SEOUL: Brazil will take on South Korea and Japan in October friendlies as part of their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Under head coach Carlo Ancelotti, the five-time world champions are considered among the leading contenders for next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Korea Football Association confirmed that Brazil will face Son Heung-min’s South Korea on October 10 at the 66,000-capacity Seoul World Cup Stadium. The sides last met there in June 2022, when Brazil ran out 5-1 winners, with Neymar scoring twice from the spot.

Four days later, on October 14, the Seleção will meet Japan at Tokyo Stadium, which seats nearly 50,000. Their previous clash in Tokyo, also in June 2022, ended 1-0 in Brazil’s favour thanks to another Neymar penalty.

Neymar, however, has been sidelined by persistent injuries and has not featured for Brazil in nearly two years. The 33-year-old forward was not included in Ancelotti’s most recent squad.

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Farzana Mansoor

SHARJAH (UAE): The exciting sports a of Football especially in United Arab Emirates giving full support and cooperation therefore, Margalla Football Academy, Islamabad has decided to tour UAE to play exhibition matches and a tournament with its Under-14 team at the world-class facilities in UAE with the local teams.
Opening tournament was played at SA Sports Club, Sharjah at which three teams participated for the Round & Robin League matches. The playing teams were: Margalla Football Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan; Pakistan Islamic High Secondary School, Sharjah; and SA Sports Club, Sharjah.
On the occasion, the Chief Guest was Hussain Muhammad, Consul General of Pakistan in Dubai along with other dignitaries; Ch. Khalid Hussain, President, Pakistan Social Center, Sharjah, Shakir Ali & Irfan Ansari from Al Sahil Sports Academy, UAE, Munir Hans, President, PPP, Gulf Region attended the ceremonial.
Results of the Tournament Matches:
1st Match: SA Sports Club, Sharjah vs Pakistan Islamia High Secondary School, Sharjah. Team PIHSS won by 3-1 Goals.
2nd Match: Margalla Football Academy Islamabad vs Pakistan Islamic Secondary High School. Team PIHSS won by 4-2 Goals.
3rd Match: Margalla Football Academy Islamabad vs SA Sports Club, Sharjah. Team MFA won by 3-2 Goals. Tourament Winner: Team Pakistan Islamic High Secondary School (PIHSS).
The event was supported by Farzana Mansoor & Zubaida Khan from Women of Wisdom (WoW), Electronic Media Reporters Association (EMRA) UAE & Dr. Noor Al Sabah, CEO, Chai Shai Restaurant.
At the prize distribution ceremony, the Chief Guest addressed the teams, praised their sporting skills, and distributed Trophies and Medals to all teams.
Winner team trophy received by the Team PHISS Captain from Hussain Muhammad, Consul General of Pakistan to Dubai.
Runners-Up trophy received by the Team MFA Captain from Ch. Khalid Hussain, President, Pakistan Social Center, Sharjah.
2nd Runners-Up trophy received by the Team SASC Captain from Shakir Ali, CEO, Al Shahid Sports Academy UAE.
The Organizing Committee honored appreciation awards to the following: Hussain Muhammad, Consul General of Pakistan, Dubai; Kahif A Khan, MD, SA Sports Club, Sharjah; Irfan Ansari, Sports Promoter, UAE; Arshad M Rana, General Secretary, EMRA UAE.
The Special shield was awarded to Mateh ur Rahman, CEO, Margalla Football Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Margalla Football Academy, Islamabad Pakistan appreciated the effort of the Organizing Committee there tour of Dubai, specially, Mr. Kamran Ahmed Siddiqui, Director Event Planning EMRA UAE for organizing this sports event, Farzana Mansoor, Organizing Secretary, Ch. Khalid Hussain, President, Pakistan Social Center, Sharjah and Sajjad A Khan, for media support.
Hussain Mahmood, Consul General of Pakistan, Dubai appreciated and acknowledged the efforts of the Organizing Committee and has congratulated Mr. Raza Abidi, Chief Organizer, on arranging the successful event.
Tariq Nadeem, President, Electronic Media Reporters Association (EMRA) UAE thanked Consul General of Pakistan Dubai and all the Dignitaries for their appreciation and support of this event.

