Feature image: Wikimedia Commons — File:8 ball break time lapse.jpg (Jollytime / public domain).
Morocco reclaim the World Eight-Ball team crown
The scores that were still dark this morning are no longer a mystery on the team side. Hosts Morocco are IEPF World Eight-Ball men’s team champions again after beating Northern Ireland 11–9 in a 20-frame Marrakech final — their second world team title, twelve years after the 2014 breakthrough.
The Atlas side had already done the hard yards in the knockouts: Ireland 11–4 in the quarters, then Wales 11–7 in the semis, before grinding past NI in front of a home crowd. Morocco also lifted the African team title during the fortnight, completing a continental-and-world double on home soil.
Nearly 300 players from around 18 countries contested the African and World Eightball Pool Championships (17–27 September) under the Ultimate Pool Association and the International Eightball Pool Federation. The title-winning Moroccan squad included Oussama El Maskini, Abderrahim Bendouro, Abderrahmane Cherfi, Houssam El Amrani, Rafik Hermouch, Anas Khoudmi, Badr Laafani, Imad Lahsini, Souleiman Ozaouit and Amer Riad. Coach Yasser El Amrani and Cherfi both pointed to concentration against strong opposition as the difference.
Still waiting: Cherfi was also into the individual world final scheduled for Sunday, but a verified singles champion (and the Sharkey–Brennan semi result that had Donegal watching on Saturday) had not landed in English-language reports at the time of writing. When those numbers drop, we’ll update.
Shenzhen opens overnight
While Marrakech packs away the trophies, ranking snooker tips at the Bao’an Sports Centre from Monday 28 September to Sunday 4 October — the inaugural Shenzhen Open (the Xi’an Grand Prix reborn), £850,000 total, £177,000 to the winner. Mark Williams defends; world No.1 Zhao Xintong starts on home soil.
Monday (BST) — early markers
- ~02:30 — Mark Williams vs Fan Zhengyi
- ~07:00 — Neil Robertson vs Liu Hongyu; Judd Trump vs Huang Jiahao
- ~12:30 — Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Jiang Jun; Zhao Xintong vs Scott Donaldson; Chris Wakelin vs Liam Davies; Si Jiahui vs Oliver Lines
Where to watch
- UK & Ireland — TNT Sports / HBO Max
- Mainland Europe (selected) — Eurosport / HBO Max
- China — CCTV5, Huya, Migu, CBSA-WPBSA Academy channels
- Elsewhere — WST Play
Asia cue week keeps rolling
Bali still tips tomorrow at the Nusa Dua Convention Centre — Kamui WPA Women’s 9-Ball Worlds ($200k / 64), Aramith Men’s Open ($150k / 128) and Isak WPA Men’s Doubles 10-Ball Worlds ($200k / 32 teams), all free on Pro Billiard TV. (Full tip-off package was our midday post.)
In Delhi, the NSCI All India 8-Ball window is open through 5 October (₹5 lakh; Kothari, Gulati, Chawla, Pillai, Magimairaj among the names). No verified day-one scorelines had surfaced by this evening — worth a Monday check.
Further out on the World Nineball Tour calendar: Reyes Cup tickets are on sale for Makati Coliseum, 15–18 October (Team Asia — Biado and Capito already named — vs Rest of the World, with Sanchez Ruiz and Shane Van Boening confirmed), then the Philippines Open 20–24 October in Quezon City. Live on WNT TV.
Quick hits
- Marrakech team gold is locked; singles crowns still dark in the wires — refresh All Scores Live / Ultimate Pool channels if you’re chasing Cherfi or the Sharkey line.
- Shenzhen overnight is the British-time appointment for snooker fans who missed the Leicester qualifier slog.
- Bali and Delhi keep the pool calendar busy while the Philippines swing builds toward mid-October.
— Reggie
