GGOLFOLF | Page 4 RRUGBYUGBY | Page 6 Grace comes Crotty scores from behind All Blacks’ to clinch 2,000th try in ‘Africa’s Major’ France rout Monday, November 13, 2017 FORMULA 1 Safar 24, 1439 AH Vettel wins Brazilian GULF TIMES Grand Prix, Hamilton fourth from pits SPORT Page 2 FOCUS ‘Moroccan people have been waiting for this for a long time’ Morocco assistant coach Mustapha Hadji talks about what it means to reach their first World Cup since 1998 By Ed Aarons play for your own country and repre- former government fi nance minister The Guardian Tunisia’s Maaloul dedicates 2018 sent all your family. I’m really happy Fouzi Lekjaa as president of the Mo- with the choice I made and to be able to roccan FA in 2013 also proved to be a WC qualifi cation to Qatar and Kuwait help the current generation. turning point. Lekjaa has ensured that or most players, it was the kind “When you have players like them the success of the country’s thriving of nightmare scenario probably Nabil Maaloul, Technical and Qatari brothers, with coming to play for their own country it domestic league – WAC Casablanca best forgotten. But nearly 20 Director of the Tunisian whom I have had an excel- makes a big diff erence. We have been beat Al Ahly in the fi nal of the African years since Morocco’s World national football team, has lent career. I hope that the able to mix together the best of the Champions League last weekend – FCup hopes were so cruelly dashed by players from overseas and those who has been translated to the national dedicated their qualifica- unjust blockade imposed Norway’s surprise victory over a Brazil tion to the 2018 FIFA World on Qatar is lifted as soon as grew up in Mo- side, with King Mohammed VI also side featuring Ronaldo and Roberto Cup to Qatar and Kuwait, possible. Also, I hope that rocco.” attempting to fulfi l his late father Carlos, that golden summer in France after their goalless draw the suspension on Kuwaiti The Hassan II’s long-term ambition to is a memory that Mustapha Hadji with Libya punched their football would be lifted ap- host the World Cup in 2026 – the fi fth (pictured right) will always cherish. ticket for Russia. “I would soon,” Maaloul, a former point- time they have bid for the tournament “It was of the law of football. You like to greet all the Arabs, coach of Qatari club El ment having just missed out to South Africa just have to accept it,” insists the and would like to dedicate Jaish, was quoted as say- of the in 2010. Hadji is in no doubt what former Coventry and Aston Villa this win in particular to our Kuwaiti ing to beIN Sports. qualifying for next year’s edition could midfi elder. “I played in front of all my do for his country. friends and family so it was a special – there is passion among the players fi rst quarter-fi nal appearance at the He says. “Morocco loves the game time. Everyone was waiting for Mo- and we have brought in a more profes- Cup of Nations since 2004 earlier and is a real football country. It’s rocco to make it through to the second sional approach. The spirit is superb this year with home victories over the fi rst time we have quali- round but sometimes that’s just the Saturday. A spectacular transforma- and that has made a big diff erence. Mali and Gabon to put themselves fi ed since the king came to the way it is. Maybe if we got through we tion in fortunes under the former Ivory Sometimes just having quality isn’t in pole position for a place in Russia throne. It is the biggest gift would have been beaten badly and peo- Coast manager Hervé Renard, who in enough.” next summer. Hadji, who represented we can give if we make it. ple would have forgotten all about it. 2015 became the fi rst man to win Africa Bolstered by a number of players France at Under-21 level having moved The Moroccan people But we played some very good football Cup of Nations titles with diff erent with Moroccan heritage who were born to Alsace-Lorraine as a child, believes have been waiting for and that will always stay in the hearts countries, has transformed a team that overseas including the captain, Medhi they are reaping the benefi ts of the this for a long time of the Moroccan people.” had struggled to live up to the exploits Benatia of Juventus, the Southampton squad’s varied upbringings. – rich people, poor Despite Hadji’s brilliant solo goal in of previous