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. 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 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 ’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 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 . 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 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 grind out win to launch Africa Japan and Qatar Cup of Nations not just making

CAIRO: ’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 in 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 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 , Zimbabwe’s midfielder , 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 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 con- clever first touch created the opportunity. Uganda are the other teams in Group A and they meet courage to play the game,” Moriyasu said of his tained, Salah again had a boisterous, largely red-clad Sibanda was again tested low to his right by a Salah Saturday at the same venue, while Nigeria begin their players, lauding their “defiant spirit” against a “top” crowd on their feet when he wriggled past his marker effort on his weaker foot, with Egypt ‘keeper Mohamed campaign against newcomers Burundi in Alexandria. team. Having thrashed 10-man Ecuador 4-0 in their only to shoot over from a difficult angle. El Shenawy finally called into action to handle a specu- Guinea meanwhile take on Madagascar, the sec- opener, Uruguay had to come from behind twice to A blocked attempt by Zimbabwe captain Knowledge lative Billiat drive just before the second of two man- ond of three countries appearing in the event for the snatch the draw with Japan. Musona represented the southern Africans’ lone gen- dated heat breaks on 70 minutes. first time. — AFP Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, who equalized the first time from the controversially awarded penalty, insisted the 15-time Copa winners had not underes- Here, AFP Sport previews the three Sunday fix- with Burundi and victory over Mali. The spotlight will timated their Asian opponents. No Mane, no tures on the third day of the first Cup of Nations to also be on forward Andy Delort, a late call-up after “We knew the result against Chile the other day feature 24 teams, up from 16 in Gabon two years ago. Haris Belkebla was dropped from the squad for bar- was unreliable,” he said. Japan came to the tourna- ing his backside online. Delort is the latest of many ment with a squad made up mostly of under-23 problem, says SENEGAL V TANZANIA footballers born in France of Algerian descent to players likely to be available next year for the Tokyo Senegal are ranked 22 in the world and Tanzania switch allegiance after representing their country of Olympics. When Moriyasu announced his 23-man Senegal coach ahead 131, making this the biggest mismatch on paper of the birth at age-limit levels. Kenya are back at the Cup of squad last month, 17 of the players were uncapped. 36 first-round matches in Egypt. Even without talis- Nations after a 15-year absence and captain and Two friendlies and two Copa America matches man Mane, it would be a shock if the Teranga Lions midfielder Victor Wanyama from Tottenham Hotspur later, and nine of those have since made their debut. of Tanzania clash failed to secure maximum points against the second is the stand-out player among the Harambee Stars. But despite fielding such inexperienced line-ups, lowest-ranked side in the competition, above only Japan have impressed with their speed and indus- Burundi. Many pundits believed Senegal would go all MOROCCO V NAMIBIA try, as well as a willingness to attack. CAIRO: Powerful Senegal will launch their 2019 the way two years ago, but they fell to eventual The contrast between coaches Herve Renard of While many fans may have regarded the two Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Tanzania in champions Cameroon in the quarter-finals after Mane Morocco and Ricardo Mannetti of Namibia in Cairo Asian invitees as amongst the weakest sides in the Cairo today without Liverpool star Sadio Mane, but missed a penalty in a shootout. The huge ranking gap could not be greater ahead of the first Group D tournament, both have proved they are no push- coach Aliou Cisse is unconcerned. between the countries does not concern Tanzania match. France-born Renard, already a Cup of overs. But not everyone has welcomed them with The 27-year-old forward is serving a one-match coach Emmanuel Amunike, a Cup of Nations winner Nations-winning coach with and the Ivory open arms. “I’ve never seen a European champi- ban after being yellow-carded twice during qualify- as a player with Nigeria 25 years ago. “Do not be Coast, is under massive pressure to complete a hat- onships where they’ve invited a South American ing for the biennial showcase of African football. “His surprised if you see some of these so-called big trick in his second appearance with Morocco. team,” complained Paraguay’s Argentine coach absence should not in any way bother us,” stressed teams packing their bags early and heading home,” Although regarded as an African football powerhouse, Eduardo Berizzo. Cisse, who was part of the Senegal team that finished he said. Morocco have lifted the Cup of Nations only once, “It could sound unpleasant to say it now that runners-up to Cameroon in the 2002 Cup of Nations, and that was 43 years ago when there were only eight we’ve played Qatar, but I truly believe that the their best showing. ALGERIA V KENYA finalists. Morocco hammered Namibia 5-1 in a previ- Copa America should be played between American “Certainly the presence of Sadio is beneficial, but Regular underachievers Algeria boast a prolific ous meeting and while the margin might be less this teams, all integrated in one tournament: CONCA- without him we remain strong,” added the former scorer in Baghdad Bounedjah, who has seamlessly time, an Atlas Lions win seems likely in a group CAF and CONMEBOL.” CONMEBOL is the South Paris Saint-Germain midfielder ahead of the Group C transferred great club form to the national team, for including the Ivory Coast and . Mannetti American governing football federation that organ- clash. Mane also missed the opening match of the the other Group C match. After scoring 39 goals in 21 is under no pressure having got the Brave Warriors to izes the Copa America, while CONCACAF groups 2015 tournament in Equatorial Guinea against Ghana starts for Qatari club Al Sadd last season, he netted in the tournament against the odds and he has warned countries from North and Central America, and the owing to a calf injury. both of the Desert Foxes’ warm-up matches, a draw rivals that “even small dogs have teeth”. — AFP Caribbean. — AFP