NNBABA | Page 5 TENNIS | Page 7 Murray to Halep fi rm the rescue as favourite for Nuggets hold French Open off Lakers title Thursday, September 24, 2020 FOOTBALL Safar 7, 1442 AH Atletico-bound GULF TIMES Suarez leaves Barca training in tears SPORT Page 4 FOOTBALL / AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Al Hilal fail to name required 13 players, Team eff ort key in withdrawn from the competition AFC Doha efending champions Al Hilal, of Taawoun tie: Regragui Saudi Arabia, failed to name the Drequired 13 players for their AFC Champions League (West) Group B match After reaching knockouts in the last two editions, Duhail aim to go all the way this time round against Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, of the United Arab Emirates, yesterday, and were AFC consequently deemed to have withdrawn Doha from the competition. According to the statement released by the AFC, all matches played by Al l Duhail and Al Hilal, who named only 11 players, were Taawoun will lock considered null and void according to horns on Match- Article 6 of the AFC Champions League day Six of the 2020 regulations, and therefore Pakhtakor of AAFC Champions League with Uzbekistan and Shabab Al Ahli Dubai knockout stage places up for progressed to the Round of 16 from the grabs for all four Group C group. teams today. Regulations allowed for 35 players to One point will be enough be registered by each club, but Al Hilal for Al Duhail to reach the registered 30 of which only 27 travelled to Round of 16, while Al Taa- Doha at the start of the competition. woun’s fate is out of their In order to support the technical prepara- hands, as they would require tions of the club aff ected by Covid-19, the the three points in addition AFC subsequently allowed addition of two to a draw in the other game goalkeepers to replace those who had today between Sharjah and tested positive for Covid-19 and worked Persepolis. with the Qatar Football Association to Having reached the knock- Al Duhail head coach Walid facilitate the timely arrival of the replace- out stages in each of the last Regragui. ment goalkeepers in Doha besides two two editions, Al Duhail have other players and two other off icials who the ambition to go all the way TODAY’S FIXTURES had not travelled. in the 2020 AFC Champions Group C Al Hilal and Saudi Arabia Football Federa- League and head coach Walid 9pm: Persepolis (IRN) vs tion (SAFF) had requested a postpone- Regragui believes he will need Sharjah (UAE), at Jassim Bin ment of yesterday’s match against each and every member of his Hamad Stadium Shabab Al Ahli Dubai referencing the squad to achieve that objec- 9pm: Al Duhail (QAT) vs Al Special Rules Applicable to AFC Competi- tive. Taawoun (KSA), at Educa- tions During the COVID-19 Pandemic. “This is the last game in the tion City Stadium While “the AFC Competitions Committee group stage and it is like a fi nal (or any sub-committee carrying out du- between us and Al Taawoun,” Group D ties on its behalf) may grant an exception said Regrargui. 6pm: Al Nassr (KSA) vs Al to the foregoing and allow the relevant “I was very happy with the Duhail’s Medhi Benatia (right) clears the ball during the AFC Champions League Group C match against Iran’s Persepolis at the Edu- Ain (UAE), at Education City Match to be rescheduled”, the Covid-19 return and contribution of cation City Stadium on Monday. (AFP) Stadium Sub Committee decided that a postpone- Karim Boudiaf and Edmilson 6pm: Sepahan (IRN) vs Al ment would have a huge negative impact Junior in the previous match continue to compete on all French coach Patrice Carteron “As a coach you always take “My job is to fi nd solutions Sadd (QAT), at Jassim Bin on the current match schedule and so no as they make us a better team, fronts. We must continue with ahead of Matchday Five did the responsibility for wins or to make Al Taawoun more Hamad Stadium exception was granted. but for me, a team that wants the same rhythm and the same not change things as they suf- defeats, but the next game will competitive. Al Duhail have The statement added: “The AFC Medical to go far in the competition spirit.” fered a 6-0 defeat to Sharjah. also be a test of the players abil- been playing well and have Team and the Qatar Health Authorities needs the eff orts of all players After a bright start to the “Tomorrow’s match is like ity to react well after the defeat. defeated Persepolis. We ana- the competition came in the continue to be committed to the safety in the squad. competition with back-to- a fi nal. We still have hope of Even if we had