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FOOTBALL | Page 5 CRICKET | Page 7 In-form Gayle smashes To Advertise here Higuain Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 12-ball fi ft y to fi ring Napoli’s equal world title charge record Tuesday, January 19, 2016 TENNIS Rabia II 9, 1437 AH Djokovic says he was GULF TIMES off ered $200,000 in 2007 to throw match SPORT Page 10 AFC U23 CHAMPIONSHIP, DOHA Qatar qualify for quarters with 4-2 victory over Syria ‘I am proud of the players. It is amazing against a team who it is diff icult to play against, but I think we deserved the result’ By Sports Reporter IN SUPPORT Doha atar produced another strong performance to de- feat Syria 4-2 and qualify for the quarter-fi nals of the AFC QU23 Championships yesterday. A brace from striker Ahmed Ala and a goal each from skipper Abdelkarim Hassan and Moez Ali helped the hosts conjure up a comeback victory over Syria who had taken an early lead. This win puts Qa- tar on top of Group A and they will now wait for today’s Group B results to see who they will face in the quarters. “It is obviously not the start of the game we expected, we were a bit sleepy in the beginning of the game and our opponents were pushing and we re- ceived a goal, but the mentality of the team was very good after we conced- ed,” said Qatar coach Felix Sanchez af- ter the match yesterday. “We scored three and this gave us the rhythm of the game and I think in the second half we created many chances to score more goals and fi nally it was 4-2 and I am proud of the players for their eff ort. It is amazing against a Qatar’s Ahmed Ala (third right) celebrates his goal with Akram Afif (right) and other teammates during the match against Syria yesterday. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil team who it is diffi cult to play against, but I think we deserved the result. Standings - Group A a received a great pass from Afi f, pro- “Our aim is the next game “Our aim is the next game which is ceeded to round the Syria keeper Ab- which is the quarter-final and the quarter-final and there is no sec- Pos Teams P W D L GD PTS dullatif Nassan and dispatch the ball there is no second chance and ond chance and we will try to com- 1. Qatar 3 3 0 0 9:4 9 into the back of the net. The hosts had we will try to compete well and pete well and play well in the next 2. Iran 3 2 0 1 6:4 6 a comfortable two-goal cushion, hav- play well in the next game to be game to be in the next stage which is 3. Syria 3 1 0 2 5:7 3 ing scored three goals within a matter in the next stage which is the the semi-final. The players are highly 4. China 3 0 0 3 4:9 0 of 30 minutes. semi-final” motivated and looking forward to Towards the end of the fi rst half, play in the next game and to win to be respond. The hosts got a freekick at Syria stepped up the pressure and went bin stepped up and converted from the in the semi-final.” the edge of the box which was taken by on an all-out attack but despite mak- spot in the 81st minute. But just when “I think we played one of our best Akram Afi f. The midfi elder’s shot hit ing several runs, and the match being it looked like there would a nervous games, but the scenario of the game did Ala but it fell to Hassan who headed it played largely in the Qatar half, they few minutes of the game for Qatar, the not go as we planned,” said Syria coach in (off the bar) to draw Qatar level in the could not reduce the defi cit. hosts restored their advantage. Asad Muhannad al-Fakeer. 9th minute. Syria started the second half, look- produced a great through pass and Ala “We lost this game, but I think we Syria continued their fast-paced ing to harrow Qatar with their pace was clinical with his fi nish again. Ala played a good game, but it was not game, constantly making inroads into again. But the fi rst chance of the half now has four goals from four matches enough. the Qatar box but they were unable fell to Ala but his shot was blocked by and along with Hassan now lead the “We made mistakes with passes and to convert their possession into goals Syria keeper Nassan. Syria kept up the goal-scoring charts. with positioning and these mistakes or chances for that matter. The hosts pressure but Qatar were able to defend This victory will be a great confi - aff ected us during the match and they defended resolutely and took the lead their lead comfortably. Ali Asad got a dence booster for the Qatar side as aff ected the result. Such games need through another Afi f-Ala combina- couple of chances to increase the lead. they head into the quarter-fi nals. In strong mentality to help the team when tion. In the 23rd minute, Afi f, who has Afi f produced a great through pass in today’s matches in Group B, Japan take you are leading.” been an instrumental presence in Qa- the 66th minute but Asad’s fi nal touch Qatar coach Felix Sanchez applauds on Saudi Arabia while North Korea face The match played at the Al Sadd tar’s midfi eld, dribbled down the mid- was poor. In the 76th minute Asad had his team’s performance. Thailand. Japan have already secured stadium was a keenly contested aff air dle and passes to Ala who scored with a chance again when he found himself top spot in the group. Saudi have a with Syria looking to unsettle Qatar by a fi ne fi nish. The Afi f-Ala combination one-on-one with the keeper but he Muhannad Naim. Qatar were in cruise one-point advantage over the other playing at a high tempo. They made the has now scored in each of three match- went for the chip shot and that ended control at that moment. But a little bit two teams but all three have a chance early breakthrough when Yousef Kalfa es in this tournament. up safely in the Nassan’s arms. of drama was restored when Qatar de- of progressing to the quarters. Qatar scored as early as in the 4th minute. Just four minutes later Qatar dou- At the other end, Nassouh Nakkdahli fender Musaab Khidir brought down will be keenly watching proceedings But it didn’t take long for Qatar to bled their advantage. Moez Ali, having had his shot saved by Qatar keeper Nakkdahli inside the box. Omar Khar- today to see who they will face. BOTTOMLINE Iran defeat China, to face Japan in quarters AFC with the action moving freely from one beating Akhbari with a defl ected shot. Doha end of the pitch to the other. The response from Khakpour’s team Zhang Yuning almost managed to was instantaneous, with Pahlavan redirect Mi Haolun’s 36th minute free receiving the ball on the edge of the ran moved into the quarter-fi nals kick into the goal, only to fi nd the arms Chinese penalty area before stroking of the AFC U23 Championship of Iran goalkeeper Mohammedreza a right foot shot beyond Zhang Yinuo as Mohammed Khakpour’s team Akhbari with his eff ort on the slide. and into the bottom corner. notched up a 3-2 win over China Less than a minute later, Pahlavan’s Three minutes after the restart, the Ion Monday to secure second place in attempt suff ered a similar fate after his Iranians looked to have killed off any Group A and set-up a quarter-fi nal one-two with Torabi unlocked the Chi- threat that the Chinese might pull level meeting with Japan. nese defence. again when Torabi scored with a beau- Arsalan Motahhari gave the Iranians In their next attack, however, Iran tiful curling free kick from 25 yards out the lead before Chang Feiya levelled sec- took the lead. Reza Aliyari stormed that clipped the underside of the bar onds later. Ehsan Pahlavan restored his down the left wing before cutting in before crossing the line. side’s lead in a frantic three-minute spell a low cross that Chinese goalkeeper China reduced the defi cit in the 69th late in the fi rst half before Mahdi Torabi’s Zhang Yinuo fumbled and Motahhari minute when second-half substitute free kick just after the break extended poked over the line. Liao Lisheng struck from the penalty Iran’s advantage, although a penalty by Iran’s lead lasted less than a minute spot after Mi Haolun was brought down Liao Lisheng caused some late jitters. thanks to a moment of individual bril- in the area by Ali Abdollahzadeh, but it A nondescript opening half hour liance from Chang Feiya, who seared was not enough to kick start a come- gave way to a fl urry of activity and goals down the right wing before cutting in- back for Fu Bo’s team and Iran advanced as the opening period came to a close, Iran’s Arsalan Motahhari (third right) celebrates his goal with coach Mohammad Khakpour yesterday.