CCRICKETRICKET | Page 4 BBASKETBALLASKETBALL | Page 7 Aussie stars First Arab leave IPL as woman referee India virus toll to stand tall at grows Olympics Tuesday, April 27, 2021 FOOTBALL Ramadan 15, 1442 AH Atletico Madrid lose GULF TIMES to hand initiative to Barcelona SPORT Page 3 FOOTBALL Excitement mounts ahead of Arab Cup Qatar 2021 draw Single-leg play-off matches, which will be held later this year, between the 14-lowest ranked teams have been decided By Sports Reporter Doha head of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 draw today, the qualifying matches for the tournament have been de- Acided. Of the 23 nations involved, the 14 lowest-ranked teams according to the April edition of the FIFA World Rank- ings will participate in single-leg play- off s ahead of the tournament, which will be held later this year. Play-off matches Oman (80) vs Somalia (197) Lebanon (93) vs Djibouti (183) Jordan (95) vs South Sudan (169) Bahrain (99) vs Kuwait (148) Mauritania (101) vs Yemen (145) Palestine (104) vs Comoros (131) Libya (119) vs Sudan (123) World ranking in brackets The play-off s were decided accord- ing to the rankings, as follows: Oman The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 matches will be played at six FIFA World Cup Qatar (80) vs Somalia (197), Lebanon (93) vs Today’s draw will be conducted at Opera House in the Katara Cultural Village today. 2022 tournament venues. Djibouti (183), Jordan (95) vs South Su- dan (169), Bahrain (99) vs Kuwait (148), already qualifi ed for the tournament: group stage and knockout rounds. The Today’s draw will be conducted Manolo Zubiria. portant opportunity to test operations Mauritania (101) vs Yemen (145), Pales- host nation Qatar (58), Tunisia (26), 16 teams will be split into four groups by four FIFA legends: Wael Gomaa A limited number of offi cials will at- and facilities ahead of Qatar 2022. Both tine (104) vs Comoros (131), and Libya Algeria (33), Morocco (34), Egypt (46), of four, with the top two from each pro- (Egypt), Nawaf al-Temyat (Saudi Ara- tend the draw, in line with Qatar’s Cov- tournaments will take place in a similar (119) vs Sudan (123). Saudi Arabia (65), Iraq (68), the United gressing to the quarter-fi nals. Matches bia), Haytham Mustafa (Sudan) and id-19 protocols. Information on broad- timeslot, with the fi nals of each sched- The seven winning teams will join the Arab Emirates (73) and Syria (79). will be played at six FIFA World Cup Younus Mahmood (Iraq), along with casting the draw will follow today. uled to take place exactly one year apart nine highest-ranked teams who have The tournament will consist of a Qatar 2022 tournament venues. FIFA’s Director of Competitions, The FIFA Arab Cup is seen as an im- – on December 18, Qatar’s National Day. AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PREVIEW Al Sadd edge closer to last 16 berth Al Duhail ready for Al Shorta AFC med Jadoua headed in his cross as they eye next round Riyadh but to Al Sadd’s dismay, the ef- fort was ruled out for off side. AFC Foolad’s Chimba and Patosi Riyadh l Sadd placed them- formed a dangerous duo in the selves in pole posi- fi nal third, and the exchange of tion in Group D of the passes between the two in the l Duhail SC will aim to 2021 AFC Champi- 81st minute almost gave the tighten their grip on Aons League with a 1-0 win over Iranians their equaliser but the the Group C lead when Foolad Khouzestan FC yester- Brazilian struck right at Al Sadd they play Al Shorta in day. goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham. Athe 2021 AFC Champions League The result, coupled with Jor- today. dan’s Al Wehdat’s stunning win AL RAYYAN SCORE LATE With challengers Esteghlal FC over Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia in EQUALISER TO DRAW 1-1 and Al Ahli Saudi FC facing off the other Group D match, means WITH FC GOA in Group C’s other tie with both the Qataris lead the standing Ali Ferydoon struck in the 89th needing victory, a win for Qa- with 10 points going into the fi - minute as Qatar’s Al Rayyan tar’s Al Duhail against Al Shorta nal matchday against Al Nassr, salvaged a 1-1 draw with India’s will take them to 11 points and Al Duhail head coach Sabri Lamouchi. who are second on eight points. FC Goa in Group E of the AFC closer to the automatic slot to the Foolad’s hunt for top spot, Champions League yesterday. Round of 16. “What we are looking forward was Fahad Youssef scoring their however, came to an end al- The