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TENNIS | Page 7 Federer and Nadal on track as Sharapova dazzles Thursday, January 17, 2019 FOOTBALL Jumada I 11, 1440 AH Son sparks GULF TIMES South Korea to win over China SPORT Page 3 PREVIEW Proud Sanchez says Qatar FOCUS eager to top group Teams put politics ‘We are very proud of our performance, especially in the last game. aside before Asian It was a very good result but we must keep looking forward’ Cup meeting By John Duerden have done well so far and go into The Guardian the game with two wins each, meaning they have already quali- fi ed for the last 16. That may take o wonder the Asian off some of the edge and both Football Confederation camps have been trying to play it bans all talk of politics all down, saying that there is little at its competitions. prospect of past episodes such as NPlenty of games on the continent the 2017 Gulf Cup when the Saudi come with off -pitch baggage: the and Emirati teams withdrew from Korean Derby, Iran v Iraq and Vi- press conferences that contained etnam v Cambodia to name just a Qatari broadcasters. few but, traditionally, Saudi Ara- The Qatar spokesperson, Ali bia v Qatar has not been anything Salat, was very positive before to write home about. Not until the game. “Everything has gone now. These days you cannot write smoothly since we arrived in the home to Riyadh if you are in Doha Emirates,” he said, adding that the and vice versa and that is just one six-hour journey was not too bad. reason why today’s Asian Cup “We are looking forward to the clash between the two is eagerly Saudi Arabia game.” awaited. Handshakes will take place, Some have been calling the say offi cials, and the game will be meeting in Abu Dhabi, the capi- played in the right spirit. tal of the host nation the United Salat agrees that not shaking Arab Emirates (UAE), the “Block- hands had not crossed Qatari ade Derby”. The UAE – along with minds. “Football is a message of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt peace. The slogan of the compe- – cut off diplomatic relations with tition is ‘bringing Asia together’ Qatar in 2017. and we are going to follow that There is no political solution in during the competition.” sight and there have been football The message on the fi eld may consequences. When Qatar were be one of peace and fair play but thrashing North Korea 6-0 last off it the issues are unlikely to be Sunday, the only positive for the solved soon. “The notion that small band of DPRK cheerlead- football can help is delusion- ers was that there were virtually ary,” James Dorsey, an expert in no Qatari fans to rub their noses Middle Eastern football politics, in it. The usual 45-minute fl ight said. “Football can only be a fac- Qatar players train ahead of their match against Saudi Arabia today. from Doha to Abu Dhabi has be- tor in an environment that is come a pain, and that is even you conducive to a solution, it can’t AFC The group winners will face will plan well, as we did for the Arabia and we must plan for a “We have maximum confi- are allowed in at all. Even when the create that environment.” Abu Dhabi the Group D runners-up, either other matches, as we want to good game tomorrow.” dence in the players and have AFC forced the UAE to host Qatari Dorsey sees the blockade as Iran or Iraq, while the runners- win the group,” said Sanchez. Sanchez also hailed his play- no preference as to who we clubs in the 2018 Asian Champi- an unsuccessful attempt to force up will go up against the top- “It is going to be a tough ers for their determination to could play in the Round of 16. ons League, it has not always gone Qatar to follow the regional line nockout stage qualifi- placed team from Group F — ei- game but hopefully, we can get do well in the AFC Asian Cup. We have an ambition to win the smoothly. Wesley Sneijder and set by the Saudis and its allies. cation may have been ther Japan or Uzbekistan. the result we desire,” said the “Their focus has been only on title and every match is equally his Al Gharafa teammates took 18 “It has failed to break Qatar’s re- sealed but both Saudi Both coaches — Saudi Ara- Spaniard. the tournament and they have difficult,” he added. hours to get there last February. solve and/or garner international KArabia and Qatar’s bia’s Juan