GGOLFOLF | Page 3 MMOTORSPORTOTORSPORT | Page 4 Landry beats Marquez wins Mullinax for 6th consecutive fi rst PGA win MotoGP of the at Texas Americas Tuesday, April 24, 2018 FOOTBALL Sha’baan 8, 1439 AH Liverpool’s Klopp GULF TIMES urges fans to show respect to Roma SPORT Page 7 EMIR CUP PREVIEW Depleted Markhiya Wakrah, Mesaimeer face Shamal today By Sports Reporter Doha l Markhiya will clash with Al Shamal, while enter second round Al Kharaitiyat take on Al Shahania in the Afi rst round matches of HH The Emir Cup. For Markhiya, it will Wakrah trailed Qatar SC by two be a tough task against Shamal, in the absences of many play- goals after half an hour but ers. Markhiya’s Tunisian coach Adel al-Sellimi said he will have Markhiya coach Adel al-Sellimi. staged a remarkable comeback to do without several players due to suspension and injuries, By Sports Reporter Mesaimeer beat QNB Stars most notably Ammar Hamsane, Doha League side Al Ahli 3-1 on pen- Reeben Solaqa, Lawrence, Ab- alties. Both the teams had failed delkader Elias and Nasser El Nasr. to score in regulation time at Salih al-Yahri and Mohamed l Wakrah scripted a Suheim bin Hamad Stadium. Salah al-Nil are also doubtful sensational come- Mesaimeer will face Al Sailiya in for today’s match. However, al- back to edge out Qatar the next round on April 29th. Sellimi was confi dent his reserve Sports Club 3-2 in the Ahmed Mubarak, Abdullah players will rise to the challenge. Afi rst round of HH The Emir Cup al-Hajjaji and Mohamed Faid “Our ambition is to go as far as match yesterday. Lamsemir found the net for Me- possible in the Emir Cup. We will At the Suheim bin Hamad saimeer, while Hamza Younis go all out to win against Shamal. Stadium, Wakrah were trailing was the lone scorer for Ahli. It will not be an easy match, and Al Shamal coach Silvio Diliberto. by two goals under half an hour Mesaimeer had qualifi ed for it’s hard to predict the outcome,” as Patrick Luis Fabiano struck a the second phase of the champi- he said. Second division team Al hard to predict Cup matches, brace to put Qatar SC’s one foot onship after fi nishing third in the Shamal qualifi ed for the main adding that the game is of great in the second round. Fabiano was second division, while Al Ahli draw of HH The Emir Cup with importance to them, especially in fi ne form as he troubled Wak- qualifi ed after fi nishing ninth in a 2-0 win over fellow minnows after their promotion to the QNB rah’s with his runs inside the box. the QNB Stars Tournament. Muaither. Shamal coach Silvio Stars League. Al Kharaitiyat, who The fi rst goal came in the third HH The Emir Cup is the most Diliberto said it was a very im- beat Al Wakrah in the play-off minute with Omari’s perfect pass prestigious domestic football portant tournament for his team. to stay in the QNB Stars League fi nding Fabiano, who slotted tournament and brings down the “The second division teams last week, will be confi dent go- home with a second touch. Fabi- curtains on the nine-month long are expected to go out in the fi rst ing into the match. The play-off ano then made it 2-0 in the 30th football season in Qatar. The round itself, but we want to prove was between QNB Stars League’s minute with a header. event off ers a chance for lower everyone wrong,” Diliberto said 11th-placed team Al Kharaitiyat But Wakrah were given a lucky division teams to test their met- yesterday. “Some of my players and Second Division runners-up reprieve thanks to a own goal by tle against the big guns as they are on the verge of retirement Al Wakrah. Qatar SC defender Ahmed al- bid to qualify for the fi nal at the and they hope to end on a win- Kharaitiyat’s coach Yasser al- Abakar. But still Qatar SC were Khalifa Stadium on May 19. ning note. The team has some Sebaei said that having succeed- dominating the game and were a The top four teams in the QNB very talented young players, ed in staying in the league now goal ahead at the half-time, with Stars League – Al Duhail, Al who are looking to impress in the they have switched their focus promise of more goals in the sec- Sadd, Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa tournament,” he added. to HH The Emir Cup. Al-Sebaei ond half. But Wakrah had other will kick off their campaigns Meanwhile, Al Shahania coach