16 Monday, January 7, 2019 Sports

Asian Cup 2019 Debutants Philippines face mighty S Korea Sven-Goran Eriksson eyes shock win against Bento’s South Korea

afc.com that we try to play our way as Dubai well. “Korea Republic is a big The Philippines are one of team, yes that’s for sure, but three AFC Asian Cup debu- the Philippines is a big team tants and will begin their as well from a big country. Group C campaign against Ko- You will see tomorrow, that rea Republic, but head coach we have a lot of good football Sven-Goran Eriksson is aiming players. I’m sure that they are to spring a surprise on the two- going out tomorrow, the start- time champions at the Al Mak- ing-11, they are coming out to toum Stadium on Monday. give Korea Republic a fight. “Of course we don’t have “On paper, they are the the easiest of opponents in strongest team in our group this tournament, we’re meet- and one of the strongest in the ing one of the favourites to win tournament, we know that, the Asian Cup but there are al- but that’s on paper, we will see ways, now and then, surprises how that is in reality.” in football,” expressed Eriks- Group C includes a Mar- son. “So why not even tomor- cello Lippi-led China PR and row?” Kyrgyz Republic, who will also Speaking at the pre-match be making their debut in the press conference in Dubai, Continental showpiece. Eriksson wasn’t shy to show While many have picked Manchester City’s English midfielder Phil Foden (left) celebrates with Riyad Mahrez (centre) and Raheem Sterling after scoring a goal during their English FA Cup third round match his excitement in leading the Korea Republic as the tourna- at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Sunday. (afp) Azkals to their opening match ment favourites, head coach of the Continental showpiece, Paulo Bento has his feet declaring: “We are, of course, planted firmly on the ground, excited as most teams are be- emphasising his respect for cause you’re about to play the teams competing in the UAE first game in such a big tour- 2019 and acknowledging that City hit Rotherham 7-0, nament. it would be to their detriment “We have a team that has to underestimate their oppo- never been on this stage be- nents. fore, so that is very good for “We are going to respect the whole country, the squad all the teams that we are going Oldham blow for Fulham and everybody.” to play, and tomorrow we will Although the Philippines have this behaviour since the face the daunting task of play- beginning of the game, and we Barnet are the only non-league side in the 4th round after a 1-0 win to Championship club Sheffield United ing Korea Republic, who will had this behaviour since the be making their 14th appear- beginning of our preparations, afp Fourth-tier Newport ance, Eriksson isn’t entirely which is the most important,” London Results County are at home to Premier concerned about his oppo- said Bento, who replaced Shin Millwall 2 - 1 Hull City League Leicester in Sunday’s nents. Tae-yong at the helm last Au- Premier League champions Preston 1 - 3 Doncaster 1630 GMT kick-off. “When you meet such a gust. Manchester City began their Fulham 1 - 2 Oldham On Saturday, FA Cup hold- good team, of course you’d “A big mistake would be FA Cup campaign with a 7-0 ers Chelsea cruised to a 2-0 win have to look at how are they that if we think the game is go- thrashing of Rotherham on Man City 7 - 0 Rotherham over Nottingham Forest in what playing, what they are good at, ing to be easy. That is the worst Sunday but Fulham, battling to Woking 0 - 2 Watford seems certain to have been Cesc what do you think they will do mistake we can make. I believe avoid relegation from English QPR 2 - 1 Leeds United Fabregas’s final match for the against us,” he said. we are not going to make that football’s top-flight, were beat- Sheffield United 0 - 1 Blues. It was the same result as I think we have studied (mistake). I believe in my play- en 2-1 by fourth-tier Oldham. Barnet Manchester United beat Read- them enough, we think we ers in the way that they are go- Barnet ensured there would ing to make it five wins out of know what they will be try- ing to play. be a non-league presence in the Newport County 2 - 1 five