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DOHA: Saudi powerhouses Al-Hilal continued their flawless start to the AFC Champions League Elite campaign with a 2-1 away victory over Al-Gharafa of Qatar on Monday.

Simone Inzaghi’s side now have four wins out of four at the half-way point of the league stage, and sit two points clear at the top of the West Region table on 12 points as they chase a record-extending fifth Asian title.

Salem Al-Dawsari opened the scoring for the visitors in the ninth minute, heading home Joao Cancelo’s pinpoint cross after the Portuguese full-back stole possession on the right.

Al-Hilal continued to dominate for much of the first half, with Theo Hernandez and Cancelo each testing Al-Gharafa goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar, who kept his side in contention with several strong saves.

The pressure paid off and the Saudi side eventually doubled their lead midway through the second half, when Kaio Cesar fired home from the edge of the area after another surging run by Hernandez.

The hosts grabbed a late consolation deep into stoppage time, courtesy of Ayoub Aloui, but it was too little, too late.

Next up in the competition, Al-Hilal host Al-Shorta of Iraq on November 25, while Al-Gharafa, who are ninth in the standings with just three points, will face Shabab Al-Ahli of the UAE the day before.

LONDON: LIV Golf on Monday announced expanded qualification opportunities for players aiming to join its 2026 League, increasing the number of available spots through both the LIV Golf Promotions tournament and The International Series.

The League confirmed that the top two finishers at LIV Golf Promotions, to be held Jan. 8–11 at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida, will earn full-season places in the 2026 LIV Golf League. Registrations are now open at LIVGolf.com for professionals and elite amateurs worldwide.

The top 10 finishers in the event, including ties, will also secure exemptions for the 2026 International Series, which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour.

The four-day, four-round tournament offers a $1.5 million prize purse, with $200,000 awarded to the winner and $150,000 to the runner-up.

“LIV Golf continues to expand pathways for players around the world to qualify into the first truly global golf league,” said LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil.

“As fan interest grows and competition extends across the US, Asia Pacific, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, it’s only natural that we broaden access for talented, ambitious players to earn their way into the league,” he added.

In last year’s event, Jon Rahm claimed victory as the 2025 Individual Champion and his Legion XIII team’s triumphed in the Team Championship.

In addition, LIV Golf will double its exemptions via The International Series, granting League spots to the top two players in the final 2025 rankings not already exempt.

The series, sanctioned by the Asian Tour, has staged events this year in India, Macau, Japan, Morocco, Indonesia, the Philippines and Hong Kong, with upcoming stops at the Moutai Singapore Open (Nov. 6–9) and the PIF Saudi International in Riyadh (Nov. 19–22).

Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent leads the rankings with 325.59 points, followed by the Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena on 221.19.

“We offer a proven pathway onto the LIV Golf League, and with this season’s route offering not one but two opportunities to progress, there is a real life-changing opportunity for our players,” said Rahul Singh, head of The International Series.

“Our goal is to create chances for regional and emerging talent to compete alongside proven champions, and recent results show that standards across the Asian Tour are rising rapidly.”

The 2026 LIV Golf Promotions tournament will feature four rounds of 18-hole stroke play, with scores resetting after each of the first two rounds.

The top 20 players from each stage will advance, culminating in a 36-hole shootout over the final two days to determine the two players who will graduate to the League.