Campaign launched against dengue fever

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – The Jeddah Health Affairs Management has begun an intensive campaign to fight dengue fever and spread health awareness among people.

Some one million dengue fever awareness brochures have been printed for distribution in the city. The brochures contain information about the disease, its symptoms and methods of prevention.

According to Munira Balahmar, head of the health awareness committee, some 150 community health instructors have received three intensive courses on dengue fever.
“These instructors will soon pay visits to residents in their homes to educate them about the disease and the ways it can spread. They will also give information about where the disease-carrying mosquitoes may hide and breed,” Balahmar said.

She added that nearly all the pharmacists at Al-Nahdi pharmacies throughout the city have been trained to help her committee achieve its goals.
“We have also agreed with the pharmacies to place some 50 awareness posters on the front of their drugstores. The cooperation also includes the placement of other brochures about the role of the health instructors on the cash counters of Al-Nahdi pharmacies in both Jeddah and Makkah,” she said.

Hilal to meet Shabab in final

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – It will be Al-Hilal versus Al-Shabab in the final of the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Cup. In the second semifinal, which went into extra-time at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Sulaiman Al-Mua’asher clinched the winner for host in a 4-3 decision.

Ahmed Al-Furaidy put Al-Hilal in the lead in the second minute before Badr Al-Kharashi leveled the score three minutes before the break. However, Abdurraheem Al-Jizawi of Al-Ahli handed his team the lead nine minutes after the break. Eissa Al-Muhayani succeeded to level the score from the spot in the 73rd minute.

The match was taken to extra time after four minutes of injury time. Al-Jizawi put the guest team in the lead in the 104th minute, but Nawaf Al-Abed leveled from the spot nine minutes later.

Substitute Al-Mua’asher was brought in in the 110th minute. Three minutes later, he sealed Al-Hilal win after he beat Al-Ahli goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Ma’ayouf.

It was the first match for Ahli’s new coach, Brazilian Farias.

Al-Ahli striker Malik Mo’adh was shown the red card for protesting referee, Marea Awaji’s decision in the last minue of the match.

However, Waleed Abdurabou of Al-Ahli was also given the red card for the same reason but after the final whistle.

Shabab had earlier qualified after beating Al-Fateh 3-2 last Sunday in a match that was also taken to extra time.

Medical e-archives underway

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – The General Medical Committee here is busy working on electronically archiving more than 54,000 paper files, to construct a fully automated record system.

According to Dr. Sami Badawood, Director General of Jeddah Health Affairs Management, the move comes in response to the call by the Minister of Health to speed up the work of the committee.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that Health Affairs Management has entered into discussions with the city’s large government medical centers to expedite the admission of critical cases.
“We have urged the large local government medical centers to offer every possible help to patients suffering from serious medical conditions. These centers are King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, King Abdul Aziz University Hospital, the National Guard Hospital and the Armed Forces Hospital,” he said.

He added that the Minister of Health is keen on monitoring the performance of the committee and has always demanded that it provide the best service it can while respecting patients’ feelings and those of their relatives.

He summarized the role that the Committee plays within the framework of the services provided by Health Affairs Management.
“The committee is involved in providing special service to those suffering from chronic diseases and suffering from critical medical conditions,” Badawood said.
“Employees in this center look into the critical cases of patients who need to be transferred to advanced medical centers in the Kingdoms or abroad,” he explained.
“They search for suitable medical institutes that can provide the necessary treatment. If patients cannot be admitted to any of the Kingdom’s government or private hospitals, the committee coordinates with the General Directorate for Medical Committees which consult the health attaches in our embassies to look for specialized centers abroad,” he added.

Badawood, who spoke during his visit to the new headquarters of the General Medical Committee, assured the public that the expenses for the treatment of patients with critical medical conditions are paid for by the Ministry of Health.

He pointed out that the General Medical Committee has recently moved to a new location in the Al-Nuzhah District because of its increased workload.

The old location in the Mushrifah area suffered from a lack of parking places for those visiting the committee’s headquarters.
“It was necessary that we find a less crowded place for the convenience of visitors,” he said.

Ittihad pips Wehdah, remains 3rd

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDAH – Al-Ittihad beat its host Al-Wehdah 3-1 in a round 17 match of the Zain Saudi Professional League at the King Abdul Aziz Sports City Stadium Thursday.

