is certain that Schumacher and Ferrari could not have been “stopped in any other way” at the time. “Because everything just worked so well for us,” he explains. However, the 71-year-old is no longer angry about the rule change at the time. “Since I’ve been on the other side of the fence myself since then, I can understand the frustration of Bernie [Ecclestone], Max [Mosley], and the organizers,” says Brawn, who later became Formula 1 sporting director himself between 2017 and 2022. He therefore understands why Ferrari was slowed down at the time in order to offer fans a better show. He is certain that without the rule change, the Scuderia would have won even more world championship titles.

Plans in Saudi Arabia: When Formula 1 will move from Jeddah to Qiddiya

Phil Laffertey
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Plans in Saudi Arabia: When Formula 1 will move from Jeddah to Qiddiya

A new megacity is being built in Saudi Arabia called Qiddiya – Formula 1 is set to move there from Jeddah in a few years – MotoGP also planned for Qiddiya

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has been part of the Formula 1 calendar since 2021. It is held on a fast street circuit in the port city of Jeddah on the Red Sea. In the medium term, the race is set to move to a new circuit being built west of the capital Riyadh. However, it is not just a race track that is being built there, but an entire city.

Qiddiya City is an ambitious megaproject in Saudi Arabia, designed from the ground up as the world’s first city dedicated to entertainment, sports, and culture. The area covers more than 360 square kilometers and is expected to be home to over 500,000 residents.

In the future, the attractions are expected to draw millions of visitors annually. Highlights include an amusement park with the world’s fastest roller coaster, a race track, a gaming and e-sports district, sports stadiums, complemented by golf courses, water parks, and nature reserves. The Speed Park Track in Qiddiya City, as the race track is called, was designed by track architect Hermann Tilke. Former Formula 1 driver Alexander Wurz contributed his driver’s perspective to the layout. How is construction progressing? “I was in Qiddiya at the end of November during the WRC,” says Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, head of the Saudi Arabian Motor Sports Federation, on the sidelines of the Dakar Rally.

That’s because Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali came to visit at that time. “We stood in the paddock, with the pit facilities and the Paddock Club,” Al-Faisal reports. “The entire paddock building is already in place. It really is a huge project.”

“It’s a whole city. The race track is only part of it. I think the track will be completed in early 2027. It’s hard to imagine the scale of the site. It’s a very big project – not just the track, but the buildings and everything around it.”

“It’s a permanent race track, but at the same time it’s located in the middle of a city. So it’s like a street circuit, but permanent – right in the middle of the city. As I said, it’s a huge city, and there are many other projects being developed around the track.”

Since Saudi Arabia currently has a Formula 1 race in Jeddah, they are taking their time until Qiddiya City is largely completed. “We discussed this with Stefano and Qiddiya and agreed on it,” explains Prince Al-Faisal. “We can’t go there until everything around it – hotels, shopping centers, amusement parks – is finished. We don’t want to hold a race there while everything is still a construction site. That’s why we’re in no hurry.”

In the past, other countries have announced plans to build hotels and amusement parks around new racetracks. This was the case in South Korea, for example, but in the end, nothing was built except the track.

In Saudi Arabia, it is already possible to estimate when Formula 1 will move from Jeddah to Qiddiya. “The track is scheduled to be completed in 2027. Formula 1 will probably move there in 2028 or 2029,” said Prince Al-Faisal.

MotoGP is also set to come to Saudi Arabia

The track’s trademark feature is “The Blade,” a high-speed curve that rises over a length of 108 meters and then descends again. In general, the track is a mixture of a street circuit and a permanent racetrack. MotoGP is also set to race there in the medium term.

In 2022, Prince Al-Faisal traveled to Misano, where he signed a preliminary agreement with Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta. “Yes, the track will be homologated by both the FIA and the FIM,” Al-Faisal confirms the MotoGP plans. “It was planned that way from the beginning.”

“At first, no one believed it. We thought the FIA would never approve the iconic ‘The Blade’ corner. It’s just something different. And it’s important to us that we create something unique, something that stands out.”

“We don’t want a track that’s just like any other. Otherwise, it would just be another circuit on the calendar – and that’s exactly what we don’t want. We want to contribute something unique [to the calendar], a one-of-a-kind experience for drivers and spectators alike.“

”Something special that requires creativity,“ Al-Faisal explains the intentions behind the new facility. ”Of course, safety always comes first. We wouldn’t build anything that wasn’t safe. But a new idea doesn’t automatically mean a risk.”

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has brought several top racing series to the country, including Formula 1, the Dakar Rally, the World Rally Championship, and Formula E. MotoGP is set to follow on the new track in a few years.

