A palpable sense of anticipation pervades Al-Ittihad Club and its vast fan base in Jeddah, coinciding with the arrival of Moroccan international striker Youssef En-Nesyri , the club's newest signing during the winter transfer window, arriving from Turkish club Fenerbahçe. The player landed in Jeddah on Wednesday evening, ready to begin his new professional journey in the Saudi Professional League.

First training session and the status of participation against Al-Nasr

En-Nesyri is scheduled to have his first training session in Al-Ittihad's jersey upon arrival, with all eyes on this crucial session which will determine his physical and technical readiness. According to sources, the player will travel with the team, which will depart immediately after training, in preparation for the highly anticipated match against Al-Nassr. En-Nesyri's performance in training will be the deciding factor in the coaching staff's decision regarding his inclusion in the "Clásico," whether as a starter or as a substitute.

A distinguished career and impressive statistics before joining Al-Ittihad

The signing of 28-year-old Youssef En-Nesyri is a significant addition to Al-Ittihad's attack, given the Atlas Lion's extensive international experience. The player, who etched his name in the annals of Arab and African football history with his historic header against Portugal in the 2012 World Cup in Qatar, which propelled Morocco to the semi-finals, carries the hopes of Al-Ittihad fans for improving the team's scoring rate.

Regarding his recent statistics with Fenerbahce this season, En-Nesyri participated in 27 matches, during which he scored 8 goals and made one assist, with a total of 1929 minutes of playing time, reflecting his high competitive readiness.

The importance of El Clásico and the two teams' positions in the league

The match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr, scheduled for 8:30 PM on Friday, February 6th, is of paramount importance, far exceeding its significance as a mere three-point game. The encounter comes at a crucial time for the Tigers, who are striving to get back on track.

Al-Ittihad enters the match in sixth place in the Roshan League standings with 34 points, a position that falls short of the Jeddah club's ambitions. A win is therefore crucial for them to return to contention for the top spots. Meanwhile, Al-Nassr is enjoying a period of excellent form, currently sitting in second place with 46 points and chasing the top spot. They are only one point behind league leaders Al-Hilal, making this a fierce battle between Al-Ittihad's desire to bounce back and Al-Nassr's ambition to seize the lead.

In a move that garnered widespread attention from sports fans, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al-Nassr FC, commented for the first time on his official social media accounts, just hours before his team's highly anticipated match against Al-Ittihad. This encounter is part of the eleventh round of the Saudi Professional League and is scheduled to take place at Al-Ahli Stadium in Riyadh.

Cristiano Ronaldo, nicknamed "The Madeira Rocket," posted a personal photo on his official X account (formerly Twitter), simply captioning it with two yellow hearts, a clear indication of his love and loyalty to Al-Nassr, the club nicknamed "The Global." This marks the Portuguese star's first appearance and comment following a wave of controversy and reports about his recent anger, sending a reassuring message to Al-Nassr fans ahead of the highly anticipated match.

Cristiano Ronaldo missed his team's last league match against Al-Riyadh, with reports suggesting his absence was a protest against the signings made by their arch-rivals, Al-Hilal. Despite the absence of their captain, Al-Nassr managed to overcome Al-Riyadh with a 1-0 victory, thanks to a goal from Senegalese star Sadio Mane. This win allowed the team to continue their positive run of results and maintain their chances of competing for the league title this season.

The Al-Nassr vs. Al-Ittihad match holds immense importance, transcending its status as a mere three-pointer; it represents the "classic" of Saudi football, attracting a massive following both locally and across the Arab world. This encounter comes at a time when Saudi football is experiencing an unprecedented surge in international appeal, drawing global attention to Al-Nassr's home ground, Al-Ittihad Park, as the two giants of the league clash.

Historically, matches between Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad are characterized by fierce competition, excitement, and a high number of goals. This particular match is considered a pivotal point for both teams in their quest for the title. Ronaldo's return to the spotlight and commentary just before this match reflects his complete understanding of its importance and its psychological impact on his teammates. Al-Nassr fans are placing great faith in their Portuguese captain's experience to decide such crucial encounters.

On the international level, the presence of names of the magnitude of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Roshan League has contributed to raising the market value of the league and attracting the attention of global media, which makes every move or statement from "the Don" the focus of the sports press around the world, which explains the great interaction with his last tweet that preceded the whistle of the start of El Clasico.

The Saudi delegation participating in the 5th West Asian Paralympic Games, currently being held at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat, Oman, continued to deliver exceptional performances, reflecting the significant progress of Paralympic sports in the Kingdom. Saudi athletes successfully increased their total medal count to 45, comprising 20 gold, 17 silver, and 8 bronze medals, following a day of outstanding achievements on Wednesday.

Saudi dominance in athletics and badminton

Wednesday's competitions witnessed a remarkable performance from Saudi teams, with badminton and athletics adding 24 new medals to the national tally (11 gold, 8 silver, and 5 bronze). These achievements reflect the growing attention Saudi Arabia is giving to the sports sector as part of its Vision 2030 goals, which aim to empower athletes with disabilities and develop their talents to compete at regional and international levels.

Details of the medals for the mother of all sports

Athletics accounted for the lion's share of today's medals, with athletes winning 18 medals (8 gold, 7 silver, and 3 bronze). The results were as follows:

• In the running events, Ali Al-Nakhli won gold in the 200m T37 with a time of 24.43 seconds, while his teammate Thamer Al-Zahrani took bronze. Nour Al-Sana'a claimed gold in the 200m T44, leaving silver for his teammate Jawad Al-Alawi. Al-Baraa Al-Qarni also shone, winning gold in both the 1500m and 800m T54 races, and Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi secured gold in the 200m T53.
• Other medals in running: Mohammed Al-Yami won silver in the 200m T11, Jamaan Al-Zahrani won silver in the 200m T54, Fahd Al-Turki won silver in the 200m T53, while runner Rabab Al-Sihaiti won silver in the 200m T11 race.
• the throwing events, Haider Salami won gold in the F57 javelin throw, and Hani Al-Nakhli won gold in the F33 javelin throw. In the women's competitions, Hadeel Al-Thuwaie won gold in the F34 discus throw and bronze in the F34 javelin throw. Ziyad Al-Khurayb also won bronze in the F11 discus throw.

Badminton and Goalball Achievements

The badminton team concluded its participation with an impressive haul of 7 medals. Younis Al-Subhi stood out, winning gold in both the singles and mixed doubles SH6 events, while Mohammed Al-Ali secured gold in the singles SL4 event and silver in the doubles standing event with Majed Al-Sahafi. Mehdi Al-Makina also earned a silver and a bronze medal, and Essam Ba’iti took home two bronze medals.

In team sports, the goalball team qualified for the quarter-finals, topping its group after sweeping the UAE team with a score of 10-0, and defeating the Omani team 10-3, setting up a meeting with its Yemeni counterpart.

Upcoming competition schedule

The excitement continues tomorrow, Thursday, as the athletics team concludes its participation with five events. The wheelchair basketball team will face the UAE, and swimmer Zaki Al-Harbi will begin his participation in the 50m freestyle. Additionally, table tennis and boccia competitions will commence, with Abdulaziz Al-Zahrani participating. This tournament serves as an important preparatory stage for Saudi athletes ahead of upcoming international competitions, further solidifying the Kingdom's position on the global Paralympic sports map.