Sport WEDNESDAY 09 SEPTEMBER 2020 CaptainC Kohli feels relaxed ahead of IPL I (have) never felt so calm going into a season before. He (AB dde Villiers) is coming from a very different space and he is enjoyinge his life and is very relaxed and fit as ever. I feel I am iin a much better space, much more balanced, when it comes tto environment of (the) IPL. Virat Kohli SPORT Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper | 11 CONCACAF New season's first shocker: qualifiers will not start until March: FIFA Al Wakrah stun Al Duhail REUTERS – BERN THE PENINSULA – DOHA Al Wakrah's Mohamed The start of the 2022 World Ben Yattou vies for Cup qualifiers in the A brilliant strike by Algerian the ball against Al CONCACAF region, Mohamed Ben Yattou saw Al Wakrah Duhail players during comprising North and Central defeating the reigning QNB Stars yesterday's match. America and the Caribbean, League champions Al Duhail in the has been put back until March second round of the new season at next year because of the the Education City Stadium yesterday. ROUND 2 RESULTS: COVID-19 pandemic, global Ben Yattou scored the all- Al Sadd 5-1 Al Sailiya soccer body FIFA said important goal in the 11th minute as Al Kharaitiyat 2-1 Qatar SC yesterday. Al Wakrah put behind their 1-2 loss In the latest delay to the to Al Ahli in Week 1. Al Rayyan 3-1 Al Gharafa qualifying competition for the Al Duhail were on the attack from Al Wakrah 1-0 Al Duhail tournament in Qatar, FIFA beginning, whereas Al Wakrah took said it had jointly decided time to settle down. New recruit Umm Salal 0-0 Al Khor with CONCACAF that the Ramin Rezaein skied a shot in the Al Ahli 2-0 Al Arabi international dates in October fifth minute to signal The Red and November were too early Knights’ intentions. for play to start in the current Almoez Ali, Mohammed Muntari, circumstances. another new signing Eduardo Rod- “Many parts of the region riguez (Dudu) all looked like making continue to have very chal- up for the injury-forced absences of lenging public health situa- Karim Boudiaf, Edmilson Junior, tions, and that has been a key Yousef Msakni, Bassam Al Rawi and factor in this decision,” said Assim Madibo. FIFA in a statement. However, it was Al Wakrah who The South American qual- got into the scoring act, with Beny- ifiers, which had been due to ettou, one of the top scorers in last begin in March this year, will season’s QNB Stars League, finding not start until at least next the target capitalising on a mistake month, while the Asian qual- by the Al Duhail defence, especially ifiers, where the second round Luis Martin. is underway, will not restart Al Wakrah then tightened their until March 2021. defence, with Ali Karami, Lucas Mendes, Ousmane Coulibaly and stoppage time best spoke about the have played so far, occupies the top Murad Naji staying strong against an proceedings as Al Wakrah coasted to spot in the QSL standings. Al Duhail, onslaught of attacks by Al Duhail. a famous victory. who had beaten Umm Salal 3-0 in Al Sadd extend The Blue Wave goalkeeper Saoud Al Wakrah's Spanish coach, their opener, will now head into the Al Khater had an outstanding game Marquez Lopez, praised the brilliant 2020 AFC Champions League, which below the bar as Al Duhail failed to work of his players against the strong will resume on 14th September with Al Haydos' score a goal. Al Duhail outfit, who had only lost all West Zone matches being The script was no different in the two games on their way to win the scheduled in Doha. contract second half. Al Duhail’s Ali Afif, Ismail 2019-20 season Meanwhile, at Al Ahli Stadium, Mohammed and Abdelrahman "Thanks all his players for the Umm Salal and Al Khor teams were Mohammed came off the bench to great effort they made throughout tied without goals in their second until 2025 give impetus to their attack. the match against Al Duhail. The team match of the League. Al Sadd's Hassan Al Haydos Mohammed Moosa also took the field succeeded in winning the match With yesterday's result, Al Khor posing for a photograph with to strengthen their defence, but to no thanks to this great effort and this is raised its points tally to two following a team jersey after his contract avail. our first victory, which also a very their second consecutive draw in the was extended until 2025, Walid Regragui’s wards did eve- important win," a jubilant Lopez said new season, while Umm Salal yesterday. The Qatar national rything as the game wore on. Mean- after yesterday's win. claimed their first point. team captain, Haydos joined Al while, Al Wakrah resorted to The loss