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Established 1961 27 Sports Sunday, June 23, 2019 Sanchez sends Chile into Copa America quarter-finals Chile top Group C with perfect six points ahead of their clash with Uruguay SALVADOR: Alexis Sanchez put a miserable club sea- eight minutes. Ecuador made a hash of clearing a corner son with Manchester United behind him as he sent Chile and Fuenzalida sent an angled volley from the edge of into the Copa America quarter-finals with the winning the area into the far bottom corner. goal in Friday’s 2-1 win over Ecuador. Ecuador brought the same muscular approach to the Jose Fuenzalida gave reigning champions Chile an game that had seen them reduced to 10 men in their eighth-minute lead but Enner Valencia equalized for opener against Uruguay-a 4-0 loss. Sebastian Mendez Ecuador from the spot. Sanchez bagged the winner, his found himself in the referee’s book after just three min- 43rd goal for his country, but Chile finished with 10 men utes for a robust challenge on Charles Aranguiz. after Gabriel Achilier’s red card a minute from time. However, it was Chile who were lucky to reach the The 30-year-old Sanchez started only nine Premier break with a full complement after goalkeeper Gabriel League matches, scoring just once, in an injury-inter- Arias suffered two rushes of blood to the head. First he rupted season for the Red Devils in which he struggled clattered into Mendez inside the area, allowing Valencia to make an impact when he did play. to chip home the equalizer from the spot on 28 minutes. But he scored for the second game running in Arias escaped further sanction, though, and that Salvador as Chile joined Colombia as the only teams to saved him five minutes before the break when he qualify for the knock-out stages after their first two charged rashly out of his area to try to beat the speedy games. However, he revealed afterwards that he turned Romario Ibarra to the ball on the flank. his ankle during the first half, aggravating an old injury. Ibarra went down from the slightest brush of contact “I think I have a sprain, I hope it’s not too serious. At and after a lengthy VAR delay, Arias was shown a yellow half-time they strapped it up, I played on with a bit of card. In what proved a niggly encounter, referee Patricio pain,” he said. Loustau showed nine yellow cards and a red. “We Chile top Group C with a perfect six points ahead of lacked the intelligence to control the game after the first their clash with Uruguay at Rio’s iconic Maracana goal,” said Chile coach Reinaldo Rueda. tomorrow. Ecuador are left staring elimination in the “Ecuador reacted really well and equalized in a face after a second straight defeat, knowing they must moment in which we lost our shape.” Chile were back in beat Japan in Belo Horizonte on Monday to stand any front early in the second period after more poor chance of progressing. Ecuador defending. Aranguiz was allowed to turn and “We put in a huge effort but we’re making the mis- cross far too easily on the right and Sanchez was left take of switching off and that’s why they scored silly unmarked at the back post to side-foot a volley beyond goals,” moaned Valencia. “We’ll try and beat Japan and the despairing dive of Alexander Dominguez. then see where that takes us.” Ecuador were bossing possession but were toothless SALVADOR: Chile’s Charles Aranguiz (L) and Ecuador’s Jefferson Orejuela vie for the ball during their Copa America Chile began as they had left off in their 4-0 thrashing up front, while Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas provided football tournament group match at the Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador, Brazil. — AFP of Japan last Monday, opening the scoring after just far greater cut and thrust for Chile. — AFP Egypt grind out win to launch Africa Japan and Qatar Cup of Nations not just making CAIRO: Mohamed Salah’s Egypt started their bid for a up Copa America record-extending eighth Africa Cup of Nations trophy on Friday with a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe in Cairo in the numbers opening game of a tournament expanded to 24 teams and played in June and July for the first time. RIO DE JANEIRO: Japan and Qatar’s participa- Liverpool star Salah, on a redemption mission with tion in the Copa America may have raised eyebrows Egypt after injury derailed a miserable World Cup cam- in some quarters but the two Asian nations have paign last year, looked sharp although the hosts needed already proved they didn’t turn up in Brazil just to a 41st-minute goal by Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan to make up the numbers. get