won the previ- lysed their performance in the reverse fi xture on Matchday and wellbeing of all the participating “I am proud of my players back wins, Al Taawoun have qualifying to the next round, ous match, we would still have past two days, and we will try Two, with Mohamed al-Sal- clubs and all appropriate medical care because every player I fi eld been off -form since the re- but we need to restore our bal- needed to win this one. We to prepare our team to get the hawi and Abdulmajeed al- and support is being given to those who works hard and gives his all. start, losing all three subse- ance after the last defeat,” said hope we can do well and regain win.” Swat scoring their two unan- test positive.” Despite many absences, we quent matches. The arrival of Carteron. our balance by winning here. Al Taawoun’s last win in swered goals. FOCUS Al Sadd’s Xavi eyes top spot ahead of Sepahan match AFC early optimism quickly petered Doha out with a draw and three losses following, meaning the Iranians’ hopes had evaporated by the end ith Round of 16 of Matchday Five. qualifi cation al- “We have a very important and ready secured, Al hard game against Al Sadd who Sadd SC hope to are a strong team and have in- Wend their 2020 AFC Champions vested well, which makes them League group stage at the sum- one of the contenders to go far in mit of Group C when they take the competition,” said Sepahan on already-eliminated Sepahan boss Mojtaba Toutouni. FC today. “This is the AFC Champions Baghdad Bounedjah’s 87th League, and every game is im- minute equaliser against Al Nassr portant to all players and teams. on Monday ensured Al Sadd re- Getting the three points is always main one of three sides yet to lose important for us. We have the a match in the West Asia groups motivation to defend the name of of the competition, and should our club, our city and our coun- they get the three points against try, while our domestic league Sepahan while Al Nassr fail to starts soon so we need to prepare beat Al Ain, they would leapfrog the players for the upcoming sea- them to top spot in the group and son. head coach Xavi is unfazed by the Sepahan are without a goal in challenge. the competition in 372 minutes, “We have to win, we want to with Mohammad Tayyebi’s 78th fi nish the group stage well and minute strike against Al Ain on win this group,” said the Span- the opening matchday their last iard. sight of goal to date, but Toutouni “We are up against a very good said hard work is the only way to team, who are well organised and end the drought. know how to defend and attack. Al Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil Al Sadd’s Baghdad Bounedjah (left) in action during the AFC Champions League Group D match against Al “We create a lot of chances, We are in a tough group and all Nassr on Monday. but our problem is in the fi nal three opponents are very strong. pens. Whether it is Al Duhail, competition in the Round of 16, touch and fi nishing. It can be re- “Last season we played against Sharjah, Al Taawoun or Perse- so let’s win this one and see.” aside 3-0 on Matchday Two at the minute brace after Akram Afi f had competition came in the open- solved but we need to train more Al Duhail in the Round of 16 and polis, all the teams are tough. We The last time the two sides met, Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, with opened the scoring. ing game of the tournament with and work on improving this as- we won, but let’s see what hap- are playing against the best in the Al Sadd brushed their opponents Hassan al-Haydos scoring a six- Sepahan’s only win in the a 4-0 thumping of Al Ain, but pect of our game.” Gulf Times 2 Thursday, September 24, 2020 AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REPORT FOCUS Winning Esteghlal cruise mentality key past Al Ahli to seal for Al Nassr coach Vitoria AFC wanting to win, regardless of Doha the opposition. We want to win tomorrow to secure fi rst place in the group. Our goal previously knockout berth audi Pro League side was to qualify from the group, Al Nassr face UAE Pro and we took it step-by-step but Ghaedi, Karimi and Diabate score in Esteghlal’s 3-0 win over Al Ahli Saudi League’s Al Ain FC on now we want to win this game Matchday Six of Group because this team’s mentality is a SD in the 2020 AFC Champions winning one.” AFC Doha League today, with the former On the contrary, the 2020 AFC having already qualifi ed for the Champions League has been a Round of 16 while their oppo- disappointing campaign for the steghlal cruised into nents have been eliminated.