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SPORT Tuesday 10 January 2017 PAGE | 21 PAGE | 23 Thomas wins Messi wonder goal Tournament of saves Barca in draw Champions title with Villarreal QSL: Lekhwiya trounce Al Gharafa Al Khor win Madison scores a brace for Al Khor in crucial 3-1 victory over Al Sailiyah. The Peninsula our-time Qatar Stars League champions Lekhwiya put in a commanding perform- ance against Al Gharafa Fto register a 3-0 win, while Al Khor grabbed vital three points in the 3-1 win over relegation threatened Al Sailiyah. At their home ground, Lekhwiya grabbed two goals in the first half, with Ismaeel Mohammad and Almoez Ali pouncing on errors from Gharafa keeper Yousef Hassan. Whilst substitute Mohammed Muntari Lekhwiya players celebrate after scoring a goal against Al Gharafa in the Qatar Stars League match at Lekhwiya Stadium yesterday. Lekhwiya won 3-1. RIGHT: headed in third mid-way through Action from the match between Al Khor and Al Sailiyah at Al Ahli Stadium yesterday. Pictures: Kammutty VP/The Peninsula the second half. It was the home side Muftah was palmed away by Returning striker Moham- The rest of the first half was two minute after play had awarded a penalty on the 91st Lekhwiya who dominated the Yousef Hassan and Ismael med Muntari put the game to rest finely balanced in terms of pos- restarted, the Brazilian Madison minute. Despite Al Khor’s goal- chances in the opening half. Mohammed was on hand to poke on the 67th minute grabbing his session but neither side created struck again to make it 2-0 from keeper Baba Jibril saving the first After dominating play for in from close range. sides third goal with a close any clear cut chances on goal and ten yards out. attempt, replays showed he left large swathes of the first half, Ali was amongst the chances range header. it went into half time 1-0 to Al Al Sailiyah looked to regain his line before the ball was struck Lekhwiya had the ball in the net and made it count in first half Meanwhile, Al Khor grabbed Khor. their composure and get back and he was sent off with a sec- when defender Khalad Muftah stoppage scoring his sides sec- a vital three points against Al Al Sailiyah suffered a body into the game but any chances ond yellow card his protests to slid in to score from close range, ond goal of the evening, profiting Sailiyah after beating them 3-1. blow when Mostafa Mohamed, of a point were snuffed out when the referee who blew for the however it was adjudged to be from another Yousef Hassan It was Al Khor that got off to took a high boot to the face, giv- Mohsen Yagur found himself in penalty to be retaken. off side by the referee. error. Ismaeel Mohammad a dream start, bagging a goal ing him an immediate swelling the six yard box and in front of Al Khor had already used all However Djamel Belmadi’s pounced on a misplaced pass and with just three minutes gone under his right eye and nasty cut an open goal on the 79th minute their substitutes so up stepped side wasn't to be denied and side footed the ball into the back thanks to a goal from their Bra- on the forehead that took med- to make it 3-0. his outfield teammate, Ali Abdul opened the scoring with five of the net from the distance, zilian import Madison who ics some time to treat. This There was some last minute Karim, who valiantly put the minutes left of the first half. much to the delight of his slotted home from close range stoppage seemed to break Al drama and a consolation goal for gloves on and nearly saved the A deep cross from Khalid team-mates. to give The Knights a 1-0 lead. SailiyaH’s concentration and just Al Sailiya after they were penalty. FA Cup lustre fades as top Maradona backs teams shroud their stars 48-team World Cup Zurich AFP London against top-flight rivals Burnley AFP at the Stadium of Light, which iego Maradona yesterday backed controversial plans to habitually hosts crowds of close expand the World Cup to 48 teams, a day before world foot- eavy squad rotation and to 42,000. Dball's powerful governing council faces a key decision on dwindling attendances And only 5,199 people the issue. Hover the third-round watched Cardiff (average "It sounds like a fantastic idea to me," the 56-year-old, who weekend suggested the FA Cup, attendance 16,414) lose to Ful- inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, told reporters at once the jewel in the crown of ham in a match that kicked off FIFA's Zurich headquarters. English football, is locked in a at the inconvenient hour of 11:30 "This will give more possibilities to countries that have never downward spiral. GMT. reached that level of competition." The FA Cup is the game's It was a different