15 THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019 sports

BOC reviews football plans Ajax defeat depleted Spurs TDT | Manama Spurs miss Kane and Son ahrain Olympic Com- Donny van de Beek Bmittee (BOC) secretary • On top of Kane and Son, Spurs general Mohammed Al Nu- scored the winner as were shorn of the injured Erik suf has extended the com- Ajax beat Tottenham Lamela and Harry Winks and mittee’s support to Bahrain 1-0 in the first leg lost another key player when Football Association (BFA) of their Champions Vertonghen came off worst as he in an attempt to fulfil its ob- contested a high ball with Ajax jectives and aspirations. League semi-final goalkeeper Andre Onana. This statement was an- The Belgian was patched nounced during his visit to Spurs were outplayed up and briefly returned to the the premises of BFA in Rif- as• Ajax took a big step field before having to be helped fa, where the BOC secretary towards the final down the tunnel with questions general held talks with asso- sure to be asked why the Spurs ciation president Shaikh Ali medical staff allowed him to bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Tottenham’s injury continue. other BFA representatives woes• continued as Jan Despite that latest blow, the on their future plans and Vertonghen was forced hosts reacted well to end the programmes. off with a head knock half on top with Vertonghen’s Al Nusuf commended the replacement Moussa Sissoko efforts of the BFA to boost driving a long-range effort wide. football in Bahrain and AFP | London Pochettino’s half-time pep vowed to offer all its capa- Ajax’s Donny van de Beek scores the only goal 15 minutes into their Champions League semi-final at Tottenham talk had the desired effect as bilities in order to help the jax closed in on a first their two top scorers. bottom corner. Spurs dug deep into their energy association implement its Champions League final And Ajax could easily have Lloris kept his side in the reserves to raise the tempo and activities in upcoming stage. Afor 23 years as Donny van had an even greater lead to take game 10 minutes later from an- intensity of their display after On his part, Shaikh Ali de Beek’s early goal beat an in- back to the Johan Cruyff Arena other Van de Beek effort as Ajax the break. congratulated Al Nusuf on jury-hit Tottenham 1-0 in the for the second leg next week Watching now of threatened to run riot. Yet, the quality needed in the becoming the new BOC sec- first leg of their semi-final on when David Neres hit the post course I can accept Fernando Llorente was the final third to get back on level retary general and affirmed Tuesday. 10 minutes from time. it was a mistake the hero with the decisive goal as terms was missing without Kane the association’s keenness Van de Beek’s opener on 15 Ajax had shown they are not shape we used. But Mauricio Pochettino’s men up- and Son. to fully cooperation with minutes was just reward for fazed on the road despite the there were not too set the odds to end Manchester A sweetly struck shot Chris- the committee for the best the Dutch side’s first-half dom- tender age of many of their many options. I am City’s quest for a quadruple of tian Eriksen shot that was too of sports in the country. inance as Tottenham badly squad by shocking Real Madrid not happy, but our trophies in the quarter-finals. close to Onana was the best ef- Shaikh Ali also expressed missed the presence of the in- and Juventus away to reach the However, the cumbersome fort they could muster as too gratitude to BOC, headed jured Harry Kane and suspend- last four and started confidently. lack of energy from Spaniard struggled to provide often hopeful crosses into the by Shaikh Khalid bin Ham- ed Son Heung-min. Spurs were happy to sit deep the beginning made the out ball his side needed to box failed to find a teammate. ad Al Khalifa, for its major Tottenham improved after and wait for their chances to our game difficult. relieve the Ajax pressure. Ajax did not make the most of contributions in supporting the break despite another inju- counter-attack, but that game- We were a little Set-pieces provided Totten- their chances on the break to kill national sports federations, ry blow as Jan Vertonghen had plan was undone when Hakim sloppy ham’s best chance of scoring the tie off, but were unfortunate and noted that such visits to be helped down the tunnel Ziyech’s through ball picked before the break as Llorente when Neres’s effort back across reflect the strong ties that MAURICIO POCHETTINO after a sickening head knock, but out midfielder Van de Beek who headed wide and Toby Alder- Lloris left the French captain link the sports family in the lacked the inspiration needed to took his time to leave Hugo Llo- weireld over from Kieran Trip- helpless only for the ball to re- kingdom to achieve the mu- get back on level terms without ris prone before slotting into the pier free-kicks. bound kindly off the post. tual desired goals. Al Ahli wins Crown Troubled PSG throw away lead again Prince Volleyball Cup because everyone is injured,” TDT | Manama which has boosted Bahrain’s Paris