CRICKET | Page 5 TTENNISENNIS | Page 6 Ashwin Novak’s back, six-for puts but is he still To Advertise here India in the Shanghai Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 fi rm control Master? Tuesday, October 11, 2016 GOLF Muharram 10, 1438 AH Tiger enters the GULF TIMES unknown under competitive spotlight SPORT Page 7 PREVIEW: 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Winless Qatar take on gritty Syria in crucial encounter ‘There are technical and tactical details but the most important will be the mentality. The target will be to focus only on the game and not on the table. And if we play well we can win this game’ By Joe Koraith Doha hree matches. Zero points. Currently at the bottom of the standings. Qatar’s 2018 World Cup campaign hasn’t taken off Tyet. Today they take on Syria in their fourth match looking to fi nally kick- start their ‘Road to Russia’ dream. And this match would be just about the right time to get those precious points and give some wings to that dream of qualifying for the World Cup. Out of the six-team Group A, two teams earn direct qualifi cation and the third-placed team will qualify for the play-off round. Qatar have so far lost to Iran and South Korea – the two Asian power- houses expected to earn direct qualifi - cation. But it was their shock 1-0 loss to Uzbekistan that put a huge spanner in the works. In their last match against South Korea, under new coach Jorge Fossati, Qatar showed a lot of fi ghting spirit and were leading at the half-way mark. But two goals in two minutes, at the start of the second half, changed the complexion of the game from which Qatar never recovered. Fossati wants Qatar to play like they did against Ko- rea – barring those sketchy 15 minutes. “If we analyse the last game, the fi rst 15 minutes of the second half were the only bad phase that Qatar had during the entire match. The other 75 minutes, considering the quality of the opponents, was the best perform- ance by the Qatar team so far,” said Qatar coach Jorge Fossati (top) conducts a training session ahead of his team’s 2018 World Cup third round qualification match against Syria today. (Right) Striker Sebastian Soria during training yesterday. Fossati yesterday. “The team started the second half tors have an extremely solid defence, quipped: “Football has always had two that would be a remarkable story. “It DETERMINED thinking about keeping that partial having conceded just one goal in three posts. One you need to defend and the would be a historic achievement. We result we had. We cannot go into the matches so far. And they will be look- other you need to attack. And the team don’t have a complete picture yet, but second half with that kind of focus. ing to park the bus against Qatar too who does that well, wins.” it’ll be a great achievement for us if we It happens subconsciously and that’s and go on the counter at every avail- Syria coach Ayman al-Hakeem is overcome all these obstacles and earn Japan to bring courage what I had a talk with the players able opportunity. hoping for another committed, de- qualifi cation,” added al-Hakeem. about,” he added. Fossati accepted that it will be a fensive performance from his boys. Fossati will be hoping to fi nd that The Uruguayan believes that if the tough match for his team. “We will be “We know Qatar like to go on the at- chink in the armour and get that all- against Asia’s best, says Qatar players exhibit the right men- facing a tough opponent. Their results tack a lot. There will be pressure but important elusive win. And for that he tality, they will end up winners to- speak about their performance. They for us that’s a constant factor because wants his players to forget the past and day. “There are technical and tactical play physical football. But we will do we’re always playing away from home. give it all in this game. “I understand coach Halilhodzic details but the most important will our best to play our style of football. I We’re overcoming the diffi culties with the nervousness about the results. But be the mentality. The target will be to believe our players have the quality to our high morale and team spirit,” he we need to focus only on the game, not Reuters “We are in a diffi cult situation but focus only on the game and not on the achieve a win,” said the experienced said. think about the past, not think about Melbourne mentally maybe we will be better. table. And if we play well we can win veteran coach. While it’s still early days, Syria do the standings. I believe we can win,” We play against the Asian champi- this game,” he stressed. When asked about his strategy have an outside chance to qualify and said Fossati. Qatar supporters will be ons, the best team in Asia and we The focus on the table is evident, in- for the next game, the 63-year-old considering the trouble back home, hoping his words come true today. apan coach Vahid Halilhodzic are very motivated. Each player is escapable almost because of the dire has shrugged off injury concerns thinking to win this game” circumstances that the home team fi nds ahead of today’s 2018 World Cup itself in. But Fossati believes that with Qatar vs Syria – How they stack up qualifi er against Australia and play against the Asian champions, the 21 points still on off er, Qatar still has a Jdefended his team’s slow start to the best team in Asia and we are very mo- Qatar are rooted to the foot of Group only option against Syria is to win the FORM strong chance to qualify for the fi nals. A after suff ering a third consecutive match in order to get back on track. Qatar WWLLL fi nal phase for Russia. tivated. Each player is thinking to win “It’s not true that this match is the loss at the hands of Korea Republic, “We have already forgotten the match Syria WDLDW Japan opened their campaign with this game.” last opportunity for us. Everybody while opponents Syria picked up their against Korea Republic and our main a surprise home loss to United Arab Since Australia joined the Asian has seven games left. Even if we win first three points of the campaign as focus is the match against Syria, HOW THEY FARED ON MD3 Emirates and their last-gasp win over Football Confederation (AFC) in 2006, against Syria, nothing is certain. It an impressive 1-0 victory in China which is very important for us. Our Korea Republic 3-2 Qatar Iraq in Saitama on Thursday did little the teams have developed a fi erce ri- might look like it’s impossible but I kept their World Cup dream alive. opponents are very strong and their Goals from Hasan al-Haydos and to ease the pressure on the 63-year-old valry, facing off at the 2006 World Cup believe that only in next 3-4 games, results show that we must put in a lot Sebastian Soria saw Qatar take a 2-1 Bosnian, who has endured heavy criti- in Germany and in the 2011 Asian Cup the scenario will become clear,” said KEY POINTS of eff ort to win the game tomorrow.” lead into the interval against 10-man cism from a disgruntled home media. fi nal, which Japan won. Fossati. Jorge Fossati insists Qatar must de- Korea Republic at Suwon World Cup Having already lost forward Yoshi- Japan have not lost to Australia in Syria, meanwhile, have been upset- feat Syria in order to get qualification Ayman al-Hakim, Syria Stadium, yet Son Heung-min’s winner nori Muto and attacking midfi elder seven years but have been unable to ting the odds in this qualifying cam- campaign back on track. “We want to have a positive result made it three straight defeats for the Takashi Usami to injuries before the beat them in their last four World Cup paign. They have secured an impres- Syria’s Ayman al-Hakim says win over against a strong team who haven’t Qataris. But Fossati has been pleased Iraq game, Halilhodzic may be without qualifi ers, including a 2-1 loss in their sive 1-0 win against China in their China gave his team a “big boost”. had good results lately. But they have with the team’s performance for the Shinji Okazaki in Melbourne, with the last Melbourne showdown in 2009. last match and have four points from Qatar looking to secure first points good players and I’m sure that they majority of the match and will be hop- Leicester City striker missing training Halilhodzic did not hesitate to declare their three matches so far. The visi- of their Russia 2018 Asian Qualifying are looking for a good result regard- ing that his boys deliver the high-level on Sunday after hurting his ankle in the Australia favourites for the match and Third Round campaign; Syria have less of their current position in the performance which they showed Saitama match. warned his players to brace for huge pres- Today’s Fixtures four points from three games. group. against these high-quality opponents. Halilhodzic declined to comment on sure from highly physical opponents.