said: “Shahaniya is a hard work- ideas. Four minutes into second directly from the quarter-fi nal Jose Gonzalez was confi dent ing team. The draw is a diffi cult half, Hamad al-Hassan equal- stage of the competition, where of his team winning against Al one for us because Shahaniya are ised for Wakrah, before Prince they will be joined by four other Kharaitiyat, the second match second division champions are Ibara snatched a third goal and teams who will have to work their of the day which will kick-off at one of the diffi cult team to face lead in the 58th minute. Despite way up from rounds one and two. 8pm. “The team has prepared in the fi rst round.” Kharaitiyat’s repeated Qatar SC raids, Wakrah Second division teams will for the match and played several coach revealed that the team managed to hold on to the lead seek to capture the spotlight from friendly matches, and they know would miss Anwar Deppa due to and set-up a second round clash top-fl ight outfi ts although that that facing Kharitiyat will be an injury, as well as Abdulaziz al- with Al Arabi on April 28th. usually proves a tall order as the Al Wakrah’s Prince Ibara (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Qatar SC in the first important test,” said Gonzalez. Ansari and al-Khamasi and goal- In another fi rst round match, gulf in class is far too obvious. round of HH The Emir Cup at the Suheim bin Hamad Stadium yesterday. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil The Shahania coach felt it is keeper Ahmed Sufi an. SPOTLIGHT Clash of titans as Sadd face Duhail in Qatar Cup fi nal hen Al Sadd take on Al Duhail in the Qatar Cup fi nal on Friday, 27th April, it Wwill indeed be a clash of titans. The match will kick off at 19:00 at the Al Sadd Stadium. Al Sadd reached the fi nal by edging arch-rivals Al Rayyan 6-2 on penalties after the regu- lar time ended in a 2-2 draw. Al Duhail’s path to the title was relatively easier as they prevailed over Al Gharafa by a 6-1 margin in the second semi-fi nal. Al Sadd will not only be look- ing to retain the cup, which they won beating erstwhile El Jaish last year, but will also seek their second title of the season. They had lifted the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup by defeating Al Duhail in the one-off match. The Wolves will also have a point to prove as they fi nished runners-up to Al Duhail in the recently-concluded QNB Stars Al Sadd reached the final by edging arch-rivals Al Rayyan 6-2 on penalties. Al Duhail’s path to the final was relatively easier as they beat Al Gharafa 6-1 in the second semi-final. League. Interestingly, Al Sadd had beaten Al Rayyan in the football at the moment. Natu- Ismail Mohamed and Nam Tae- In midfi eld, Al Sadd have Meanwhile, Al Sadd and Al Du- ning such a close match. Al Rayyan another championship and we’ll semi-fi nal in last season’s tour- rally, sparks are bound to fl y. Hee, who scored a hat-trick in Spain and Barcelona great Xavi hail have progressed to the AFC also played very well. We hope to work hard to win it to add to the nament as well. Al Duhail will be The Red Knights will be with- the semi-fi nal. Similarly, the Hernandez (captain), Algerian Champions League’s Round of have another strong performance QNB Stars League title. I think looking to regain the Cup which out injured attacking midfi elder Al Duhail defence, consisting Jugurtha Hamroun and Salem 16 as Qatar’s other representa- in the fi nal,” al-Haydous said. our players are ready to clinch they won in the 2014-15 season Youssef Msakni, but Al Sadd’s of Lucas Mendes, Mohammed al-Hajri, while Al Duhail have tives (Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa) Luis Martin was fully con- our second title this season,” said in the name of Lekhwiya before defenders — Morteza Mohamed, Moussa, Khaled Muftah and Mu- captain Karim Boudiaf and Luis bowed out in the group stage. vinced Al Duhail deserved to be Luis. their merger with El Jaish to form Abdulkarim Hassan, Hamed Is- rad Naji, will struggle to contain Martin to pull the strings in the Al-Haydous said he was look- in the fi nal. “My teammates pre- The fi nal will also be noted for the new team. mail and Pedro will have a tough rival attackers such as Algerian middle. It will also be a battle ing forward to the fi nal.