Saint-Germain moaned Tuchel. competitiveness on the region- • “This has been the situation l Ahli Club has defeated Al al and global stages. suffer third defeat in since January, February, and it’s AMuharraq Club by 3 sets HH Shaikh Isa also highlight- last four league games too long.” to 1 in the final of the 2019 ed the wide-ranging efforts of as Montpellier strike When Cameroon defender Crown Prince Volleyball Cup HM the King’s Representative late to stun champions Oyongo turned in Juan Bernat’s held at Isa Sports City. for Charity Works and Youth low cross early on, it looked like On behalf of HRH Prince Affairs and Chairman of the PSG might get back to winning Salman bin Hamad Al Khali- Supreme Council for Youth • Montpellier came ways. fa, Crown Prince, Deputy Su- and Sports, HH Sh. Nasser bin from behind twice However, Montpellier equal- preme Commander and First Hamad Al Khalifa; and the to beat PSG 3-2 ised midway through the first Deputy Prime Minister, HH First Deputy of the Supreme half as Damien Le Tallec’s head- er from a free- Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Council for Youth and Sports AFP | Paris Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman and Chairman of the Bahrain kick was turned into his own of the Board of Trustees of the Olympic Committee, HH Sh. net by Kimpembe, who had also Isa bin Salman Educational Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, aris Saint-Germain’s end-of- scored an own goal in Cup final. Charitable Trust, yesterday in advancing Bahrain’s sports Pseason meltdown continued Montpellier’s French Forward (C) reacts after scoring a goal The home side tested Gianlui- attended the event held at Isa sector. on Tuesday as the cham- gi Buffon in the PSG goal on sev- Sports City and awarded the HH Shaikh Isa went on to pions twice threw away the lead too many of them, and big mis- eral other occasions but it was trophy to Al Ahli Club. commend the President of the in a 3-2 defeat at Montpellier, takes,” lamented coach Thomas the visitors who scored again During the awarding cer- Bahrain Volleyball Federation three days after dramatically Tuchel. just after the hour mark. emony, HH Shaikh Isa high- (BVF), Shaikh Ali bin Moham- losing the French Cup final. “In these conditions it is diffi- A clearance by Montpellier’s lighted HM the King and HRH med Al Khalifa, and the efforts Souleymane Camara netted cult to win a match at Montpel- 41-year-old captain Vitorino the Crown Prince’s support to of the BVF staff for organizing Montpellier’s winner five min- lier, who are a very strong and KNOW WHAT Hilton came back off Marquin- the Kingdom’s sports sector, such a successful tournament. utes from time after Leandro aggressive team defensively.” hos and the ball fell to Di Maria, Paredes was caught in posses- This latest defeat will in - who cleverly dragged the ball sion on the edge of his own area. crease the pressure on Tuchel, away from the diving Benjamin Before that, Presnel Kimpem- whose future has been called Despite this victory, Lecomte and finished into an be’s own goal had cancelled out into question with his team’s Montpellier’s chances empty net. Spanish goalkeeper Casillas an Ambroise Oyongo own goal domestic slump following their of qualifying for the Nevertheless, Montpellier stable after heart attack that had given PSG the lead. An- humiliating Champions League Europa League remain drew level again 10 minutes gel Di Maria put the visitors exit against Manchester United. slim as they sit five from the end as Mollet helped Reuters | Madrid drid, suffered what the Portu- back in front, but Andy Delo- PSG threw away a two-goal points adrift of fourth- on a long throw-out by Lecomte, guese club called an “acute my- rt made it 2-2 before Camara lead in Saturday’s French Cup releasing Delort to run through eteran goalkeeper Iker ocardial infarction” in training. sealed the points. final before losing on penal - placed Saint-Etienne and beat Buffon. with four games left VCasillas was stable in hos- The club’s statement on PSG wrapped up their sixth ties to Rennes. Kylian Mbappe Worse was to come for PSG, pital after suffering a heart at- Wednesday afternoon said that league title in seven seasons a was sent off in that game, while though. Buffon rolled the ball tack in training, his club Porto “the session was interrupted week ago, but this result means Neymar later apologised after ier, but Mbappe was absent due out to Paredes on the edge of said on Wednesday. to provide assistance. It went they have won one and lost hitting a fan who taunted the to suspension, with several oth- his own area, but the Argen - The 37-year-old, who has 167 on that Casillas was in a Porto three of their last five league Brazilian as he went up to col- er players also absent. tine dithered and was robbed, Spain caps and played more hospital “well, stable and his games. lect his runners-up medal. “The situation is always the allowing substitute Camara to than 500 games for Real Ma- heart problem solved.” “We made individual errors, Neymar started in Montpell- same. We only have 15 players gleefully fire into the net.