SPORT Tuesday 22 January 2019 PAGE | 08 PAGE | 10 Serena outslugs Messi comes top seed Halep as off bench to Zverev implodes help Barca beat at Open Leganes 3-1 Setting sights on Asian Cup glory Coach Felix Sanchez oversees Qatar team’s training session in Abu Dhabi’s Al Nahyan Stadium, on the eve of the Asian Cup Round of 16 clash against Iraq. RIGHT: Qatar players during the session, yesterday. Round of 16: Confident Qatar to go all out for victory against ‘strong’ Iraq THE PENINSULA our three rivals (in the first ABU DHABI stage),” he added. We’re ready to fight “We will only announce our Coach Felix Sanchez yesterday squad before the match. We need said Qatar will ‘play hard’ to be looking at our training ses- football in their AFC Asian Cup sions and to see how everybody for a win, says Afif last 16 clash against 2007 cham- feels. The players are ready, that pions Iraq at Abu Dhabi’s Al much I know. We will field the THE PENINSULA to be patient to have a prom- Nahyan Stadium today. best playing XI,” Sanchez said. ABU DHABI ising future, “ Afif said. Qatar stormed into the As for playing against Iraq, “You can see the seri- Round of 16 of the 24-team tour- another Arab side after beating Qatar will put in a 100 percent ousness with which the players nament on the back of three Saudi Arabia 2-0 in their last game, effort for a win in their last 16 play. They play to win and straight wins against Lebanon, Sanchez said: “Opponents cannot clash against Iraq at the AFC improve. That’s to their North Korea and Saudi Arabia. be chosen. You play whom you get Asian Cup, forward Akram Afif advantage since they want to “We will play hard,” Sanchez to face. Any opponent will have a said yesterday. play for Qatar for long,” he said. said yesterday in a pre-match tough time. Iraq is a strong team “It is an important match On the technical level of the press conference. with a distinguished group of since we will playing a strong two teams, Afif explained: “The “Our aim is to win and to do players. We look forward to outfit in Iraq. But let me tell you, two teams have the elements that we have to be at our best playing to win to qualify for the Qatar players are ready. We capable of making a difference. Qatar's goalkeeper Yousof Hassan Ali (left) and defender Bassam because our opponents are quarter-finals.” topped our group and won That makes for an interesting Al Rawi after the training session, yesterday. strong,” the Spaniard added. Reaction to praise from Por- against everybody. All players clash. We are meeting a team “Our team is riding high on tuguese coach Jose Mourinho on are confident,” Afif said at a that has done well in this confidence. This is like the final. qualify for the next stage, we general but we were able to Thursday after Qatar beat Saudi press conference. tournament.” To win the match is our goal,” must win this match,” Sanchez achieve this because we stuck to Arabia, Sanchez said: “Of course “We know they are a tough He added: “At the same Sanchez said. said. our plans. We intend to do just it is very nice to hear such words. side but we are ready with our time, we have the ability to “It was wonderful to see the “We have been working hard that against Iraq also,” Sanchez We feel good to have the praise confidence high,” he added. provide good levels like we did team win three matches with for a long time. We have a great said. of a great coach like Mourinho. “Our team has a great bunch in the first phase of the quality football. But now we team of players who work as a “We will have the same It was a great game against Saudi of young players and they have tournament.” forget those results because to one unit. This was our method in approach that we had against all and we enjoyed our win.” ensure win, we must start afresh. previous matches - to play as a We will do our best. Iraq has tal- unit and give our best,” Sanchez Qatar stormed into the Round of 16 of the 24-team ented players and for us to said yesterday. tournament on the back of three straight wins against “We also played strong teams in friendly matches in the last Lebanon, North Korea and Saudi Arabia. few matches. We played against Ecuador, Switzerland, Iceland Iraq, on the other hand, won two matches and and many other teams. That gave managed a draw against Iran in their first three Our aim is to win and us the match practice and the matches of the tournament. to do that we have to experience we needed to get the Qatar forward Akram be at our best