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FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 3 NNBABA | Page 5 PSG seem Westbrook set to bet on triple as unproven Thunder seal Tuchel play-off spot Wednesday, April 11, 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES Rajab 25, 1439 AH South Africa’s GULF TIMES Semenya smashes Zola Budd’s mark SPORT Page 6 FOOTBALL RALLYINGSPOTLIGHT Al Shamal qualify Asia Cup shift ed to for Emir Cup draw UAE over The main draw of Qatar’s richest tournament will be held today at a gala ceremony India-Pak cricket row Reuters Pakistan announces Kuala Lumpur probable team for Ireland, England tour ricket’s Asia Cup has been moved from In- Karachi: Pakistan yesterday dia to the United Arab announced its initial 25-mem- Emirates over Pakistan’s ber squad for the upcoming Crefusal to cross the border, as re- tours of Ireland and England, lations simmer between the arch with fast bowler Wahab Riaz rivals, the Asian Cricket Council out of favour and key spinner said yesterday. Yasir Shah ruled out with injury. The biennial event was due to The probable team members be held in India in September, will join a training camp in sparking protests from the Pa- Lahore from April 18-22 before kistan Cricket Board (PCB) who leaving for the UK a day later called for the event to be relo- to acclimatise ahead of what is cated. “This year’s Asia Cup is expected to be a tough series. moved out of India to UAE and Pakistan will play Ireland in will be held from September 13- the only Test in Dublin from 28,” Sultan Rana, the Asian Crick- May 11-15 — Ireland’s first since et Council (ACC) development being granted Test status last and event manager, told AFP. year — before playing two Tests India has suspended bilateral against England, starting at cricket ties with Pakistan since Lord’s from May 24 with the the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, second at Leeds from June 1. which New Delhi blamed on mili- Team (probable): Sarfraz tants based across the border. Ahmed, Azhar Ali, Sami Aslam, However India has contin- Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar ued to square off with Pakistan Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman in international events like the Salahuddin, Fawad Alam, Saad Al Shamal players celebrate their second goal against Muaither at the Qatar Sports Club stadium yesterday. At bottom, Muathier coach Philippe Burle shows his frustration. 2016 Asia Cup in Bangladesh, the Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Bilal Asif, World Twenty20 at home and Mohamed Asghar, Shadab By Sports Reporter big guns, although it’s rare for a non top- ni and Jose Nunez Montiel constantly the 2017 Champions Trophy in Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohamed Doha fl ight team to actually lay their hands on threatened the Muaither defence with England. The Asia Cup has been Amir, Mohamed Abbas, Hasan the prestigious trophy. some clever thinking and crisp passing. marred by strained Indo-Pak re- Ali, Rahat Ali, Mir Hamza, Mo- Al Shamal were clearly the dominant One such move produced the Al lations since its inception when hamed Rizwan, Faheem Ashraf, econd division team Al Shamal side yesterday as they made their inten- Shamal’s second goal when Paraguayan the UAE hosted it in 1984. Two Hussain Talat, Shaheen Shah qualifi ed for the main draw of HH tions clear right from the start and tested Montiel struck from close off an assist years later, India pulled out of the Afridi, Musa Khan. The Emir Cup with a 2-0 win over the Muaither defence at regular intervals. from al-Shibani in the 53rd minute. event in Sri Lanka, while Pakistan fellow minnows Muaither at the But after going close on a number of Muaither produced a brief a brief pur- refused to send its team to India SQatar Sports Club stadium yesterday. occasions, Al Shamal were able to break ple match in the midfi eld but were unable when it hosted the cup in 1991. earlier this month when India re- HH The Emir Cup, the main draw of through only in the 38th minute with to breach the Al Shamal defence. With Pakistan and India unable fused to send their team to Paki- which will be held at a gala ceremony to- Mohamed Hares scored with a power- Al Shamal coach Silvio Diliberto was to host, Bangladesh held three stan to compete. day, is the most lucrative domestic foot- ful right-footed shot from just inside the pleased with his team’s performance. straight Asian Cups from 2012 to “Emerging Cup will now be ball tournament and brings down the penalty area. Muaither hardly made their “I am very happy with the performance 2016. hosted jointly by Pakistan and Sri curtains on the nine-month long football presence felt in terms of goal-worthy of the boys. We played to a plan and we Rana said six Asian teams will Lanka in December this year,” said season in Qatar. moves and in a sense were fortunate to go stuck through by dominating possession. compete in the 50-over Asia Cup. Rana. The event off ers a chance to lower divi- down by just two goals. Now we hope to have a favourable draw Meanwhile, the ACC Emerg- India will play its Emerging sion teams to test their mettle against the The Shamal trio of Hares, Ali al-Shiba- when it is held tomorrow,” said Diliberto. ing Asia Cup was also jeopardised Cup matches in Sri Lanka. