Cristiano Ronaldo unlikely to travel to India for FC Goa clash
Margao (PTI): Saudi Arabia's top club Al-Nassr are arriving in India Monday night for their AFC Champions League 2 away match against FC Goa but marquee player Cristiano Ronaldo is unlikely to accompany the visiting team for the game scheduled on October 22.
According to Saudi Arabia's sports newspaper Al Riyadhiah, the 40-year-old Ronaldo is not going to be a part of the travelling party despite multiple requests from the FC Goa management.
Al-Nassr are bracing up for their third game in the continental club tournament after their comfortable league won over Al-Fateh, and their next match is scheduled to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
FC Goa had defeated former AFC Cup winners, Al Seeb, to qualify for ACL 2, and were then drawn alongside Ronaldo's Al Nassr in Group D of the tournament.
Al-Nassr and Indian Super League club FC Goa being drawn in the same group of the continental tournament has raised expectations of the Portuguese superstar making a trip to India for a competitive match.
It is understood that his contract with Al-Nassr has a clause giving him the right to pick and choose matches outside Saudi Arabia.
Al-Nassr will be arriving at the Dabolim international airport.
Ronaldo, who is looking to play in next year's World Cup, is also focussed on managing his workload and give himself a chance to compete in the showpiece.
Moreover, Al-Nassr have won both their group-stage fixtures of Asian AFC Champions League 2 in the absence of Ronaldo, and are poised to advance to the next round.
After their match against FC Goa, Al-Nassr will be taking on rivals Al Ittihad in a round of 16 clash of the Kings Cup on October 28.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
