WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019 16 Tottenham boss Pochettino pledges UAE’s Asian Cup dreams over to stay with Spurs AFP | London Alberto Zaccheroni’s men beaten 4-0 by Qatar in the semi-final at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium in in Abu Dhabi auricio Pochettino Mclaims he won’t walk The National | Abu Dhabi out on Tottenham despite being a “victim” of his own he UAE’s hopes of Asian success. Cup glory were ended Pochettino has been yesterday night with criticised after Tottenham T KNOW WHAT a 4-0 defeat by Qatar in the crashed out of two cup com- semi-final in Abu Dhabi. petitions in the space of four The hosts, seeking to contest a days last week. second showpiece on home soil, The UAE had Defeats against Chelsea in were outdone at a near-capacity the League Cup semi-finals Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium by become the run- and Crystal Palace in the FA goals from Boualem Khoukhi, ners-up in Asian Cup fourth round have left Almoez Ali, Hasan Al Haydos Cup when the tour- Tottenham boss Pochettino and Hamid Ismail. Qatar now nament was staged in danger of going another take on Japan in Friday’s final in the Emirates in season without a trophy. in the capital. 1996 Despite failing to win a Felix Sanchez’s side took single major prize in his the lead on 22 minutes, when managerial career, Pochetti- Khoukhi led a counter-attack no says he regards finishing along his team’s right flank. See- game. However, on 80 minutes, in the Premier League’s top ing no other option but to shoot Al Haydos latched onto Afif’s four as a greater achieve- from the edge of the penalty flick as defender Ismail Ahmed ment. area, his shot squirmed under played for offside. The Qatar The Argentine, linked UAE goalkeeper Khalid Essa. captain lifted the ball over the with a move to Manches- Eight minutes before half- onrushing Essa to put his side ter United at the end of the time, Qatar doubled their advan- 3-0 up and into the first Asian season, responded to the tage. Ali collected a pass from Cup final in the country’s his- doubters by claiming he has Akram Afif before curling his tory. over-achieved on the club’s effort around Essa and into the The UAE, runners-up the only brief to take them in the UAE goal via the post. It was Ali’s Salem Al Hajri of Qatar is tackled by Saif Rashid Alshemeili of the UAE other time the tournament was Champions League by the eighth goal this tournament. staged in the Emirates, in 1996, time they built their new Attempting to get back into ond-half, and 2015 Asian Player tance was tipped over the Qatar back post, but the striker’s head- concluded the match with 10 stadium. the encounter, UAE manager Al- of Year Ahmed Khalil shortly crossbar by goalkeeper Saad Al er was deflected over once more men after Ahmed was sent off “I love my job, I love my berto Zaccheroni introduced afterwards. Sheeb. Then, 19 minutes from by Al Sheeb. for an elbow on Salem Al Hajri. job. And of course I love a veteran forward Ismail Matar On 53 minutes, Ali Mabk - time, Bandar Al Ahbabi’s cross To their credit, the UAE Ismail rounded off the victory big challenge,” Pochettino at the beginning of the sec - hout’s deflected shot from dis- found Khalil at the opposition pushed for a way back into the deep into injury-time. said yesterday. Kvitova hails end to Grand Yoshida calls for Slam issues at Australian Open Japan to finish job AFP | Prague, Czech Republic top honours at Sydney a week her was former world number at Asian Cup later -- at a tournament where one Jim Courier -- on court, ustralian Open finalist Pet- she initially was not expecting following her quarter-final win AFP | Al-Ain Ara Kvitova hailed the end of to play. against the home crowd’s fa- her Grand Slam bad luck -- and vourite Ashleigh Barty. apan captain Maya Yoshida of a two-year transition follow- ‘Chequered flag’ “I suppose he didn’t want Jsounded the battle cry after ing a knife attack that almost Besides the on-court battles, to make me cry -- but he did,” the Blue Samurai tore Iran to ended her career. Kvitova is fighting memories of Kvitova said. shreds to reach the Asian Cup Having played only two an attack at her Czech home by “The interview was pretty final. Grand Slam quarter-finals a knife-wielding burglar in De- tough -- but he’s a nice