story for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who took charge of the scan- oldest knockout competition, the competition's minnows, dal-tainted world body last year, has made expanding the World dating back 146 years, and however, showing the FA Cup Cup from the current 32 teams the centrepiece of his boasts a history rich with famous continues to hold special mean- administration. upsets and unforgettable finals. ing for those sides closer to the But his plans have faced criticism including warnings that it But it is increasingly seen as base of the English football pyr- will dilute the quality at football's showcase event. an inconvenience for the big amid than the top. "The quality will not fall," said Maradona, dripping with sweat teams, for whom Champions Non-league Sutton United, after rumbling his way through a mini tournament of former foot- League qualification is all- who pulled off a famous upset ball greats and current executives. important, while financial Tottenham's Son Heung-min celebrates scoring their second against Coventry City in 1989, Infantino has been courting support from the game's most concerns mean league position goal with Moussa Sissoko against Aston Villa in the FA Cup saw their attendance leap from powerful figures ahead of today's meeting. is the top priority for many Third Round at White Hart Lane on Sunday. an average of 1,518 to 5,200 for Among those playing on the snow-lined pitch Monday was UEFA smaller clubs. their 0-0 draw at home to third- boss Aleksander Ceferin, who has voiced scepticism towards expan- "The FA Cup is a great com- important challenges ahead. changed his entire starting XI. tier AFC Wimbledon. sion, and CONCACAF chief Victor Montagliani, who is open to a bigger petition, but there are other The Premier League's lead- Liverpool manager Jurgen It was a similar story for tournament. Former French international David Trezeguet said more priorities now," said Cardiff City ing scorers, Diego Costa, Zlatan Klopp, meanwhile, selected the their National League (fifth-tier) World Cup berths could give "possibilities to countries and especially manager Neil Warnock, whose Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez, club's youngest ever team -- rivals Barrow, who lost 2-0 to players who have never experienced this beautiful competition", side lost 2-1 to second-tier rivals did not see even a second of with an average age of 21 years Rochdale. while acknowledging that details still needed to be worked out. Fulham. action in the FA Cup at the and 296 days -- and saw them Lincoln City, another non- Among the major concerns from critics is that a longer tour- "A club like ours cannot weekend. taken to a replay by fourth-tier league team, secured a nament would increase pressure on an already strained club afford to go down." Premier League leaders Plymouth Argyle. creditable 2-2 draw at second- schedule. The influential European Clubs Association, led by Ger- The FA Cup final was once Chelsea, FA Cup holders Man- Football Association chief tier Ipswich Town, while man great Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, has come out against an the only match shown live on chester United and Tottenham executive Martin Glenn defended Plymouth's 0-0 draw at Liver- enlarged World cup, citing football's overloaded calendar. British television and the tour- Hotspur each made nine changes the big sides' right to make pool was celebrated like a win Infantino says that money should not drive any decision, but nament's third round -- when to their teams and although they changes, saying blooding young by their large army of travelling a confidential FIFA report seen by AFP projects that a 48-team top-flight teams enter the com- all progressed, other top-tier players was "not a bad thing". fans. tournament would bring a cash boost of $640 million (605 mil- petition -- has produced some sides came unstuck. The sense of disinterest was Publicly funded national lion euros) above projected revenues for next year's finals in Russia. memorable shocks. Bournemouth -- now of the reflected in the attendances, broadcaster the BBC was criti- The influential council will review five proposals on Tuesday: leav- But in recent times the glam- Premier League, but who which were largely down on the cised for televising live games ing the World Cup unchanged at 32 teams, two proposals for a our clubs have made their stunned Manchester United as average crowds for league involving Manchester City and 40-team competition and two 48-team scenarios. priorities clear by fielding weak- Third Division underdogs in games.

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