Travel blog from Saudi Arabia: The country beyond the Dakar Rally

Jason Maverick
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Travel blog from Saudi Arabia: The country beyond the Dakar Rally

Beyond the Dakar Rally, Saudi Arabia reveals its hidden treasures – between ancient caravan routes, rock tombs, and warm hospitality.

The 2026 Dakar Rally was a real thriller right up to the last minute. In the motorcycle classification, two seconds decided the victory in the end – after almost 50 hours of competitive riding time! It was incredible how close this duel between Luciano Benavides and Ricky Brabec was. Congratulations to Benavides and KTM, who prevailed after a thrilling finale. Brabec rode like a two-time Dakar champion until his decisive mistake. It was a duel at the highest level. In the car category, Nasser Al-Attiyah once again demonstrated his class. With his experience and perfect sense of terrain and pace, he delivered a flawless rally. No real slip-ups, no hectic moments – just world-class routine.

The duel between Dacia and Ford promises to remain exciting in the future. Added to this are Toyota, Century, and X-raid Mini. The Ultimate class is booming. It has developed into one of the most exciting motorsport categories.

The rally made its seventh appearance in Saudi Arabia. I myself was able to visit the country for the third time in the first week. My impressions are confirmed every time: the people are incredibly friendly, open, and curious about visitors.

Away from the rally, our small tour group took the opportunity to get to know the country better. Saudi Arabia is not yet a tourist hotspot—fortunately. This allows you to experience the country unadulterated, with its history, culture, and way of life.

Yanbu: a port city with 2,500 years of history

The start and finish of the rally was Yanbu, a port city on the Red Sea with a population of around 350,000. Its history goes back over 2,500 years: once an important base on the spice route to the Mediterranean, it later became a stopover for Lawrence of Arabia.

Today, Yanbu is the country’s second most important port after Jeddah. The old town with its historic buildings and traditional market still tells the story of this eventful past.

Even outside the city, history is encountered at every turn: we came across the remains of an old caravan market – a place that once pulsated with life and now quietly tells of days gone by.

And yes, camels are indeed part of the street scene here. Signs along the highways warn of crossing animals, and you often see entire herds roaming through the desert. An impressive sight for us Europeans.

From Yanbu, we continued on to Al-‘Ula. If you’re wondering how much a liter of gasoline costs in Saudi Arabia: about 53 cents. As we drove north, the climate changed too – oppressive 30 degrees Celsius on the Red Sea, a pleasant 20 degrees in Al-‘Ula, and even a cool 8 degrees at night.

Al-‘Ula: Rock tombs and UNESCO World Heritage Site

Al-‘Ula tells its story in spectacular fashion. The rock tombs of Hegra, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the famous Elephant Rock are impressive testimonies to past millennia.

Between the old mud-brick buildings of the old town, a promenade with cafes and small shops invites visitors to linger. It is a charming place, framed by monumental rocks and thus an impressive backdrop. On the way to the next stage, we reached Ha’il, an oasis city of around 450,000 inhabitants that has grown rapidly in recent years. High above the city towers the 17th-century A’arif Fort.
It is built of clay and has only recently been opened to visitors. The architecture is simple but fascinating compared to European castles. Highly recommended is the Alsroor Museum, a living open-air museum that authentically showcases the traditional lifestyle of the region. Here you can experience how crafts, cooking, and community have shaped Saudi life for generations.
The cuisine was not neglected either. Dates are everywhere, of course. My highlight was a traditional rice dish with camel meat. The north of Saudi Arabia is well worth a visit. I have captured some impressions in this photo gallery. This time, my detour to the capital Riyadh was limited to the airport.
The modern metropolis with its skyscrapers is a stark contrast to the rest of the country. For me, it’s not just the exciting competitions that remain in my memory, but also the intense encounters with a country in transition. Saudi Arabia surprises with its diversity, its people, and moments that linger. That’s exactly what makes the Dakar so special for me every year.

Gauff breezes into round two

Jason Maverick
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Gauff breezes into round two

Coco Gauff has made a successful start to the Australian Open. The American can look forward to advancing to the second round.

French Open winner Coco Gauff has made a solid start to the Australian Open. The American had some initial problems with her serve in her first-round match against Kamilla Rakhimova from Uzbekistan, but ultimately won quite easily 6-2, 6-3.

Gauff, who triumphed in Paris in 2025 and at the US Open in 2023, is chasing her third Grand Slam title in Melbourne. “I want to win this tournament. I’m only satisfied when I win, but regardless of how I perform, I’m proud of myself,” Gauff said after her opening match.

She will now face Olga Danilovic of Serbia in the second round, who defeated Venus Williams—now the oldest participant in history—in their record-breaking match on Sunday.

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