SPORT Wednesday 10 January 2018 PAGE | 30 PAGE | 34 PAGE | 36 Sneijder-powered Serbian sport Mathews back ass AlA Gharafa look for delegation SL’s limited-oversrs tturnaround in QSL visits Aspire Zone captain Coach Sanchez hails team Qatar’s heroics THE PENINSULA “It was always going to be a difficult Ravshan Khaydarov, the Uzbekistan game against Uzbekistan as we know they head coach, said on Tuesday: “It was a very CHANGZHOU: Coach Felix Sanchez are tough opponents. I think the team did tough game for us today, and I feel that yesterday applauded the performance of a very good job today and that they per- some of my players were not able to per- his players as Qatar edged past Uzbekistan formed well in every department,” Sanchez form to their best ability.” 1-0. said after the match. Khaydarov added: “The result now Tall striker Almoez Ali scored in the “I feel that one of the great strengths leaves us in a rather difficult position in second half as Qatar posted a 1-0 win of this group of players is that they work what is a very difficult group. We made over Uzbekistan at the Changzhou very hard. They have a great spirit,” too many mistakes and we must go away Olympic Sports Center in their Group A Sanchez added at the post-match press and see where and how we made those match. conference. errors.” Ali on target as Qatar Qatar coach Felix Sanchez celebrates with striker Almoez Ali after the latter scored the winning goal get off to a flying start against Uzbekistan yesterday. THE PENINSULA CHANGZHOU: Feared striker Almoez Ali was on target yesterday as Qatar edged past Uzbekistan 1-0 in their opening clash of the It was always going AFC U-23 Asian Cup. to be a difficult game Ali, with assistance from midfielder against Uzbekistan Hashim Ali, flicked a ball from close range to as we know they are score the only goal of the Group A match as tough opponents. Asia’s premier Olympic squad tournament kicked off with much fanfare. I think the team Ali’s timely strike came in the 56th minute did a very good job after both the sides failed to score in the first today and that they half at Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre performed well in where Dong-Jin Kim penalised three Qatari players with yellow cards. every department. I Abdullah Al Ahrak (45), Mohammed Al feel that one of the Bakari (72) and goalkeeper Bassam Al Rawi great strengths of were shown the yellow cards. Al Rawi was this group of players penalised late in the second half on account is that they work of time-wasting. Uzbekistan’s Dostonbek Khamdamov was very hard. They have shown the yellow card in the 29th minute. a great spirit: Qatar Qatar, coached by Felix Sanchez, made coach Felix Sanchez two changes during the game when Abdul- lah Al Ahrak (72) and Ali (85) were benched in the feisty Group A encounter. Earlier in the eighth minute, Uzbekistan’s Zabikhillo Urinboev produced a right-footed Striker Almoez Ali, with AFC U23 CHAMPIONSHIP shot from long range on the left flank but he assistance from midfielder It was a very tough missed the target following a cross from Hashim Ali, flicked a ball from VENUE: CHANGZHOU OLYMPIC SPORTS CENTRE Khamdamov. REFEREE: DONG-JIN KIM game for us today, close range to score the only Thirteen minutes later, Qatar’s star mid- QATAR U23 1 - 0 UZBEKISTAN U23 and I feel that some fielder Akram Afif fired a shot from outside goal of the Group A match as of my players were the box but missed the top right corner of the Qatar begin their AFC U-23 not able to perform net after a cross by Ahmad Moein. Asian Cup quest with a bang. 45’ Abdullah Al Ahrak Dostonbek Khamdamov 29’ In the 33rd minute, Moein - on the outside to their best ability. 55’ Almoez Ali Akramjon Komilov 53’ of the Uzbek box - missed with his shot after a We made too many neat pass from-team mate Ali. Five minutes 72’ Abdullah Al Ahrak Doniyorjon Narzullaev 53’ mistakes and we from the close of the first half, Qatar’s Salem defence was to be breached twice in quick 72’ Khaled Mohammed Dostonbek Khamdamov 76’ must go away and see Al Hajri produced a right-footed shot into the succession, as first Yang expertly converted 72’ Mohammed Al Bakari Bobir Abdixolikov 76’ Uzbekistan crossbar from outside the box. Li Shuai’s pinpoint delivery on the half hour where and how we Ten minutes into the second half, Qatar mark, and then Li Xiaoming headed home 78’ Bassam Al Rawi Azizjon Ganiev 84’ made those errors: got on the scoreboard with Ali lunging for- Wei’s superb floated cross to double his side’s 85’ Hashim Ali Andrey Sidorov 84’ Uzbekistan coach ward to deflect a cross from Ali inside the advantage just four minutes later. 