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Ronaldo looking better than ever at age 33 AFP “Cristiano is Cristiano, it’s always been like a Madrid derby, without any protest, is a meas- Madrid that,” coach Zinedine Zidane said after Ronaldo ure of how the Champions League is now all- opened the scoring against Atletico Madrid on encompassing for Los Blancos. Sunday. “There’s no other player in the team “He is intelligent,” Zidane said about Ron- ristiano Ronaldo has already bro- that scores like he does.” aldo’s substitution. “There are moments where ken one record in this year’s Cham- There is no doubt Ronaldo’s game is now he does not play and others where he does. He pions League but against Juventus in more streamlined and therefore more geared needs it, he knows that and he is better every Ctheir quarter-fi nal return today he towards goals than perhaps it has ever been be- day.” can edge closer to beating a bigger milestone of fore. To preserve his fi tness and energy, he ac- Luka Modric and Karim Benzema were also his own. Ronaldo’s bicycle kick in Real Madrid’s cepts less touches and covers less ground. left out of the starting line-up at the Santiago 3-0 fi rst leg victory last week ensured he passed The touches he takes and the spaces he fi nds Bernabeu while Bale played 90 minutes, an in- Ruud van Nistelrooy’s feat by scoring in 10 con- are aimed at creating the greatest chance of dicator the Welshman is set for another Euro- secutive Champions League games. hitting the net. Even Zidane’s system is suited pean snub in midweek. But the Portuguese also now stands just three to accommodating this predatorial Ronaldo, a Bale’s fi rst choice is still to regain favour un- goals short of his best ever tally in a single Eu- 4-4-2, with Karim Benzema playing the sup- der Zidane and then stay at Real this summer ropean campaign, an achievement that would porting role and wingers, instructed to supply but his coach is showing little sign of softening. suggest this Ronaldo, aged 33, may even be the deliveries into the box. Zidane made three substitutions last week in fi nest version yet. His 14 goals so far have come When Ronaldo volleyed in from eight yards Turin but Bale remained rooted to the bench. If over nine matches and featured doubles against against Atletico, it was a simple cross to the Real score one, which they have not failed to do APOEL, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Ger- back post from Gareth Bale that provided it. In in 24 Champions League games, Juve will need main and Juventus. this mould, Ronaldo could be terrorising goal- four. “We do not cry to each other and we go to It means this is Ronaldo’s third most pro- keepers for a fair few years yet. Madrid with the desire to have a good race. In lifi c Champions League showing to date already Zidane withdrew his star player in the 64th football and in life you never know,” Juve de- and, with Real almost certain to reach the semi- minute last weekend, despite the match being fender Giorgio Chiellini said after a 4-2 win at fi nals, he is unlikely to fi nish here. When he delicately poised at 1-1 after Antoine Griez- Benevento on Saturday. “The game is long and posted 16 goals in the 2015-16 tournament and mann’s equaliser. The draw keeps Atletico four therefore we will need some balance but to do it his personal best of 17 in 2013-14, both times points clear of Real, and favourites for second will also take a pinch of healthy madness from Real were crowned champions. place in La Liga, but Ronaldo going off early in everyone.” Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT Ronaldo a symbol of Real like Di Stefano, says Zidane Di Stefano was the face of Real’s domination during the 1950s and 1960s, when they won five European Cups AFP “There are diffi cult times but in the Madrid Champions League, when you look at the trajectory of this club, it is impres- sive and nobody has reached this level.

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