under caretaker boss Ole ing to do tomorrow but at the “Our focus in this moment, fourth round with a 1-0 win Leicester City Gunnar Solskjaer. same time if you concentrate is the game that we are going away to second-tier Champion- Arsenal, the record 13-times everything on how Korea Re- to play tomorrow. After that, ship club Sheffield United. FA Cup winners, won 3-0 at public play, we will lose our we will think about the second, Manchester City manager Hornets debut at non-league Blackpool, West Ham beat Bir- identity. It is very important and after that, the third.” Pep Guardiola may have made Oldham interim manager Pete Wild celebrates with his players after Woking. mingham 2-0 and Everton de- eight changes from the team their FA Cup Third Round match at Craven Cottage in London on But hopes of Woking, 110 feated Lincoln 2-1. that beat Premier League lead- Sunday. (reuters) places adrift of the Hornets, Saturday also saw Cham- ers Liverpool on Thursday but enjoying a shock win suffered pionship club Bristol City beat still fielded a strong side for Sane added further goals. stuff,” said Oldham boss Pete a setback when Will Hughes top-flight basement club Hud- the visit of Championship side “We are going to try and Wild. “The character in the curled in a 13th-minute shot dersfield 1-0. Rotherham, with Raheem Ster- do well in every competition dressing room is phenom- from the edge of the area. Elsewhere, in an all-Pre- ling, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel we play in,” Guardiola told the enal.” Elsewhere, Barnet beat Watford made it 2-0 16 mier League clash, Brighton Jesus all starting as playmaker BBC. Turning to Foden, he Championship high-flyersminutes from time when Troy won 3-1 away to south coast ri- Kevin De Bruyne returned from added: “He missed some sim- Sheffield United thanks to Deeney scored from close range. vals Bournemouth. injury. ple passes and he needs to be Shaquile Coulthirst’s 21st- “It was a good perfor- Second division Derby, Sterling made it 1-0 in the solid but he is young. When he minute penalty. “It’s unbeliev- mance,” Gracia told BT Sport. managed by ex-England mid- 12th minute and City then attacks the central defenders he able -- that’s the only word I “I was sure it was the best op- fielder Frank Lampard, came scored twice in the closing stag- is incredible.” - ‘Phenomenal’ have at the minute,” said Bar- tion for us (to change the side) from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 es of the first half. Oldham -Denis Odoi put Ful- net captain Callum Reynolds because we knew it would be with Premier League strugglers Phil Foden, the England ham ahead in the 52nd minute after the north London club’s a demanding game.” Millwall Southampton. Under-21 international, got on at Craven Cottage but Sam Stur- triumph. came from a goal down to beat Newcastle were also held to the end of a cross from Ilkay ridge drew Oldham level with a “I mean they (Sheffield Championship rivals Hull 2-1, a draw, 1-1 against second-tier Gundogan in the 43rd minute penalty before Callum Lang’s United) are third in the Cham- substitute Shane Ferguson Blackburn. to score his first home goal for header two minutes from time pionship and we beat them at scoring twice inside the closing Premier League lead- City before Rotherham defend- sealed a comeback win. their ground.” Watford manag- eight minutes. ers Liverpool will complete a er Semi Ajayi turned the ball Daniel Iversen compound- er Javi Gracia changed his en- QPR defeated Champion- third round that started with into his own net. ed Fulham’s misery by saving tire starting side from the team ship leaders Leeds by the same Tottenham’s 7-0 thrashing of Jesus made it 4-0 early in an Aleksandar Mitrovic penalty that drew 3-3 at Bournemouth, scoreline, Jake Bidwell grab- Tranmere on Friday when they the second half before Mahrez, just moments earlier. with Venezuela forward Adal- bing a 75th-minute winner for travel to top-flight rivals Wolves Philippines coach Sven-Goran Eriksson at a press conference in Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy “It is Roy of the Rovers berto Penaranda making his the west London club. on Monday. Dubail on Sunday.

