GOLF | Page 5 NBA | Page 6 It’s Jason’s Lowry Day all stars as the way at Raptors Players beat Heat Tuesday, May 17, 2016 CRICKET Sha'baan 10, 1437 AH Kohli leads GULF TIMES Bangalore to thumping win over Kolkata SPORT Page 11 AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Barca to play friendly Lekhwiya take on El Jaish today in Doha on May 24 Barcelona players celebrate on an open-top bus during a victory parade through the streets of Barcelona to celebrate their 24th La Liga title on Sunday. The Spanish champions will play in Doha next week. (AFP) By Sports Reporter ing day (May 24). Barcelona were Doha scheduled to play in two friendlies Lekhwiya coach Djamal Belmadi (right) with team defender Ahmed Yasser El Jaish defender Magid Mohamed (left) with team coach Sabri Lamouchi in Qatar, one in 2014 and one last year, but both were cancelled. By Sports Reporter dkor due to suspension. El Jaish, who are making their second run in the group stage of the competition panish champions Barcelona Doha Defender Khaled Muftah will also be appearance in the knockout stage of the and our ambition is to continue with the will play a friendly in Doha on QSL 2016-17 season available after recovering from a recent in- AFC Champions League, will welcome same spirit and get a better result. The team SMay 24, the club said on their jury, but young Qatar international striker defender Yasir Isa and midfi elder Khaled that qualifi es will only be known by the end website (www.fcbarcelona.com). to kick off on Sept 15 ekhwiya will be hoping for a repeat Mohamed Muntari is ruled out after pick- Abdulraaof back to the team after both of the second match and therefore we should Luis Enrique’s side will play Al Ahli, The Qatar Stars League, the high- of last week’s Emir’s Cup win over ing up a knock against El Jaish last week. were ruled out of the fi nal match in the get the best possible result tomorrow.” the current Saudi Arabian league est professional football league in El Jaish when the Qatar Stars League “We have had a tight schedule recently group stage due to suspension. Group B runners-up Lekhwiya quali- champions. Qatar, yesterday confirmed the (QSL) rival meet in the fi rst leg of as we played several important matches “This is the fi fth match that we would fi ed for the group stages via the play-off s, The game comes as part of dates for the start of the 2016/2017 Lthe Round of 16 of the 2016 AFC Champi- in a short period of time,” said Belmadi. be playing against Lekhwiya this season. defeating Iran’s Naft Tehran, while Group the sponsorship agreement that season. This year’s season will start ons League, at the Lekhwiya Stadium today. “The match (tomorrow) won’t be any We recently met them in the Emir Cup,” D winners El Jaish became the fi rst side the club has with Qatar Sports on September 15, a QSL statement Djamal Belmadi’s side advanced to the diff erent as it is important we get a good said coach Sabri Lamouchi, who led El into the last 16 with two games to spare as Investment and Qatar Airways, the said, adding that further announce- fi nal of the local cup competition on Fri- result, especially ahead of the fi nal of the Jaish to a runners-up fi nish in the QSL they secured just their second appearance statement added. The five-year ments in regards to the fixtures will day with a 2-1 win over El Jaish and the Emir Cup. “We have to show our fi ghting this season. in the tournament’s knockout stage. deal ends this July. be made in due course. 2013 AFC Champions League quarter- spirit again because the match will not “However, things will be diff erent in the Two-time quarter-fi nalists Lekhwiya The squad will leave Barcelona QSL sides can now start formal- fi nalists will welcome back Ahmed Maq- be easy. Our concentration will be on the match tomorrow. We have a lot of motiva- are playing in the second phase of the con- on May 23 (Monday) and return ising training camps and signings soud, who missed the club’s fi nal group match and hopefully we will get the result tion to avenge our defeat in the Emir Cup tinental competition for the third time. straight after the game the follow- ahead of the September 15 kick-off . stage match against Uzbekistan’s Bunyo- that we are looking for.” and we have prepared well. We had a good The match will