On a night when the visiting teams were on the roll, Al-Nasr also beat its host Najran 3-2 at Al-Okhdoud Club Stadium, while Al-Ittifaq beat its host Al-Hazm 2-0 at Al-Hazm Club Stadium.

Sultan Al-Numari put Ittihad in the lead, while defender Ridha Takar doubled the lead before Moroccan midfielder Hisham Aboucherouane put the result beyond doubt with the third goal. The host team’s lone goal came through Moroccan Yousof Kaddioui from the spot.

Although playing without three stars - Omani Ahmed Hadeed and Osama Al-Muallad (both suspended) and Mohammed Noor (death in family) - Ittihad coach put forward a balanced side which managed to change its fortunes.

On the other hand, although Al-Wehdah started well, its deadly mistakes in the defense helped Ittihad win the match.

Striker Al-Numari scored the first for Ittihad in the 56th minute when he made the most of Wehdah defender Sulaiman Ameedo’s blunder.

An unmarked Ittihad defender Ridha Takar succeeded in doubling the score when he headed Aboucherouane’s corner kick into the goal six minutes later.

In the 76th minute, Wehdah players Al-Marqeb and defender Majed Bilal bungled again when they left the ball for the other, but this time it was Aboucherouane who gave it a push to Talal Al-Misha’al who kicked it back to him to put it into the goal.

Two minutes later, Ittihad’s Saud Kariri brought down Faisal Al-Dosary of Wehdah in the area and referee Abdurrahman pointed to the spot. Kaddioui put the ball in the left side of the net.
With one match in hand, Ittihad remains third on the standings with 32 points. Al-Wehdah is fifth on 23 points but has two matches in hand.

Nasr is fourth with 27 points and two matches in hand. Najran sits at the bottom of the table with only seven points.

Ittifaq is seventh with 19 points and one match in hand, while Al-Hazm is ninth with 16 points and two matches in hand.

Al-Hilal blanks Al-Fateh to increase lead at the top of Zain League

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Hilal continued increasing its lead at the top of the Saudi Zain Professional League after defeating its host Al-Fateh 4-0 in a round-17 match at Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium Wednesday.

In other matches, Al-Ra’id shared two goals with its guest and league runner-up Al-Shabab at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah While Al-Ahli defeated its guest Al-Qadisiyah 3-2 at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.

Brazilian midfielder Thiago Neves scored twice for Hilal, Swedish midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson increased the score and Romanian midfielder Meriel Radoi completed the tally.
Neves headed in a cross from Wilhelmsson in the 32nd minute. His header hit the bar before entering the goal. Hilal dominated the first half.

Hilal coach Erick Gerets replaced ineffective midfielder Mohammed Al-Shalhoub with striker Eissa Al-Muhayani.

Soon after, in the 60th minute, Wilhelmsson and Neves repeated the same scenario, but with a bit stronger header by Neves.
Fateh players now started attacking through Emanuel, Rabea Al-Sofiyani and Ahmed Bou-Obaid.
Six minutes later, Yasser Al-Qahtani passed the ball into the box to an advancing Wilhelmsson. The latter tried to get past keeper Shareefi, but the goalkeeper brought him down. The Swedish midfielder scored from the spot after Shareefi was shown the yellow card.

Hilal coach Erick Gerets replaced Wilhelmsson with midfielder Nawaf Al-Abed.

In the 81st minute, Radoi surprised the followers with a strong kick from about 25 yards. The ball landed in the right corner of Shareefi.

Hilal is on top of the standings with 44 points while Al-Fateh is seventh with 18 points.

Al-Ra’id scored first against Al-Shabab through Brazilian striker Luis Bruno who applied finishing touches to Majed Al-Muallad’s cross in the 13th minute. Naji Majrashi of Shabab scored from the spot in the 66th minute after Ra’id defender Hamad Al-Sagour brought down Shabab striker Faisal Al-Sultan.

Al-Shabab is still second with 36 points while Al-Ra’id remains 11th with eight points.
In Jeddah, Al-Ahli defeated Al-Qadisiyah 3-2. The match witnessed three red cards. Two were against Al-Qadisiyah players – Peruvian midfielder Juan Cominges (63rd minute) and defender Zakariya Al-Haddaf (second yellow card in the 90th minute). Al-Ahli’s new Tunisian defender Saifuddine Ghazal was sent off in his first match in the 60th minute after the second yellow.

