Ronaldo returns to Old Trafford with Juventus PAGE 18 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018 Last-gasp captain Mauro Icardi header grabs AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PAGE 18 Inter winner in Milan derby PERSEPOLIS FC VS AL SADD (3.30PM) CRUCIAL AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS SECOND LEG TODAY Al Sadd players at a training session at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, ahead of their AFC Champions League second leg match. Al Sadd, unbeaten till the semis, lost the opening leg in Doha to the Iranian side 1-3. Al Sadd look to turn the tables on Persepolis FC in Tehran AFC.COM Both Persepolis’ shots on to add to their tally at home TEHRAN target in the first leg came in the first leg, the first time from one source, striker Ali Jesualdo Ferreira's men fail Ferreira hopes for fortune to favour Wolves PERSEPOLIS will look to de- Alipour. The 22-year-old was to score at Jassim bin Hamad fend a 1-0 lead when they wel- the side's main attacking out- Stadium in the 2018 AFC IKOLI VICTOR ers and what we need now is come Al Sadd in the second let, and with five minutes left Champions League, and it DOHA the focus. We know that the leg of the West Asia semi-final on the clock, he broke free cost them the result. match will be really tough for of the 2018 AFC Champions down the middle, outpacing The 2011 champions face AL SADD head coach Jesu- us and for the opponent. It is League on Tuesday. his marker and rounding the a difficult task to come away aldo Ferreira has labelled well known that Iranian foot- Persepolis had become the goalkeeper who had no op- with a result from Azadi Sta- the Wolves’ AFC Champions ball is developing well and the first team to defeat Al Sadd at tion but to bring him down dium, but they are all too League semi-final clash with evidence for that is the last Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in inside the box. familiar with how to make Persepolis as a must-win World Cup, which saw play- the 2018 edition, after weath- it happen, having defeated game at the 100,000-capacity ers from Persepolis take part. ering an avalanche of Qatari Persepolis' arch rivals, Es- Azadi Stadium on Tuesday. They have more experience attacks for 85 minutes and teghlal, 3-1 in Tehran in the Al Sadd narrowly lost 1-0 than my players.” then hitting on the counter, quarter-final first leg, before at home against the Iranians a Ferreira went on to prom- forcing goalkeeper Saad Al settling for a 2-2 draw in fortnight ago. The 2011 cham- ise a fighting spirit from Sheeb to concede a penalty Doha to advance to the next pions face a gruelling task to his players. that resulted in the winner. step. pick away a result, but Al Sadd “You will see our team After successfully negoti- The star of the two quar- are quite familiar with the ter- fight on the pitch to get the ating a tricky two legged tie ter-final legs was 21-year-old rain, having defeated Perse- win, I just need you to trust in the quarter-finals against Akram Afif, the midfielder on polis’ arch-rivals Esteghlal 3-1 them and you will see all the previously unbeaten Al Du- loan from Spanish side Villar- in Tehran in the quarter-final players as warriors. hail, Persepolis found them- real, who scored a goal apiece first leg. “We will play offensive selves up against another in each leg and was brought Speaking at the pre-match football in order to win, and Qatari side in the semi-finals. down inside the box for the press conference as reported Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira with player Hamza al Sanhaji at the that’s the only way. When This time, it was their group penalty that allowed Baghdad by the club’s website, Fer- pre-match conference in Tehran on Monday. the players feel the pressure stage opponents, Al Sadd. Bounedjah to equalise in the reira said, “In the first match, to win, they will give every- Branko Ivankovic’s men first leg. we weren’t bad and we gave GAME OF OUR LIVES: SANHAJI thing they have. Everyone seemed to have learnt their Converting from the The Qatari international everything we had, just as must know now that we are lesson from the 3-1 defeat spot, Alipour registered his has been key for Al Sadd’s Persepolis. We just were not AL SADD forward Hamza al Sanhaji has described the upcoming preparing the players well against Al Sadd on Matchday fifth strike of the campaign. journey to the semi-finals, lucky. I hope that we will be AFC Champions League clash as “the game of our lives.” and giving them instructions Two, as they built their match Among the four semi-final- starting 10 of their 11 games better than we were in the With Persepolis leading 1-0 from the first leg, Al Sadd face a but when the game starts, we plan around a sturdy defence. ists, only Baghdad Bounedjah in the competition and con- first leg and that fortune will tough task in the second leg at the Azadi Stadium but Al Sanhaji have to wait and see what will They ceded possession and Dejan Damjanovic have tributing two goals and three favour us. But we also need to stressed that the Wolves will fight in order to win and clinch a happen because the ball is at in Al Sadd's favour, and more goals than the Persepo- assists. consider the fact that Al Sadd final spot in the continent’s most prestigious club competition. the players’ feet.” banked on efficiency instead. lis forward. A repeat of his perform- and Persepolis are among the “We will play the game of our lives,” said the forward. “We know The coach concluded by It proved to be a winning bet Prior to the semi-finals, Al ance against Esteghlal at Aza- best four teams in Asia, so how difficult this game is but there is no option for us except to telling the Iranian media: as they secured a 1-0 win de- Sadd had scored 20 goals in di Stadium on Tuesday would the refereeing should be at a give our best and win to clinch and go through to the final.” “You are expecting qualifica- spite enjoying just 33 percent the competition, more goals go a long way towards help- good level and better than in “All the players are prepared for this match and we will work on tion to the final but you should of play and having only two than any of the other three ing Al Sadd turn the tables the first leg. putting up our best performance,” Sanhaji added. (TNN) know that I want that too and I shots on target. semi-finalists, but they failed on Persepolis. “What I ask from the play- came here to achieve it.” Cancer-hit badminton ace Lee hoping to make comeback Cricket corner AFP A return to the game would Sri Lanka Cricket’s chief finance officer KUALA LUMPUR be a remarkable feat for Ma- arrested for suspected TV rights fraud laysia's best known sports star, MALAYSIAN badminton star The recovery process has who has already had to fight his COLOMBO: Police arrested the chief financial officer of Sri Lanka Lee Chong Wei has said he is been good so far but I still way back up the world rankings Cricket on Monday for suspected financial misappropriation linked recovering well and hopes to need rest. Once I am given after being hit with a doping with awarding telecast rights to Sony TV, police said. The International make a comeback following the green light to make a ban in 2015. He tested positive Cricket Council (ICC) said this month that its anti-corruption unit was nose cancer treatment in Tai- comeback, I will. I thank for a forbidden anti-inflam- investigating serious allegations in Sri Lankan cricket and had pro- wan, a report said on Monday. matory drug at the 2014 world vided a detailed briefing to the country's president, prime minister and The world number five everyone who stood by me. championships and many sports minister. “Following the investigation the CID arrested the main and three-time Olympic silver feared it would end his career. suspect. He is the chief financial officer of Sri Lanka Cricket,” Police Malaysian badminton star Reuters medallist also posted pictures Lee Chong Wei The Badminton Associa- spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara told , naming him as 42-year on social media of himself and tion of Malaysia (BAM) an- old Wimal Nandika Dissanayake. Dissanayake’s lawyers were not imme- his wife smiling and holding nounced last month that Lee diately available for comment. He was arrested after the SLC's chief ex- their children to mark his 36th paper, Lee said that “my health had been diagnosed with ear- ecutive officer lodged a complaint to the police over financial fraud, the birthday on Sunday. is my main priority right now. ly-stage nose cancer. police spokesman said. “The complaint says the SLC’s television rights Lee returned to Malaysia “The recovery process has BAM had said in July that have been going to Sony since 2013. At the last South African tour, this on October 7 after treatment been good so far but I still Lee was suffering from a respi- main suspect asked Sony to deposit 15 percent of the television rights for early-stage nose cancer in need rest.