kick off at 19:15 local time. ON THE RIGHT TRACK ACL experience a ‘huge benefi t’ for 2022, say Boudiaf & Tae-hee ‘If a Qatar club is represented in at least the quarter-final or the semi-final of the AFC Champions League every year from now till 2022, it would have a positive impact on the national team for the home World Cup’ ekhwiya SC teammates Karim League is one of the many ways we can Boudiaf and Nam Tae-hee be- make this happen. After the 2018 World Lekhwiya SC teammates Karim lieve that the continued positive Cup, the Asian Champions League Boudiaf and Nam Tae-hee (left) performances of Qatar Stars will provide the main competitive test LLeague (QSL) clubs in the AFC Cham- for our national team as we will not be pions League will be important for playing the 2022 qualifi ers.” the country’s national team to emerge The 25-year-old midfi elder added among Asia’s elite in time for the 2022 that there is a short-term relevance to FIFA World Cup. the elite continental club competition The 2014-15 QSL champions are set with the third round of the 2018 World for a double header this week with Fri- Cup Qualifi ers looming in September. day’s Emir Cup fi nal against Al Sadd “Lekhwiya could well end up fac- preceded by today’s AFC Champions ing an Iranian club in the Champions League round of 16 home game against League quarter-fi nal in late August. fellow QSL side El Jaish. Our club has many Qatar national The midfi eld duo told www.sc.qa team players and a potential match-up that QSL clubs can challenge the best against Zob Ahan or Tractor Sazi would of Asia regularly over the next few years give us valuable experience ahead of the to follow on from the last continental challenging fi rst qualifi er (at the Azadi triumph by Al Sadd Sports Club in 2011. Stadium in Tehran on September 1),” “This year a Qatari club is defi nitely said Boudiaf. going to be in the quarter-fi nal,” said Boudiaf’s midfi eld partner Nam Tae- Boudiaf, who started in all but one of hee, who joined Lekhwiya in 2012, also Qatar’s 2018 second-round qualifi ers. recognises that form in the elite conti- “If a Qatar club is represented in at nental club competition can be repli- least the quarter-fi nal or the semi-fi nal cated on the international stage. of the AFC Champions League every “The level in the AFC Champions by Boudiaf as one of the most techni- trend of QSL clubs doing well in Asia is member Ahn Jung-hwan’s golden goal “Those matches will be like a home- year from now till 2022, it would have a League is very high and Lekhwiya’s cally gifted playmakers in Asian club likely to continue. against Italy in the round of 16. Also, coming for me as there are many Le- positive impact on the national team for good run will help Qatar in the World football, said the Qatar national side “QSL clubs’ focus on the Asian Park Ji-sung’s winner in the group khwiya players in Qatar, including my the home World Cup,” he added. Cup qualifi ers,” said the 24-year-old has improved a lot from the time ‘Al Champions League is a very positive game against Portugal’s golden gen- friend Karim,” smiled Nam. Al Sadd are the only QSL team to attacking midfi elder from South Korea. Annabi’ lost both their 2014 qualifi ers sign for the Qatar national team looking eration. Those moments made me Boudiaf echoed his teammate and have lifted the AFC Champions League “Lekhwiya reached the quarter-fi nal in to the ‘Taeguk Warriors’. to create a lasting impression in front of dream of wanting to play a World Cup friend’s sentiments, but said that will trophy—and have done so on two oc- 2013 after defeating Al Hilal in the round “I played in the game in Doha and home fans at the 2022 World Cup, just at home. I will be very close to realising go out the window once the whistle casions, in 1989 and again in 2011. Al of 16 but lost to eventual champions there is no doubt that Qatar is a much as South Korea did in 2002,” the South this if I play in Qatar in 2022,” he said. blows in the qualifi ers. “I will enjoy Arabi were runners-up in 1995—and Guangzhou Evergrande. Qatar had a few better side now, both technically and Korean added. However, there is the small matter of marking Nam,” he said. “I know his Boudiaf believes the nation’s club sides of our players then and they really tested physically,” he said.