CRICKET | Page 3 GOLF | Page 6 Watling and Spain’s Rahm Santner have holds off England reeling Fleetwood for in fi rst Test double delight Monday, November 25, 2019 Rabia I 28, 1441 AH GULF TIMES SPORT Kuwait players arrive for Gulf Cup Kuwaiti contingent arrives to a warm welcome at Doha’s Hamad International Airport for the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup yesterday. FOOTBALL Gulf Cup at home to motivate us, says Qatar’s al-Haydos Sanchez has kept faith in the core squad that won the Asian Cup, with few youngsters joining the experienced stars By Sahan Bidappa Doha ead coach Felix Sanchez announced the Qa- tar squad yesterday for the 24th Gulf Cup, Hwith captain Hassan al-Haydos declaring that Al Annabi will be at their best in the prestigious championship. Qatar is hosting the Gulf Cup for the fourth time and will be gunning for their fourth title, and a grand double to add to their historic AFC Asian Cup title they won in the UAE in February. Qatar’s previous triumphs came in 1992, 2004 and 2014, and are undoubtedly the strong- est contenders among eight Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation teams to lift the title on Decem- ber 6. Sanchez’s men will start their campaign against Iraq to- morrow at the Khalifa Interna- tional Stadium, with matches against Yemen and the UAE to follow. Group B comprises de- fending champions Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. Sanchez has kept faith in the Qatar players take part in a training session yesterday. (Right) Qatar head coach Felix Sanchez. PICTURES: Fadi al-Assaad core squad that won the Asian Cup, with few youngsters joining Sanchez chose to give two days of “We have not been at our best Afif, Bassam al-Rawi, Almoez Ali, the unavailability of several in- ber Yahya Kareem said: “The yesterday for the Gulf Cup. Head the experienced stars. The Span- rest to his players, giving them recently. But we hope to return to Karim Boudiaf, Ismail Hamad, fl uential players. Gulf Cup has put us in a diffi cult coach Thamer Enad has included ish coach recalled left back Ab- a breather after a hectic league our top form for the Gulf Cup. The Mohamed Montari, Ahmed Fathi, Hammam Tariq and Bashar position. The management of the 28 players in the squad, with fi ve dulkarim Hassan, the best player and international schedule, so championship is being held in Qa- Mohamed Salah, Fahd Shanin, Resen will miss the tournament police club insisted on their eight players to be excluded from the in Asia 2018, who had missed a that they could be fresh for the tar, which will motivate us to raise Youssef Abdel Razzaq, Musab with their clubs – Ismaily SC of players joining their squad for the fi nal list after the training session few matches recently. Gulf Cup challenge at home. the bar,” al-Haydos added. Khader, Abdul Aziz Hatem, Fahd Egypt and Iran’s Persepolis – de- Arab Club Championship match. at the Qatar University Stadium Qatar have not had an ideal Since Friday, the squad has been Star striker and the MVP at the Younis, Mahdi Ali, Abdullah Abdul nying them permission to par- It will greatly aff ect our chances today. preparation as they have failed to training at the Aspire Academy, Asian Cup Almoez Ali said: “The Salam, Mohamed Bakri. ticipate in the tournament. Ma- against Qatar.” Midfi elder Talal al-Fadhil is show their Asian Cup-winning focusing on recovery and fi tness. Gulf Cup is not an easy tourna- jor League Soccer club Atlanta He pointed out that the coach- part of the squad after he trained form in the World Cup and Asian While fatigue would no doubt be ment and the competition will IRAQ TO MISS STAR PLAYERS United has also recalled forward ing staff will have to rely on sev- with the team in the last two Cup joint qualifi ers. They strug- an issue, Qatar has enough qual- be tough as the teams are very Meanwhile, Iraq will be forced to Justin Meram. eral substitutes. Iraq captain days. gled to a narrow 1-0 win over a ity in their ranks to beat any of strong. All the matches will be a fi eld a depleted XI for their match The team’s preparation is also Ahmed Ibrahim, who will take Al-Fadhil was sidelined with lowly Afghanistan in Dushanbe, their rivals. tight contest but we are ready for against Iraq, with several of the aff ected by the call up of eight part in the Gulf Cup for the fourth a recent injury that kept him out Tajikistan, last week. Despite Captain al-Haydos was hope- the challenge.” players returning to their club international players by the Ira- time in a row, said his players will of the World Cup and Asian Cup that, Qatar is leading their