guy.” After celebrating Monday’s since her Wimbledon triumph cember 2016, which left deep 3-0 victory over the tournament in 2014, Kvitova joked last year scars on her left hand. Nice messages favourites in Al-Ain, Yoshida that she might as well quit play- She identified the man and is Sympathy poured in from the called for the Japanese to com- ing at the top four events. willing to give her testimony in Australian audience and from plete the job as they chase a This year’s Australian Open court in early February on the fellow players. record-extending fifth title. offered a different picture of condition she does not meet “Simona Halep sent me three “We can’t be satisfied with the left-handed Czech who did the suspect. nice messages -- after the Syd- beating Iran,” said the South- We still have another not lose a single set on her way “Petra takes this as an in - ney win, after the quarter-final ampton defender after a tem- game that we must to the final in which she lost to evitable thing. She knows it’s with Ashleigh Barty and after pestuous semi-final, effectively win. If we lose that, Japan’s Naomi Osaka in three necessary to put an end to the the final,” said Kvitova. decided by Yuya Osako’s con- all the hard work sets on Saturday. whole affair,” her spokesman “It’s great to have such good troversial second-half double. will have been for “I’m glad it was only a joke, Karel Tejkal told reporters. relationships even when you’re “We still have another game that it didn’t happen,” the Kvitova herself declined to at the top of the rankings.” that we must win. If we lose nothing so we need 28-year-old, who also won speak about the attack that re- If Kvitova had won at Mel- that, all the hard work will have to finish it Maya Wimbledon in 2011, told re - quired a complicat- bourne, she would have re - been for nothing so we need to MAYA YOSHIDA Yoshida porters in Prague. ed surgery and placed Halep as the world finish it. “I guess it’s a compensation saw her sink number one -- an hon - “We talked about going to for last year which wasn’t the from sixth to our that went to Osaka war before we came out here,” will best when it comes to Grand sixteenth in instead. added Yoshida, who needed to Japan pedigree now be Slams,” added Kvitova, who in the world. “We didn’t talk about be restrained by his teammates favourites 2018 reached the last-32 phase “Such the rankings with Si- in a late flashpoint after react- The Werder Bremen striker to win Fri- at the French and US Open, questions mona,” chuckled Kvi- ing furiously to Iran striker Sar- smashed home his second from day’s final in bowing out of the Australian make me a tova, adding it was not dar Azmoun. the penalty spot after the ball Abu Dhabi. Open and Wimbledon at the bit angry but her top priority. “We have come together as a struck the unfortunate Morteza With Japan first hurdle. I can’t do an- “I’m trying to im- strong unit and we need to keep Pouraliganji’s arm as he slid in unbeaten in “I wasn’t too happy after the ything about prove as the fighting as a team.” to tackle, knocking the stuffing 11 matches loss but now the positive things it. But it will be games go and Yoshida admitted he had out of Iran’s players. since Mori- prevail,” said the new world over some day.” I think the calmed down just in time to Genki Haraguchi added a yasu took number two. “I guess this trophy rankings avoid seeing red. stoppage-time third to add in- over after last “I felt very well throughout is a chequered flag will re- “If I’d got myself sent off and sult to injury for Iran. year’s World Cup, those three weeks I played in on those two years,” flect missed the final it would have “I’ve had my problems with Osako insisted only a win- Australia.” Kvitova said, looking that,” been terrible,” he said. injuries so that was a little pay- ner’s medal would do. Kvitova started the year poor- at the silver plate she she “What’s important is to en- back -- to get out the frustra- “A lot of young players have ly at Brisbane where she lost won at Melbourne. said. joy the ride and hopefully we tion,” said Osako. come in since the World Cup,” in the last 16, but she took the One of those to ask can keep improving. We want “We’ve played our best foot- said the former Cologne for- to make sure we win the fi - ball in the biggest game of the ward.