SPORT Friday 1 February 2019 PAGE | 17 PAGE | 19 Captain Al Haydos Boult blitz as calls for calm Black Caps ahead of ‘most thrash India important match’ in Hamilton Upbeat Qatar eye Asian Cup glory THE PENINSULA Qatar’s head coach Felix Sanchez looks at the AFC Asian Cup Trophy during a AL ANNABI’S ROAD ABU DHABHI photo session held at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi, yesterday. TO THE FINAL Qatar, after a record-breaking run to their first-ever Asian Cup final, Unbeaten Qatar are feeling take on four-time champions Japan today. Beat Lebanon 2-0 upbeat ahead of today’s AFC Group Stage - January 9 Asian Cup final against former champions Japan, coach Felix Second-half goals from Bassam Sanchez said yesterday. Al Rawi and Almoez Ali saw Playing an aggressive brand Qatar pick up a 2-0 win over a of football, Qatar stormed into determined and well-organised the title clash on the back of Lebanon as they recorded an wins over Lebanon, North opening victory in Group E. Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Korea Republic and the UAE. Beat North Korea 6-0 Hosts of the 2022 FIFA Group Stage - January 13 World Cup, Qatar will be Almoez Ali was the star of the playing their first Asian Cup show as he scored four and final whereas Japan are four- set up a fifth in Qatar’s 6-0 time champions. defeat of North Korea as Felix Sanchez, who has groomed Sanchez’s side moved to the the core group playing under top of the Group E standings him, yesterday said Qatar is one win away from creating football and into the knockout stage. history at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium. Beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 “This is definitely the most Group Stage – January 17 important game in Qatar’s Almoez Ali’s rich vein of form at football history,” Sanchez said the competition continued with at a pre-match press conference the striker scoring twice to help attended by captain Hassan Al Qatar beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 Haydos. and claim top spot in Group E. “We are now obviously at the stage of the tournament Beat Iraq 1-0 where the team is in a confident Round of 16 – January 22 mood and looking forward to A glorious second-half Bassam starting the game. Obviously if Qatari players take part in a training session in Abu Dhabi, Al Rawi free-kick proved the we win the trophy, it will be UAE, yesterday. difference as Qatar overcame Qatar’s biggest achievement in terms of football. a determined Iraq 1-0 to “Hopefully, we can have one We came here with progress through to the more good performance. One the hope that we could quarter-finals. of the key things for us is that challenge everyone there is a great team spirit, eve- Beat South Korea 1-0 ryone is working together to in Asia, and it is not a Quarter-final – January 25 achieve the same result. surprise to me that we Abdelaziz Hatem’s terrific long- “The players are determined are here as we already range strike on 78 minutes to get the victory we want by knew the qualities of helped Qatar beat Korea putting in one more huge effort our players. Republic 1-0 to claim a place in against Japan so that we can their first-ever AFC Asian Cup make the Qatari people happy We know Japan have semi-finals. once again and make history,” several strengths and he added. Beat UAE 4-0 At the 2015 edition of the a few weaknesses, Asian Cup in Australia, Qatar so we will need to be Semi-final: January 29 were eliminated at the first excellent throughout Two goals in either half saw Qatar beat host nation the hurdle. Fast forward to 2019 the game in order to and Qatar have fired in 16 goals United Arab Emirates 4-0 to and have conceded none. achieve the win we progress with relative ease and Thanks to striker Almoez want: Qatar head set up today’s title clash with Ali’s breath-taking form, Qatar coach Felix Sanchez the Japanese side. have left rivals stunned with deadly attacks in all of their six clashes before the final at the matches and we know they’re 24-team tournament. QATAR AT ASIAN CUP a strong opponent, so we have beIN to air final Sanchez said Qatar players 2019 one more fight to do and we’re delivered telling performances, going to do it with determi- Matches played: 6 on FTA channel adapting to change in team nation so that our players can Won: 6 tactics with flair. have the best performance on THE PENINSULA Goals scored: 16 “When we arrived to play in the field.” Goals conceded: 0 beIN Media Group has announced that the final of the AFC Asian Cup, our target Moriyasu’s side take on a Top scorer: Almoez Ali (8) the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 between Qatar and was to test ourselves against Qatar team that has scored 16 The young forward has Japan will be broadcast on its Free to Air (FTA) everyone, to be able to compete times in their previous six equalled Ali Daei’s record – channel as a gift to its Arabic viewers. against all the teams here, and games and have yet to concede set in 1996 – for the most to be able to hold our own a goal as they booked their In addition to beIN Sports Max 1 and Max 2, goals scored in a single against the very best in Asia,” place in the country’s first-ever viewers will be able to follow the special coverage edition of the AFC Asian Cup. Sanchez said yesterday. AFC Asian Cup final. today on beIN Sports’ FTA channel. Coverage “We have had six games and The Japan coach, though, is will kick off with the Morning Show at 8am local six different stories, there has to negate the threats they have,” confident his team is well- time. The dedicated match studio will begin at been pressure during the group Sanchez said. equipped to handle Felix 3.30pm local time. stage and then even more “We know Japan have Sanchez’s impressive young pressure during the knockout several strengths and a few side. phase. We trust the team and weaknesses, so we will need to “We are aware they are a Watch action on believe in them. be excellent throughout the very strong team, that they have “We came here with the game in order to achieve the scored 16 goals and kept clean giant screens hope that we could challenge win we want,” he added. sheets all the way through, but everyone in Asia, and it is not a Japan coach Hajime no matter how they play we will surprise to me that we are here Moriyasu yesterday said: stay the same,” he said. THE PENINSULA as we already knew the qual- “Tomorrow as a team we would “We will analyse them and There will be giant screens placed at many ities of our players,” he added. like to try to take the trophy then we will express our best popular locations in Qatar for fans to watch the Sanchez admitted clash back home, but I’m not too on the field,” Moriyasu said. Qatar’s historic Asian Cup final in a stadium-like against Japan would be the interested in what it means to “We are also a team that has atmosphere. biggest challenge. me,” said the former midfielder. reached the final, so I want the The screens are in place at Katara Esplanade, “The game against Japan is “I just want to celebrate the title players to be confident because now another story for us. Japan with all the team and we will do of that. We have been devel- Pearl Qatar (The Amphitheatre), Sheraton Park, have great quality and have won our best in training as well.” oping as a team throughout Souq Waqif (Western Arena), Mall of Qatar (Oasis), the AFC Asian Cup many times. He added: “I can say that it’s each game and I want us to Aspire Park (Behind Lake), Msheireb Downtown However, we are ready (for the going to be a tough match. show that development on the Doha, Airport Park (next to Qatar Airways HQ) and challenge) and will play in a way We’ve already played six field tomorrow,” he added. Torba Market (Ceremonial Court, Education city). FRIDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2019 SPORT 17 Qatar get it right on the pitch AFP unprecedented sixth clean sheet in the champion high jumper Mutaz Essa it’s like a family,” defender Pedro Miguel ABU DHABI process. Barshim. said. With Qataris largely barred from But the major focus is football and “All the time we’re like a family, it’s “To quality for the final, with this Qatar’s transformation from also-rans UAE the Maroons have been virtually Aspire has gone to the lengths of buying important. And we take that into the result, we need to feel very proud to Asian Cup finalists was meticulously bereft of fans. But despite this, they have clubs in Spain and Belgium, and forging games... we’re in the final because of that.” for the country and for these players planned and has been years in the cut a swathe through the competition. links with others including Leeds United, After leaving Aspire, nearly all the who are doing an amazing effort making - and has finally given Qataris Almoez Ali has netted a record- to give its players greater exposure.