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NAIROBI: Senegal beat Nigeria 1-0 in their opening group match at Zanzibar’s Amaan stadium on Tuesday to make a successful start to their African Nations Championships (CHAN) title defense.

The sides were evenly matched for the majority of the encounter before Senegal, who were meeting their West African rivals for the first time in the championships, managed to break the deadlock in the 75th minute.

Midfielder Serigne Koite pounced on a loose ball at the edge of the box, drew out the Nigerian goalkeeper and set up Christian Gomis to tap home the winner for Senegal.

Senegal’s next opponents Congo came from behind to hold favorites Sudan to a 1-1 draw in an evenly-contested game.

The Sudanese Falcons had appeared on course to collect all three points after wonderkid Musa Ali Hussein had given them an early lead in the 29th minute.

The Al Merrikh striker weaved past a pair of Congolese defenders before releasing a right-footed shot from the left side of the box to give his side a well deserved lead.

But a defensive lapse inside the last five minutes allowed underdogs Congo to share the spoils.

Substitute Carly Ekongo rescued his country in the 86th minute when he capitalized on a loose ball inside the penalty area to smash home the equalizer.

LONDON: With immersive tech, visionary course design, and a bold ambition to shape the next chapter of global golf, the Saudi Public Investment Fund and Golf Saudi officially launched PIF Future Fairways in central London on Tuesday — a preview event blending innovation with sport to highlight ����ֱ��’s emergence as a world class golf destination.

The event at Urban Golf in Smithfield unveiled an interactive 3D digital version of three flagship Saudi golf courses — Shura Links, Laheq Golf Course, and Trojena Northern Golf Course — designed to position the Kingdom at the heart of golf’s next era.

These next-generation venues will anchor Saudi’s broader ambitions to triple its number of golf courses by 2030 and build a holistic sports and tourism ecosystem.

Attendees, including pro golfers, designers and industry leaders, explored virtual replicas of the new courses, demo-played signature holes on high-tech simulators, and took part in a “closest to the pin” challenge — all while engaging in off-the-record discussions with PIF stakeholders and Golf Saudi executives.

“For me, every experience that I have with Saudi, it’s been amazing,” said Carlota Ciganda, one of Golf Saudi’s ambassadors. “I know what they are capable of doing. These courses look amazing, a lot of fun to play — they’re going to attract a lot of people, a lot of tourists. I would love to go, play, and be part of this.”

Her sentiments were echoed by fellow ambassador Marianne Skarpnord, who said: “I definitely see ����ֱ�� becoming a golf tourist destination. ����ֱ��’s landscapes are tailor-made for golf — from coastal settings to dramatic desert terrain. As we’ve seen here today, there are some amazing courses being built — it’ll be an easy choice for many people coming from the outside.”

Beyond new courses, the event also highlighted Golf Saudi’s long-term commitment to growing the sport from the ground up.

Dedicated programs and academies are now being developed throughout the Kingdom to nurture young talent and embed golf within the local culture — a critical step for any emerging golf nation.

����ֱ��’s new courses — including the coastal Shura Links on Shura Island, the desert-framed Laheq Golf Course along the Red Sea coast, and the alpine-inspired Trojena Northern Golf Course in NEOM — are being designed not just for playability but for global competition. Each is expected to host future tournaments, including events on the PIF Global Series, which resumes this weekend with the PIF Championship at London’s Centurion Club.

The fusion of golf and tourism is at the heart of the vision. By integrating world-class design with environmental sensitivity and destination appeal, ����ֱ�� is not only building venues but offering experiences tailored to the modern golfer.

“The goal is to reimagine how golf is experienced, shared, and celebrated — both locally and globally,” said one stakeholder during the event. “This is not about copying what exists elsewhere. It’s about creating something distinctly Saudi, with universal appeal.”

PIF Future Fairways will continue to appear at all PIF Global Series tournaments through 2025 and into 2026, serving as a traveling exhibition of ����ֱ��’s golf transformation.

For now, Tuesday’s London event delivered a clear message: ����ֱ�� is not just joining the global golf stage — it’s setting the direction for its future.