off to a winning start in Group A. Qatar began their Group B campaign by fighting Man of the match Mahmoud Alaa said after the vic- back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Paraguay tory: “I congratulate all the Egyptian people on the first before a late Duvan Zapata goal denied them a win.” The defender added: “We should be better in the point against Colombia in their next match. upcoming matches. Our aim in this competition is to And while a youthful and inexperienced Japan win the title.” side was taught a harsh lesson in clinical finishing In keeping with April’s spectacular tournament draw by Chile in a 4-0 defeat, they were then on the under the gaze of the Sphinx, a striking 30-minute wrong end of two controversial VAR decisions in opening ceremony preceded kick-off in Cairo, where a their 2-2 draw with Uruguay. backdrop of pyramids and statues from Egyptian Both sides may only have one point from two mythology mixed with elegant dancers set the stage for CAIRO: (From L) Egypt’s midfielder Tarek Hamed, Zimbabwe’s midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, Zimbabwe’s mid- group games so far but they know that victory in a fireworks display to illuminate the ground. fielder Ovidy Karuru, Egypt’s midfielder Amr Warda fight for the ball during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) their final pool encounters will likely see them into The arrival of the Egyptian players for the warm-up football match between Egypt and Zimbabwe at Cairo International Stadium. — AFP the knock-out rounds. “We want to be protagonists induced a deafening roar from the capacity 75,000- on the pitch, our players have the quality to do crowd, who predictably reserved the loudest reception that,” said Qatar’s Spanish coach Felix Sanchez. for Salah as his name was read out among the starting uine attempt in the first half as a dominant Egypt even- It appeared Salah’s moment was going to arrive in “We’re a team that never gives up,” he added line-ups. With the temperature having dipped to a more tually broke through just before the interval. the final minutes but Elvis Chipezeze, on for the injured about the Asian champions. Today, Qatar face a dis- palatable 27 Celsius (81 Fahrenheit) by the start Egypt- Zimbabwe’s efforts to play out from defence back- Sibanda, plunged low to his right, when substitute Amr jointed and underwhelming Argentina for whom the tournament favourites and 2017 runners-up-imme- fired and the talented Trezeguet, formerly of Warda perhaps offered the forward a better option Lionel Messi has been unable to spark into life. diately looked threatening, with Salah orchestrating Anderlecht and now with Kasimpasa in Turkey, shifted across the face of goal. Egyptian hearts were momen- And he knows that a victory over Qatar, which much of the attack as he swung in a pair of teasing the ball onto his right foot before sweeping clinically tarily in mouths when an unmarked Evans Rusike rose Argentina almost certainly need to avoid being crosses, the second forcing Edmore Sibanda to tip over into the far corner. to meet a cross but he was unable to keep his header knocked out of the competition, is anything but a a looping Marwan Mohsen header. Trezeguet, who scored three times in five qualifiers down, allowing Egypt to emerge with an opening victo- foregone conclusion. “You don’t win matches any Salah was again involved 10 minutes later, intricately for the event, was quickly sensing another when his ry in their quest to win the competition for the fourth more just by pulling on the jersey,” warned the exchanging passes on the edge of the Zimbabwe box to curling 20-yard strike was flicked behind by a sprawl- time as hosts in five editions. Barcelona star, who turns 32 tomorrow. carve out a chance for Abdallah Elsaid, whose shot was ing Sibanda early into the second half. Assistant coach Hany Ramzy said: “These are the Having paid for their wastefulness in front of palmed away by Sibanda before Trezeguet lashed over The Zimbabwe goalkeeper felt the brunt of a first three points in a long competition. The match was goal and naivety at the back against Chile, Japan the rebound. crunching collision with Mohsen on the hour, produc- difficult, and maybe at some stages we made it hard on coach Hajime Moriyasu rang the changes ahead of As Zimbabwe struggled to develop any sort of ing a courageous stop to deny the forward after a ourselves.” The Democratic Republic of Congo and their clash with Uruguay. “They showed a lot of rhythm with outstanding midfielder Khama Billiat con- clever first touch created the opportunity.

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