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KARACHI: Pakistan Army defeated Madhu Muhammadan by three goals to one to win the second Naya Nazimabad Flood Lights Ramadan Cup Football Tournament. In the final played at Naya Nazimabad Football Ground, thousands of spectators got to watch a great game.
Traditional enthusiasm was also seen in the match. The first goal of the match was scored in the beginning by Madhu Mohammadan’s Shah Jahan in the fifth minute score and lead own team.
Army striker Qadeer Khan equalized the match in the 46th minute by delivering the ball into the net. Army captain Ansar Abbas scored in the 76th minute. Four minutes later, Soldier Matin Khan doubled the Army’s lead with a goal. Madhu Mohammadan’s players made several attempts to reduce the deficit but failed.
One lakh rupees and trophy were given to the winning team Pakistan Army. While Madhu Mohammadan got Rs. 75,000 and runners up trophy. Madhu Mohammadan’s Shah Jahan was declared Player of the Tournament. Fair Play Trophy went to Abdul FC, Abdul FC’s Mohammad Asif became the top scorer with four goals.
Fahim Khan of Pakistan Army won the Best Goalkeeper award. The best referee award went to Nazir Khan and the best assistant referee award went to Tahir Qari.
The Chief guest of the final match and closing ceremony was Brigadier Altaf Ahmed, Sector Commander, Sachal Rangers. Samad Habib, Chief Executive Officer, Naya Nazimabad, Syed Muhammad Talha, President, Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana, Sarfraz Ahmed Khan, Country Head, Salmans Foods Pakistan, and Imtiaz Sheikh, Vice President, Sindh Olympic Association also distributed prizes among the athletes.
Brigadier Altaf Ahmed said that the players of Army and Madhu Muhammadan played brilliantly which was appreciated by thousands of fans.
He said that law enforcement agencies were focusing on promoting sports along with maintaining peace in Karachi and trying to promote healthy activities. He said that holding regular sports competitions in Naya Nazimabad is a good initiative of the administration.
He said that along with Naya Nazimabad, Pakistan Rangers would also hold sports competitions after Eid. Brigadier Altaf Ahmed said that last month Pakistan Rangers organized Karachi Open International Squash Tournament. Such competitions will continue in the future.

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KARACHI: Pakistan Army defeated Burma Afridi by one goal after an interesting match and qualified for the final of Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Football Tournament. The final will be played against Madhu Muhammadan, Monday.
In the second semi-final played at Naya Nazimabad Football Ground, the spectators got to see another great match in which Pakistan Primier League leading Team and Korangi’s Burma Afridi lost to Pakistan Army.
There was fierce competition. The game started fast. The players of the teams played brilliantly but no team could score in the first half. Ali Raza of Pakistan Army scored the only goal of the match in the 51st minute and gave his team the lead which lasted till the end of the game.
Burma Afridi’s players made several attempts to equalize but failed. Tournament Director Nasr Ismail named striker Ali Raza of the winning team Pakistan Army as the Man-of-the-Match.
Guest of Honor Imtiaz Sheikh, Vice President, Sindh Olympic Association presented the Best Athlete Award to Ali Raza. Salman Foods Country Head Sarfraz Ahmed Khan, Manager Sports Muhammad Asif and others were also present on the occasion.
Burma Afridi’s team lost the match but Meraj Khan, a Burmese Afridi player from Chaman, remained the center of attention of the fans for his unique style and game. At the end of the match, the fans carried Miraj on their shoulders and took a selfie with him.
The final of the tournament will be played late in the night between Madhu Muhammadan of Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Pakistan Army team.