Bayern hand Ribery ‘heavy Al Duhail fire Tunisian World Nakheel, Galfer complete fine’ for angry Tweetstorm Cup coach Nabil Maaloul Worker’s Cup semis line-up afp Salihamidzic. Berlin On Thursday, Ribery IKOLI VICTOR tribune news network Fixtures posted a video on social media doha doha Bayern Munich on Sunday showing him in a Dubai steak Nakheel Landscapes vs Galfar said it will impose “a heavy house owned by celebrity Turk- Qatar league champions Al Nakheel Landscapes, Galfar Al Misnad fine” on Franck Ribery over an ish restauranteur Salt Bae and Duhail have terminated the Al Misnad, Larsen & Toubro Taleb Group vs Larsen & obscenity-laced outburst on rubbing his hands before tuck- contract of Tunisia’s 2018 and Taleb Group all booked Toubro social media, after the French ing into a huge chop coated in World Cup head coach Na- their berths in the semi-finals striker became embroiled in gold. bil Maaloul after just seven of 2019 Workers’ Cup, follow- kheel capitalised on the numeri- controversy for eating a gold- That ostentatious luxury, months in the job, the club ing their quar-terfinal victories cal advantage and added two coated steak. and the reported cost of the announced on its website on on Matchday 5 at the Al Sadd more goals for a 4-0 win. The punishment comes meal, drew ferocious criticism Saturday. Sports Club pitches last Friday. Galfar Al Misnad ensured after Ribery lashed out at crit- before Ribery -- who earns an The statement from the The seventh edition of they would take their place ics in a string of angry posts on estimated eight million euros a six-time QNB Stars League Workers’ Cup, the annual foot- alongside Nakheel in the semi- Twitter and Instagram on Sat- year with the German champi- champions reads: “Al Duhail ball tournament organised by finals after dispatching Medgulf urday. It is the latest scandal to ons -- hit back. club management has reached the Qatar Stars League and Construction 3-0. engulf the 35-year-old, who is “Let’s start with the envi- an agreement with coach Na- sponsored by Supreme Com- It was a tale of two distinct deeply unpopular in his native ous, the angry, surely born bil Maaloul to end his contract mittee for Delivery & Legacy for halves in the third quarterfinal, France but revered by German because of a broken condom,” with the club with mutual con- those involved in the construc- which pitted G4S against free- fans. read the first of the posts on sent and the club management Tunisian and former Al Duhail coach Nabil Maaloul tion sector in Qatar, had started scoring Taleb Group. “I had a long talk with Ribery’s Twitter account. will contract with a new coach on 7 December. Taleb grew into the game Franck and I let him know that “F*ck your mothers, your to take over the responsibility ons League quarter-finals.” in Austria. He led the team to a The final is scheduled for 25 quickly and dominated, but G4S we would impose a heavy fine grandmothers and your whole of the first team in the upcom- “The club management second-place finish in the league January. In the quarter-finals, managed to restrict them to a on him and he accepted it,” the family tree,” he wrote, hav- ing days.” thanks coach Nabil Maaloul for that is currently on break. reigning champions Nakheel one-goal advantage in the first club’s sporting director Hasan ing taken care to sanitise the “Coach Nabil Maaloul was taking the responsibility of the His biggest disappointment took some time to get into their half. Things changed dramati- Salihamidzic told journalists French word “n*quez”. coach of the first team before team in the last period, and they was his inability to take Al Du- groove, but eventually broke cally after half-time as Taleb in Qatar, where the club is on a Salihamidzic made clear the beginning of this season af- wish him success in his upcom- hail to the semi-finals of the down Spartan Ready Mix’s re- stepped on the gas and struck training camp. that Ribery did not pay the bill ter coach Djamel Belmadi left. ing coaching journey.” AFC Champions after they lost sistance, taking a two-goal lead five times more to register a 6-0 “He used words that we, FC himself because he had been in- He succeeded in leading the The 56-year-old who led 3-2 on aggregate to Persepolis into half-time. victory. Bayern, cannot accept and that vited to the restaurant. team in the league champion- Tunisia to qualify for the 2018 of Iran. He also surrendered In the second half, Spartan In what was the most ex- Franck does not have the right “Franck has been slandered ship in which the team is now World Cup in Russia took top spot and lost 3-1 to arch ri- were reduced to 10 men follow- citing game of the day, L&T to use, as a role-model and and insulted,” said Salihamid- in second place, and guided the charge of the Red Knights in vals Al Sadd to end the club’s ing Jabaru Shaibu’s dismissal mounted a thrilling comeback player of FC Bayern,” added zic. team to reach the AFC Champi- July during their training camp unbeaten run in the season. for a second yellow card. Na- to see off Shapporji Pallonji 3-1.