JACK GAUGHAN IN JEDDAH: There was a young lad, who could only have been eight, knocking a ball about with his brother not far from the historic Al-Balad, Jeddah’s old town, on Tuesday afternoon. Dusty car bonnets took a beating, the child nervously fidgeting each time his control deserted him in an unmistakable way that anybody who has done damage with a football will recognise. Again and again passes headed for the road or keepie uppies bounced toward glass. Still he kept going. He had a Manchester City top on, ‘Haaland 9’ on the back, and there have been a lot of those around here, perhaps more than anticipated – much as it was during last summer’s bumper tour of Asia. The bean counters will be pleased.