because players ready,” Sanchez said. Qatar striker Almoez Ali, who has scored seven Afif (right) and his “We have had enough time goals in just three matches, will be looking to increase team-mate Ali Hassan our opponents are to rest and be ready for this his goal tally in today›s match. Afif during the training strong: Felix Sanchez match. It is difficult to win in all session, yesterday. games of the championship in Unbeaten Qatar have an edge in ‘tough’ challenge THE PENINSULA draw against Iran in their first Saudi Arabia convinced popular Championship last year in The feared striker is already high-octane clash. Coach ABU DHABI three matches of the coach Jose Mourinho to lavish January, has been in sensa- level with Iran’s Behtash Fariba Sanchez has groomed most of tournament. praise on the young Qatari side. tional form throughout the and Korea Republic ace Choi the Qatari players, following Unbeaten Qatar are likely to Coached by Felix Sanchez, Qatar’s key assets in the last tournament with goals and Soon-ho who bagged seven their rise from the juniors in the have an edge going into their last Qatar have impressed with their 16 clash will be skipper Hassan amazing speed. goals apiece during the AFC last five years. 16 clash today against Iraq, the goal-scoring form in the three Al Haydos and 2018 Asian Player With at least one more game Asian Cup in 1980. With the 2022 FIFA World 2007 champions at the AFC matches and rarely looked in of the Year Abdulkarim Hassan still to come, the 22-year-old Al Iraq, coached by Srecko Cup less than four years away, Asian Cup. trouble against their who was declared by Mourinho Duhail SC forward’s impressive Katanec, will be tough oppo- Qatar have launched their first Striker Almoez Ali has struck opponents. as ‘special talent’. tally has seen him move to nents, according to Qatar coach serious assignment on a positive seven times in just three matches Ali scored in all the matches On a personal account, Qatar within one strike of the record Sanchez. note winning successive matches giving Qatar their three back- including four goals against hotshot Ali is on the verge of haul by a player at Asia’s premier “Our aim is to win and to do at the AFC Asian Cup. to-back wins against Lebanon, North Korea and a brace against writing himself into the compe- event, one which was set by Iran that we have to play our best Today’s clash will be another North Korea and Saudi Arabia. arch-rivals Saudi Arabia on tition’s history books. legend Ali Daei when he scored because our opponents are tough test in Qatar’s journey to Iraq, on the other hand, won Thursday. Ali, who claimed the top eight at the 1996 edition, also in strong,” Sanchez said as his preparing a strong squad for the two matches and managed a The impressive win against scorer award at the AFC U23 the United Arab Emirates. players prepared for the home World Cup. 08 SPORT TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2019 Tennis: Serena battles to stop Halep as Zverev implodes at Australian Open AFP with ambitious Ukrainian Elina MELBOURNE Svitolina for a place in the Serena Williams of the US celebrates after winning the match semi-finals. against Romania’s Simona Halep following their fourth-round A fired-up Serena Williams But it was the dominant Wil- match at the Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday. slugged past world number one liams who overshadowed them Simona Halep yesterday as she all and is overwhelming inches ever closer to a 24th favourite to win an eighth Aus- Grand Slam title on a day that tralian title, with defending saw Alexander Zverev implode champion Caroline Wozniacki at the Australian Open. and second seed Angelique In a towering performance, Kerber already out. the American great scored her She has been in ominous biggest win since giving birth to form at Melbourne Park as she break down the Romanian top seeks one more major title to put seed 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 and move into her alongside Margaret Court’s a quarter-final against seventh record 24, and it looked like seed Karolina Pliskova. French Open champion Halep Czech Pliskova is another would be another easy scalp form player, winning the after a first set rout. warm-up Brisbane International But the nuggety Romanian and easing past two-time Grand isn’t world number one for Slam winner Garbine Muguruza nothing and she bounced back 6-3, 6-1 to set up the Williams to set up a huge power struggle clash.