late leveller was a huge Esteghlal and Al Ahli Saudi to is getting the three points but fi rst goal of the tournament and though the Iran side can still blow for debutants FC Goa, who are tied on seven points while Al everything is possible in football. with nothing to lose, Ilic will urge advance to the last 16 if they fi n- had looked like they were head- Shorta are still in search of their The AFC Champions League is his team to give it their all against ish among the three best second ing for a historic fi rst win for an fi rst after four defeats. not an easy competition but our the group leaders. placed teams. Al Sadd’s Nam Tae-hee celebrates his goal during the AFC Champions Indian club in the group stage of Al Duhail opened their 2021 target is to win matches. “The previous four matches Al Sadd, who came into the tie League match against Foolad Khouzestan FC yesterday. the continental showpiece after AFC Champions League cam- “We will be putting the best were hard for us in terms of com- having defeated Jordan’s Al We- Jorge Ortiz had given them an paign with a 2-0 win over Al formation for tomorrow’s match petition in this tournament,” said hdat in back-to-back matches, tosi seven minutes later. Al Sadd should have opened early lead. Shorta and head coach Sabri because we must be serious and Ilic. “We have two remaining started brightly, dominating pos- For Al Sadd, the fi rst half was the scoring at the hour-mark Brandon Fernandes sent a Lamouchi will not be expecting eager to get the three points. We matches and we want to change session in the opening minutes a story of missed opportuni- when the Foolad goal was deep cross from the centre to his side to slip up in their second are preparing the players well the image that we had previously. but Foolad goalkeeper Mohsen ties, especially so for Baghdad left wide open after Foroozan Ortiz whose eff ort was blocked meeting, not when the Qatari are and they are physically and men- “The match against Al Du- Foroozan was on form, cutting Bounedjah who was always a failed to hold onto the ball, but by Al Rayyan goalkeeper Soud unbeaten in four matches. tally ready for the match.” hail will be very diffi cult because out the Qatari passes and crosses step too late, as the Algerian Bounedjah’s strike was safely al-Hajri. The Spanish midfi eld- Al Duhail’s attacking players The stats don’t favour Al Shor- they are one of the best teams in into the box with ease. failed to connect to any of the swept away by defender Moussa er, however, regained possession have served them well and with ta going into their penultimate the group. It might be diffi cult to Foolad, needing all three crosses into the area.. Coulibaly. from al-Hajri’s poor clearance Al Shorta struggling to fi nd goals, 2021 AFC Champions League tie play against them but we must points to stand a chance of The stalemate continued well The Qatar champions’ per- and slotted the ball home from Lamouchi will surely set his team against the group leaders. work very well in order to have a a first place finish, matched into the second half, with Al sistence, however, paid off four close range to give FC Goa the up with three points the target. Aleksandar Ilic’s side looked good ending in the competition. the Qataris’ aggression but Sadd holding the lion’s share of minutes later when Nam Tae- lead just three minutes in. “We want to win the match in to set to claim their fi rst point of “We will be making some couldn’t get their shots on tar- possession and the Foolad de- hee rose high to head home al- FC Goa will play UAE’s Al order to remain at the top of the the tournament in the Matchday changes in the formation but it get with Sasan Ansari rattling fence began showing signs of Haydos’ curling cross to end the Wahda FSCC in their fi nal group group,” said Lamouchi. “There is Four encounter against Al Ahli will not be a lot. We have some the side netting in the 26th cracking as Mohammed Waad stalemate. match on Thursday while Al no doubt that the match will not Saudi but were denied by Abdul- injuries in the team and we minute, before Zobeir Niknafs found space between the back- The Korea Republic player Rayyan will aim to end their be easy and we respect Al Shor- rahman Ghareeb’s strike 11 min- worked hard in order to regain missed with his shot after a line but his shot lacked the fi re- then almost turned provider in campaign with a win against ta a lot because they are a good utes from time as they fell 2-1.