Cominges put Qadisiyah in the lead when he scored from the spot in the seventh minute. Malik Mo’adh leveled the score in the 36th minute before Abdurraheem Al-Jaizawi increased the score for Ahli a minute before the break. However, Cominges succeeded to score again from the spot in the 63rd minute before skipper Mohammed Musa’ad sealed the win for Al-Ahli in the 83rd minute.

Al-Ahli is sixth with 23 points with a nine-goal difference behind Al-Wehdah. The team still has one match in hand. Al-Qadisiyah is tenth with 11 points.
Ittihad sacks Calderon
The Disciplinary Committee of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) Wednesday suspended Al-Ittihad defender Osama Al-Muallad to an unspecified date.

The decision came for the player’s aggressive tackle against Al-Nasr striker Mohammed Al-Sahlawi, in the last minute of the encounter that ended 2-1 for Nasr.

The suspension would be effective from the day of the match. However, it added that the suitable punishment will be discussed in the committee’s next meeting Saturday.

Following the defeat, Ittihad administration announced Tuesday that its members had unanimously decided to end the services of the team’s coach Gabriel Calderon. It also said that it would pay Calderon $400,000 for the cancellation of his contract. Saudi coach Hasan Khalifa to manage the team.

The decisions followed the poor performance which the team has been showing since it lost the Asian Champions League.

The 49-year-old Argentinian has earlier coached the Saudi national team.
In June 2008 he was hired by Al-Ittihad and eventually won the title of the Saudi League. However,

Calderon reached the final match of the AFC championship, but lost 2-1 to Pohang Steelers.

Qarni and Sahlawi help Al-Nasr edge Al-Ittihad 2-1

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Nasr beat Al-Ittihad 2-1 in a match put off from the 8th round of the Zain Saudi Professional League championship here Sunday.

Abdullah Al-Qarni put Nasr in the lead, but Ahmed Hadeed leveled the score for Ittihad. Mohammed Al-Sahlawi, however, handed Nasr the edge with his goal.

Nasr is now fourth in the standings with 24 points, five behind third placed Ittihad. Al-Hilal is on top with 41 points, while Al-Shabab occupied the second spot on 35.

Defender Al-Qarni put Nasr one up through a header in the 30th minute on a perfect cross from skipper Husain Abdul-Ghani in the area.

The two teams went for break with Nasr leading 1-0 despite numerous efforts made by its opponent. Ittihad came from the break with Sultan Al-Numari replacing striker Abdul Aziz Al-Sabiyani. The Tigers showed a renewed vigor and threatened Al-Nasr goalkeeper, Khaled Radhi, more.

Ittihad’s Omani defender Ahmed Hadeed making the most of the opportunity angled Hicham Aboucherouane’s corner kick into the goal to put his team level at 1-1.

Mohammed Al-Sahlawi put Nasr back in front for good when he dodged past Ittihad keeper to put the ball in his net.

Ittihad’s Osama Al-Muallad made a couple of nice moves but was denied by Radhi’s alertness.

The dying minutes of the game saw two Ittihad players sinbinned. Hadeed was first to be sidelined after bringing down Figueroa in the 89th minute. Osama Al-Muallad was also sent off a minute later for aggressive tackle against Nasr’s SR33-million man Al-Sahlawi.

Shabab in final

Al-Shabab reached the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Cup final following a hard fought 3-2 win over Al-Fateh at the Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium Sunday.

An interesting goal four minutes into extra-time put Shabab in the final when Abdullah Al-Ostta hit the ball into Fateh’s goal after it bounced off the post on his spot kick.

Although Fateh ended the first half up 2-0, Shabab managed to level the score and send the game into extra-time.

Faisal Al-Jam’an had earlier put Fateh in the lead with his 30th minute strike. Rabe’a Al-Sofiyani helped double the lead ten minutes later. Shabab, however, bounced back to level the score through Ali Otaif and in the 50th minute and Abdul Aziz Al-Yousuf in the 64th.

Shabab will play the winner of Saturday’s encounter between Hilal and Ahli.