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KARACHI: Madhu Muhammadan Football Club Gulshan-e-Iqbal defeated Shahid Memorial Football Club Baldia Town by four goals to three in an exciting and thrilling battle to qualify for the final of the second Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Floodlights Football Tournament.
Madhu Mohammadan’s goalkeeper Sameer Baloch played an important role in giving victory to the team by stopping penalty kicks. The first semi-final match at Naya Nazimabad Football Ground was very interesting. Madhu Mohammadan’s striker Mohammad Adeel scored the first goal of the game in the 42nd minute to give his team the lead.
Shahid Memorial Football Club forward Bilal Khan equalized that goal in the 85th minute. The match ended in a draw. Later, the match was decided on penalty kicks
in which Madhu Mohammadan won by three goals to two. Madhu Mohammadan’s goalkeeper Sameer Baloch played an important role in stopping three penalty kicks in taking the team to the final.
Sameer Baloch was declared Man-of-the-Match for his outstanding performance. Former Chairman DMC District Central Rehan Hashmi was the chief guest of the match while Chairman Sindh Culture Save Organization Saleem Ahmed Chandio was the guest of honor.
Rehan Hashmi, in his address on the occasion, said that sports activities in Naya Nazimabad are welcome. He is happy that football and cricket competitions are taking place simultaneously in which a large number of spectators are present and enjoy these exciting matches.
He said that attracting the youth towards positive activities is a noble initiative of Chairman Naya Nazimabad Arif Habib which should not be underestimated.
Rehan Hashmi further said that he would try to hold taekwondo and fencing competitions in Naya Nazimabad in near future.
The final of the Ramazan Cup Football Tournament will be played on April 19.

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KARACHI: Shahid Memorial Football Club Baldia Town has qualified for the semi-finals from Group A in the second Naya Nazimabad Ramadan Cup Floodlights Football Tournament.
The last match of the league was played between Karachi United and Shahid Memorial at Naya Nazimabad Football Ground.
Players from both teams made several attempts to score against each other. But they failed. The match ended in a draw in the second half after the first half. In the group matches, both the teams had won one by one.
After the points were tied, the team of Shahid Memorial Club qualified for the semi-finals on the basis of better goal average. Both the goalkeeper jointly was declared the best players of the match for their excellent performance.
After the match, the match commissioner showed Maqbool Baloch, the coach of Shahid Memorial, a red card and sent him out of the semi-final match. Guest of honor former captain of Pakistan football team Jaffer Khan said that holding of Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup tournament is welcome.
He said such competitions are a breath of fresh air. He said that the organizers deserve congratulations for hosting the event with the best arrangements.
Jaffar Khan said that young players are being harmed due to FIFA ban on Pakistan football team. The current and former officials of the football federation in the country should forget their differences and think of the future of young players so that Pakistan can participate in international competitions.
Jaffar Khan further said that he hoped the new government would consider resuming departmental teams for the employment of players. In the event, Pakistan Army team from Group C has qualified for the semi-finals. Babul Sports will play National Shaheen on Thursday at 11 pm.

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KARACHI: The Second Naya Nazimabad Ramadan Flood Lights Football Tournament organized by Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana will be inaugurated here at Naya Nazimabad Football Ground today (Sunday).
Twelve teams are participating in the 17-day competition. The draw was held in the presence of Syed Mohammad Talha, President of Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana, Syed Nasir Ismail, Tournament Director, Mohammad Asif, Manager Sports and Team Managers. Twelve teams are participating in the event. Which are divided into four groups. After the singles league from each group, the top team will qualify for the semi-finals.
The semi-finals of the tournament will be played on April 16 and 17. The final will be played on April 19.
According to the draw, Karachi United in Group A, Shahid Memorial District West, Khan Brothers Thatta, Lyari, Fighters in Group B, Madhu Mohammadan, Gharib Shah Honeen, Pakistan Army in Group C, Abdul FC, Banaras United, while Burma Afridi in Group D, National Shahishan and Babul Sports Lyari teams will face each other. Pakistan Army and Banaras United will play in the opening match at 10.30 pm.
Samad Habib, chief executive officer of Naya Nazimabad, says he will continue to play his part in promoting sports. Football is a popular sport in the world. His interest is also immense in Pakistan. He is trying to provide better sports opportunities to the players so that Pakistan can get a prominent place in the game of football.