85’ Meshaal Al Shammeri Ravshan Khaydarov Uzbek box. The ball beat Uzbekistan goal- To their credit, Oman rallied briefly after keeper Dilshod Khamraev and crashed into the break, but the game was effectively ended the left side of the net. as a contest in the 53rd minute when the Qatar, despite a series of attacks from impressive Wei powered home a header after Uzbek forwards, defended stoutly to retain being found by Yao Junsheng. their lead and to eventually pick up the first Omani defender Thani Al Rushaidi saw a ‘Hero’ Ali credits t eam work for win points in the 16-team tournament. close-range effort scrambled off the line by Earlier yesterday, host nation China began Gao Zhunyi shortly after, before Wei was THE PENINSULA through,” Ali, the goal-hero, said “I would say even we had their AFC U23 Championship 2018 campaign stretchered off in the 66th minute following after the match yesterday. opportunity to score more goals. in fine fashion thanks to a comfortable 3-0 a hefty challenge much to the consternation CHANGZHOU: Striker Almoez Ali “Uzbekistan are a good side so We could have got another but win over Oman at the same venue. of China head coach Massimiliano yesterday said team work helped we had a strategy in mind and that they also defended well in the Goals from Yang Liyu, Li Xiaoming and Maddaloni. Qatar edge a powerful Uzbekistan is to reduce their scoring oppor- second half,” the Qatar hero Wei Shihao proved the difference on a bit- In the game’s last meaningful action, sub- side in their opening AFC U-23 tunities. That is why you saw there said. terly cold afternoon, as China laid down an stitute Liu Ruofan was expertly denied by Al Asian Cup match. were no goals in the first half,” the “I think it feels great that we impressive early marker in Group. Mukhaini on a day when China took a signif- Almoez Ali’s second half strike tall striker said. got through 1-0 than settling for In what would prove to be an entertain- icant step towards reaching the knockout proved the difference as Qatar “We planned a lot for this a 1-1 draw. You saw the fights. It ing opening period, it was China who phase of the AFC U23 Championship for the recorded a narrow 1-0 win over game. We scored in the second feels good. They put us under a threatened first, Yang seeing his shot from 12 first time. Uzbekistan at the Changzhou half and then there were more lot of pressure but we faced them yards smothered by the visiting defence, and Qatar next play Oman on January 12 fol- Olympic Sports Centrer. attacks from them,” Ali said. “I bravely,” Ali said. Beijing Guoan forward Wei forcing a smart lowed by a game against hosts China on “It was a tough match in which would say we had our boys “We kept fighting until the save from Oman goalkeeper Ibrahim Al January 15. The last edition of the same tour- you saw good football. But I would should-to-shoulder in defense. We last minute. That was the best Mukhaini with 18 minutes gone. nament was a huge success when it was staged say our team work saw us didn’t allow any goals. part about our win,” he added. With China in the ascendancy, Oman’s in Qatar. 30 SPORT WEDNESDAY 10 JANUARY 2018 Zidane named Sneijder-powered Al Gharafa French coach of the year look for turnaround in QSL AFP PARIS: Real Madrid may have THE PENINSULA Al Gharafa players celebrate a goal during the QNB Stars League match in this file picture. ended the year badly, but Zinedine Zidane has been DOHA: For sure, no other team named French coach of 2017 will start the QNB Stars League’s for leading the club to a Liga second-phase campaign a trans- and Champions League formed lot than Al Gharafa. double. They can take the field with “I want to show that I can renewed vigour and boosted also be a good coach in tough confidence for many reasons. circumstances,” Zidane said It is against this backdrop in an article published yes- that seventh-placed Al Gharafa terday in France Football (11 points) travel to sixth-placed magazine, which gives the Al Ahli (14 points) for their Week award. 12 game for the 4.20pm kick off Real are going through a on Friday. bad run. They are fourth in La The Cheetahs saw many pos- Liga, 16 points behind lead- itive changes during the QNB ers Barcelona, and they ended Stars League’s month-long 2017 with a crushing 3-0 break, which witnessed the sem- defeat at home in the ifinals and final of QSL Cup being Clasico.