pushed Al Duhail to the Later, at the same venue, Al Ahli Sadd in 2007 and has made 251 counter-attacks. fourth position in the standings with clinched their second consecutive appearances with the Wolves Mehdi Benatia’s shot which was three points while Al Sadd, after win of the season after outplaying Al and has scored 81 goals. palmed away by Al Khater in winning both of the matches they Arabi 2-0 at home. Portugal’s forward Ronaldo nets 100th international Cristiano Ronaldo De Bruyne named reacts after scoring his 100th goal for his Player of the Year goal as Portugal down Sweden country during the UEFA Nations League match AP – LONDON against Sweden in Solna, REUTERS – STOCKHOLM Sweden, yesterday. Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was voted Cristiano Ronaldo rattled home a superb first-half free kick to become only the second English football’s Player of the Year yesterday, denying male player to score 100 international goals as Portugal outclassed 10-man Sweden 2-0 Liverpool a third straight winner of the prestigious in their Nations League A Group 3 game yesterday. Portugal's captain scored with a award. dipping set-piece effort just before halftime to join Ali Daei, who netted 109 times for De Bruyne became the first City player to capture Iran, on a century of goals. the Professional Footballers’ Association award after The 35-year-old was a constant threat to Sweden's back line in the early exchanges, scoring 13 goals and making a record-tying 20 assists hanging on the shoulder of the last defender before bursting forward to beat the last season. offside trap, but Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen was equal to the task. That all Liverpool players Virgil Van Dijk (2019) and changed when Gustav Svensson received his second yellow card and was sent Mohamed Salah (2018) won the award - voted on by players packing after a reckless challenge on Joao Moutinho on the edge of his own box in the top flight - the past two seasons, but the team was just before halftime. Ronaldo stepped up and smashed a dipping effort beyond the denied a hat trick of winners despite becoming champions despairing dive of Olsen and just under the crossbar before breaking into a wide last season for the first time in 30 years. Liverpool finished smile as he celebrated with his team mates. 18 points clear of City, the runner-up. Ronaldo struck again in the 73rd minute with another curling, dipping effort, Van Dijk was on the shortlist again along with team- this time from open play, to leave himself just eight goals short of Daei's record. mates Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander- Arnold, who was named the young player of the year. Australia beat England in final T20 clash, regain No.1 ranking AFP – LONDON But Mitchell Marsh (39 not out) and Buttler, absent for personal reasons when Sam Billings, recalled in the where Steve Smith, fearful of touching Ashton Agar (16 not out) saw them after making a match-winning 77 not absence of Buttler and Morgan, the boundary rope and conceding a six, Australia beat England by five wickets home with three balls to spare. out in a six-wicket victory on Sunday. miscued a reverse sweep that was well threw the ball up into the infield to com- at Southampton yesterday to regain Earlier, Mitchell Starc led a disci- England, sent into bat on a used caught by Australia captain Aaron plete a well-judged catch. top spot in the global Twenty20 plined bowling display as Australia pitch, saw Tom Banton -- opening in Finch at slip. But with the recalled Joe Denly (29 rankings from their arch-rivals as the held a revamped England to 145-6. place of Buttler -- caught behind for Stand-in England captain Moeen not out) cutting a couple of bound- tourists ended the series with a conso- Fast bowler Starc took 1-20 from just two following a loose drive off Ali cleverly uppercut a Hazlewood aries, England took 16 runs off Kane lation win. his maximum four overs, with leg- Josh Hazlewood, one of three changes short ball for four before Bairstow Richardson in the 18th over. Australia set a modest 146 to win, spinner Adam Zampa returning fine to Australia's side. completed a 41-ball fifty with a superb BRIEF SCORES: were cruising to victory at 70-1. figures of 2-34. They were 53-2 when the in-form straight six off Zampa. ENGLAND: 145/6 (JM Bairstow 55, But they suffered a collapse that Jonny Bairstow, with 55, was the Dawid Malan holed out for 21 off However, Bairstow was out soon DJ Malan 21, Moeen Ali 23, JL Denly saw them slump to 100-5, with leg- only England batsman to pass 30.