Antonio Pizzi and Sanchez said Qatar’s confi- been working very hard, before Saudi Arabia go into the tie Both Saudi Arabia and Qatar support.” game plan for their final AFC Felix Sanchex of Qatar — were dence has been boosted by their we came here and even now. having defeated DPR Korea 4-0 Asian Cup UAE 2019 Group E adamant that their teams would two wins so far — a 2-0 triumph The players are all progressing and Lebanon 2-0, results which tie today will not hinge on who play to win. over a tough Lebanon and a 6-0 well and that is very important.” have boosted the confidence of SPOTLIGHT their possible Round of 16 op- Qatar, said Sanchez, have defeat of DPR Korea, which saw Meanwhile, Saudi coach Pizzi Pizzi’s players. ponents might be. The match prepared for the match just as Almoez Ali scoring four goals. said he doesn’t care who their “Qatar is a team with many will begin at 7pm Qatar Time. they did for the ties against “We are very proud of our next opponents would be. qualities and they have good Both go into the match with Lebanon and DPR Korea. performance, especially in the “I have never played a match strikers. However, we are also Al-Attiyah on verge a perfect record of two wins, “We are doing exactly the last game. It was a very good in anticipation of who our next doing well collectively and with Qatar only needing a draw same as we have for the other result but we must keep looking opponents will be and that is I have full confidence that to win the group on goal differ- games but we know it is a match forward. exactly how we will go into the my players can get the three of third Dakar title ence. which will decide top spot. We “The focus now is on Saudi match tomorrow,” said Pizzi. points.” AFP the Dakar. Pisco, Peru “The Dakar is really diffi cult. Every day we work very hard to Qatar goalkeeper al-Sheeb hails be fast and not make mistakes. atar’s Nasser al-Attiyah The car is good, the buggy is a team spirit ahead of Saudi clash virtually wrapped up a good car. We’ve followed our third Dakar Rally title strategy from the beginning. yesterday as Stephane “We’ve been leading since Abu Dhabi: QPeterhansel’s hopes of a 14th tri- stage three and building up the Qatar goalkeeper eight times to top the table on Saad al-Sheeb has praised the goal diff erence from the also umph on the world’s most gruel- gap every day, we’re quite happy.” sense of unity in the team at perfect Saudis. ling race suff ered a painful end. While 2011 and 2015 champion the Asian Cup and is relishing “When we came here, it was with Al-Attiyah, driving a Toyota, al-Attiyah was consolidating his a head-to-head encounter with the plan of taking it one game at claimed his third stage of this domination, 13-time winner Pe- Saudi Arabia on Thursday to a time,” al-Sheeb said. “After two year’s event and will head into terhansel was forced to quit after decide the winner of Group E. wins, our confidence has been today’s fi nal 112km run into Lima only 26 kilometres of the 313km While forwards Almoez Ali, tour- boosted. We will prepare well for with an overall lead of 51min ninth stage after a bad land- nament top scorer on five goals, the match and our aim is to get 27sec over Mini driver Nani ing that injured co-driver David and Akram Afif have drawn the three points.” Roma who was second yesterday, Castera’s back. praise, al-Sheeb says it was a col- While consideration is some- almost fi ve minutes behind on “After a big impact, Castera lective eff ort which brought wins times given to the merit of finish- the day. complained of severe back pain over Lebanon and North Korea ing first or second, tricky last 16 “Until now everything has and was transported to Lima hos- for the 2022 World Cup hosts. ties await both teams. The group gone very well and tomorrow we pital,” said a spokesman for Pete- “Almoez and Akram are very winners will meet Iran or Iraq just need to bring everything to- rahansel’s X-Raid team. good players and with the help while the runners-up face Japan gether in Lima,” said al-Attiyah Peterhansel, 53, had won two of the other players, have helped or Uzbekistan. “Our spirit is high after his 34th career stage win on stages in this year’s race, but had Qatar progress,” al-Sheeb said as we really want to do well in slipped well adrift of the overall Wednesday.