generations and missed out forward Sofi ane Boufal, the Galatasaray “I was probably the fi rst player people, the guy on the 2-2 draw with Norway and a 3-0 on hosting Africa’s premier competi- playmaker Younès Belhanda and the to choose Morocco and it comes top of a mountain victory over Scotland in Saint-Étienne tion that year after pulling out because rising star Achraf Hakimi of Real down to what is in your heart,” with his sheep.” in their fi nal match, the Atlas Lions of the Ebola epidemic. Madrid, he says. “It’s not about money were denied the chance to follow the With Hadji as his assistant, the Renard’s or any- class of 1986 into the knockout stage former Cambridge United manager has side thing after Kjetil Rekdal’s 89th-minute pen- led Morocco to the top of Group C after fol- else alty against Brazil in Marseille. six matches. lowed – you Two decades on, Morocco have got “He has done a really great job,” says up a the opportunity to make it to the World Hadji. “You can see Cup for the fi rst time since then when the atmos- they beat Ivory Coast phere 2-0 in Abidjan on in the team Morocco players celebrate during the World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast. (AFP) BOTTOMLINE Marquez is MotoGP’s youngest four-time champ Reuters race I always tried to be calm, control the seven laps to go. end, and it was open until 10 laps to the Valencia, Spain situation,” said Marquez of his wobble The Spaniard managed to stay on the end,” said Dovizioso, who saw Marquez’s during the race. bike as he ran wide into the gravel trap, slide and save but could do nothing to take “Suddenly I said now is the time to dropping to fi fth place and with Dovizio- advantage of it. onda’s Marc Marquez won his push because I felt really good. But in so ahead of him. Marquez replaced the late Mike Hail- fourth MotoGP world champi- turn one I lost concentration on the brake Both Ducati riders then fell a lap later, wood as the youngest ever four times onship in fi ve years yesterday point, I braked too late...Marquez style fi rst Lorenzo and then Dovizioso. The champion in the top fl ight, achieving the after the Spaniard’s only rival until the end,” he grinned. Italian got back on track before retiring feat at 24 years and 268 days compared to HAndrea Dovizioso crashed out of a dra- Compatriot and teammate Dani Ped- in the pits as Honda started the celebra- the British great’s 1965 record of 25 years matic season-ending race in Valencia. rosa won the race with French rookie Jo- tions. and 107 days. The 24-year-old, who started on pole hann Zarco second for the Tech3 Yamaha Marquez, who celebrated with a large The Spaniard, who has won all his titles position with a 21-point lead and also team after leading early on. red dice highlighting the numbers four with Honda, also replaced Italian great almost fell, fi nished third and safe in the With Dovizioso in fi fth place and una- and six, for his MotoGP titles and total Valentino Rossi as the youngest to win six knowledge that he was the sport’s young- ble to fi nd a way past his Ducati teammate championships in all categories, ended world championships. He was also the fi rst est four times champion in the top cat- Jorge Lorenzo, despite repeated team or- the season with 298 points to runner-up rider in the 69-year history of grand prix egory. ders, Marquez looked in control until he Dovizioso’s 261. motorcycling to win at least fi ve races a sea- “It’s an amazing feeling. During the misjudged his braking and ran wide with “I’m happy because we tried until the son for eight years in a row. Gulf Times 2 Monday, November 13, 2017 SPORT FORMULA 1 FOCUS United States battle Vettel wins in past Belarus to win 18th Fed Cup Reuters “I believe in these American play- Minsk ers,” she said in a courtside interview. Brazil, Hamilton “They’re tough as nails. American women are tough as nails! There’s go- he United States put in a bat- ing to be dancing all night.” tling performance to beat hosts Vandeweghe had put the visitors Belarus 3-2 yesterday and win ahead with a composed display to a record-extending 18th Fed beat world number 78 Sabalenka 7-6 TCup title, their fi rst in 17 years. (5), 6-1, before Sasnovich struck back, Shelby Rogers and Coco Vandeweghe downing Sloane Stephens 4-6, 6-1, fourth from pits downed Aryna Sabalenka and Aliak- 8-6 to force the doubles.