group, ful the home fans will get to see sides. The Iraqi team is hunting qi Police Club for their match give their best. qualifying match against Nepal which consists of reigning cham- top-class performance from his QATAR SQUAD: Saad al-Sheeb, for its fourth title, having previ- against Mauritania’s Nouadhi- last week. Kuwait will kick off pions Oman, whom they beat 2-1 side. “We have fi nished the Asian Pedro, Salem al-Hajri, Tariq Salman, ously won in 1979, in 1984 and bou in the Arab Club Champion- KUWAIT SQUAD ARRIVE their campaign with a Group B at home last month. Cup qualifi ers and are now solely Abdulkarim Hassan, Boualem 1988. But their chances this time ship today. IN DOHA match against Saudi Arabia on Post their victory in Dushanbe, focusing on the Gulf Cup,” he said. Khoukhi, Hassan al-Haydos, Akram has taken a severe beating due to Iraqi Football Federation mem- Kuwait squad arrived in Doha Wednesday. Gulf Times Monday, November 25, 2019 2 FOCUS When Qatar left a mark at The 24th edition of the tournament is Qatar’s fourth as hosts even as Al Arabian Gulf Cup Annabi aim for their fourth title his year will be the fourth round-robin, forcing a playoff fi rst-time fi nalist Oman and time that Qatar will host to decide the champion. Qatar’s win in 2004 hosts Qatar, and the aff air ended the Arabian Gulf Cup in In the playoff , three-time 1-1, before the matters moved to the tournament’s 50- champions Kuwait got on to the the penalty shootout. Al Annabi Tyear history, with the fi rst edition scoresheet fi rst in the eighth the shootout 6-5 and lifted their held in 1970 in Bahrain. minute, but were stunned when second title at home. In a year which began with Iraq levelled it a minute later. Al Annabi’s victory at the AFC However, the Kuwaitis pumped QATAR SHINE IN RIYADH Asian Cup in the United Arab three more to Iraq’s one as the fi - Year: 2014 Emirates, it is a great opportunity nal ended 4-2. Hosts: Saudi Arabia (King Fahd for Felix Sanchez and his men to International Stadium and wrap up with a memorable fourth QATAR BREAK STRANGLEHOLD Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium in Gulf Cup glory at home. 2Year: 199 Riyadh) Here’s a look at the past edi- Hosts: Qatar (Khalifa Interna- Champion: Qatar tions of the Arabian Gulf Cup tional Stadium) Matches: 16 games when Qatar either played a fan- Champion: Qatar Goals: 33 goals tastic host or lifted the trophy. Matches: 15 games Top scorer: 5 goals Ali Mabkhout Goals: 30 goals (UAE) NEW HOST Top scorer: 3 goals Mubarak Player of the tournament: Year: 1976 Mustafa (QAT) Nawaf al-Abed (KSA) Hosts: Qatar (Khalifa Interna- Player of the tournament: Mu- Best goalkeeper: Qassem Bur- tional Stadium) barak Mustafa (QAT) han (QAT) Champion: Kuwait Best goalkeeper: Hammoud Matches: 22 games Sultan (BRN) The tournament was moved from Goals: 84 goals Basra in Iraq due to preparations Top-scorer: 9 goals Jassim For 22 years, the tournament was and security concerns to Saudi Yacoub (KUW) either won by Kuwait or Iraq. Arabia, where the 22nd edition Player of the tournament: Ali With an exceptional generation was hosted at King Fahd Interna- Kazem (IRQ) of players, Qatar broke the stran- tional Stadium and Prince Faisal Best goalkeeper: Hammoud glehold at home at Khalifa Inter- Bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh. This Sultan (BRN) national Stadium in 1992. was the fourth time that Saudi Iraq was absent from this tour- Arabia hosted the tournament. The Gulf Cup landed for the fi rst nament and continued its ab- The fi rst group included Saudi time in Qatar in 1976. The coun- sence for 12 more years. Arabia, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, try played an exceptional host, Most notable in the historic and the second comprised UAE, even starting with a 1-0 victory generation of Qatari talent were Oman, Iraq and Kuwait. over Saudi Arabia. the best player in the tourna- Qatar participated in the tour- The fourth edition of the ment and the top-scorer Mu- nament under the leadership of tournament also saw Iraq’s barak Mustafa, Mahmoud So- coach Djamel Belmadi and pro- debut, and they opened their phie, Adel al-Mulla and Adel gressed steadily through the tour- campaign with a 4-0 win over Khamis. NEW ERA Top scorer: 4 goals Hassan Rabie return of Iraq to the tournament, bia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Yemen. nament, until making it through Oman. The tournament was Qatar achieved the title by de- Year: 2004 (OMA) and thus the format of the cham- Oman and Qatar qualifi ed to the fi nal against the hosts in a held on a one-round basis.