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KARACHI: In the final of the first Karachi Open Women’s Football Championship, Karachi City Football Club defeated Young Muslim Orangi on penalty kicks after an interesting contest. The match played at UBL Sports Complex was sponsored by Pakistan Rangers Sindh and Naya Nazimabad.
During the allotted time no team was able to score though Karachi City’s team dominated the game and missed several chances to score. The match was decided on penalty kicks in which Karachi City Football Club clinched the title by defeating Young Muslim Club by four goals to two.
The Chief Guest Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon said that the holding of Women’s Football Championship to promote sports among women fraternity. He lauded the efforts of the organizers for holding the event in a grand manner.
He said that our female players have immense talent but they need to be given an opportunity to show their talent.
On the occasion, President of United Bank Limited Shehzada Dada and Brigadier Altaf Ahmed of Pakistan Rangers Sindh also assured the organizers of their full support and congratulated the two finalist teams for their excellent performance.
Earlier, tournament director Sama Asif briefed the audience about the details of the event. Sama Asif said that 15 teams including schools, colleges, universities and academies participated in the event. At the end of ceremony, the special guest distributed prizes among the athletes.
The first and second place teams were also given a trophy worth Rs.100,000 and Rs.50,000 respectively.
Young Muslim Orangi player Areeba Javed was awarded the best player award for being the top scorer in the tournament.
On this occasion, a women’s bike rally was also organized under the leadership of Marina Syed. In which more than 60 women motorcyclists took part.

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KARACHI: Sui Southern Gas Company won the Naya Nazimabad Football Tournament by defeating Civil Aviation Authority by one goal after an interesting and thrilling contest. The competition between Sui Southern Gas and the Civil Aviation Authority was aggressive from the beginning in the light of electric bulbs on the green football ground of Naya Nazimabad.
Both teams made several attempts to score against each other but failed. The first half ended goalless. In the 82nd minute of the game, Abdul Waheed scored a goal to give his team the lead that lasted for the allotted time.
Chief guest of the closing ceremony were Pakistan Hockey Team Former Captain Flying Horse Samiullah Khan, Honorary Guest Managing Director Sui Southern Gas Company Imran Maniar, Patron of the Tournament Chief Executive Officer Naya Nazimabad Samad Habib, President Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana Syed Muhammad Talha. Tournament director Nasir Ismail and others distributed prizes among the players.
The winning team was given Rs. 100,000 and the runners-up Rs. 75,000. Muhammad Zain was declared the man of the match of the final. Abdul Waheed was declared the top scorer of the tournament with 11 goals. Khyber Muslim team wins fair play trophy. Muhammad Yusuf won the award for the best referee of the event.
Ex-Captain Samiullah Khan said that he was very happy to see the sports facilities in Naya Nazimabad. He said that youth need sports infrastructure and hard work to showcase their talents at national and international level. Pakistani youth have immense talent but they should be patronized.
Imran Maniar, Managing Director, Sui Southern Gas Company, congratulates SSGC team, led by Saddam Hussein, on winning the title. He added that his organization would continue to patronize the players. So that these young people can make the country famous on the world stage as well.
Patron of the tournament and CEO of Naya Nazimabad Samad Habib said that they are trying to make Naya Nazimabad a sports city for which infrastructure of various sports is being set up.
A large number of spectators including Sindh Olympic Association Vice President Engineer Syed Mahfooz-ul-Haq, Imtiaz Sheikh, International Hockey Player Mubashir Mukhtar, Manager Sports Muhammad Asif were also present on the occasion.

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