FOOTBALL | Page 3 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 10 Barca, Atletico Rohit, Kohli To Advertise here in top of the help India seal Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 table match Twenty20 today series Saturday, January 30, 2016 TENNIS Rabia II 20, 1437 AH Murray beats GULF TIMES Raonic to face Djokovic in fi nal SPORT Page 8 AFC U23 CHAMPIONSHIP Heartbreak for Qatar as Iraq qualify for Rio Olympics Extra time goal by substitute Aymen Hussein helps Iraq to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over hosts in third place playoff Qatari players are dejected after their 1-2 extra-time loss to Iraq in the third place playoff of the AFC U23 Championship at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium here yesterday. By Sports Reporter Doha ore often than not, leav- ing it late brings on its own perils, but for the fearless it’s only the accompany- Ming thrills that matter: the adrenalin gushing at stroke-inducing speeds, the heart beating itself into a frenzy at the prospect of accomplishing something special, but the mind somewhat a mess with self-doubt creeping in. What if, after all the tension of the build-up, you are unable to achieve what you set out for? You’ve had it, plain and simple. But yesterday, if there was tension in the air at the Jassim bin Hamad Sta- Qatar Football Association and AFC vice president Saoud al-Mohannadi presents a dium, it was felt only by the specta- medal to the off iciating referee yesterday. tors; the players chose to ignore it. If someone had planted seeds of doubts in the young footballers’ minds, they were not allowed to germinate. Nega- tive thoughts simply don’t infl uence confi dent 20 somethings when they are going for broke in a winner-takes-all Iraqi players celebrate their win over Qatar and their qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics. game, especially when the grand prize is a ticket to the spiritual home of foot- Football Confederation’s representa- Iraq’s Tareq put himself in position to the number of chances increased, with ball, Brazil. tives in Rio de Janeiro in August. level the scores just four minutes later Alaa missing out on the opportunity to However, unfortunately and heart- Iraq made two changes to the team when the Qatar defence failed to clear claim his second of the night when his breakingly for Qatar, it is Iraq who are that lost to Japan in the semi-fi nals, a corner, but his goalward shot was attempt from the edge of the area was going to the Olympics after a 2-1 come- bringing Humam Tareq back into mid- defl ected to safety off the back of his saved by Talib before Abdulraheem back win over the hosts in the playoff for fi eld in place of Mahdi Kamil while Sa- team-mate Mustafa Nadhim. shot straight at the goalkeeper. the third place at the AFC U23 Champi- faa Jabbar returned from suspension in As time ticked down in the half, the With four minutes remaining in nor- onship, thanks to a header by substitute place of Amjed Hussein. Qatar, mean- Qataris could have claimed a second; mal time, the Qataris were ruing those Aymen Hussein four minutes into the while were unchanged from the side Musaab Khidir, Moez Ali and Ahmed misses as Abdulraheem rose highest second period of extra-time. that lost to Korea Republic. Yasser all had sight of goal, only to to meet Khidir’s long punt forward to The 120 minutes of frenzied action The hosts shaded the opening quar- miss out on claiming a second for Felix glance his header into the bottom cor- had the spectators sweating, swear- ter of the game as both sides attempted Sanchez’s team. ner and set the game up for extra-time. ing and perhaps wanting to assault the to establish a rhythm, with Alaa forcing Qatar’s profl igacy continued into the Four minutes into the second period, players as both sides missed a plethora Iraqi goalkeeper Fahad Talib into action second half with Afi f failing in a one- Ali Hisny lifted the ball into the Qatari of chances, some ludicrously easy. in the 16th minute when he met Ahmad on-one situation with Talib 11 minutes penalty area and Hussein rose highest Ahmed Alaeddin gave Qatar the lead Moein’s corner, only for the ball to be after the restart, and the home side to head back across goal and into the far in the 27th minute but an equaliser four palmed over the bar. were almost made to pay. corner. minutes from time by Muhanad Ab- By the 27th minute, though, Qatar Ali Faez’s dipping, curling free kick Abdulkareem Hussain went close to dulraheem took the game into 30 addi- were in front as a ricochet in midfi eld from 35 yards out was pushed away leveling the scores again just minutes tional minutes and the towering Hus- fell kindly for Akram Afi f, the midfi eld- for a corner by Muhannad Naim while later, only to see his header come back sein nodded home to qualify Iraq for the er picking up the ball in the centre circle less than a minute later he palmed off the crossbar, while Mohamed Mun- Olympics for the fi rst time since 2004. and surging towards goal. As Talib at- away Tareq’s close-range volley as the tari was foiled in a desperate goalmouth The win means Iraq, winners of this tempted to close down the space, Afi f Iraqis pushed for the much-needed scramble but Iraq held on to break the title two years ago in Oman, will join rolled the ball to Alaa and he slotted his equaliser. hosts’ hearts and book their tickets for Japan and Korea Republic as the Asian right-foot shot home. As a result the game opened up and Brazil. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, January 30, 2016 FOOTBALL AFC U23 CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL - 5:45PM Bragging rights up for grabs in Korea vs Japan fi nale Nervous about this pressure game, London Olympic loss from four years says Korea coach Shin Tae-yong ago on Japanese minds AFC AFC Doha Doha hin Tae-yong has insisted there apan will be without strikers will be no respite for his Korea Takumi Minamino and Musashi Republic team as they prepare Suzuki when they take on Korea to take on great rivals Japan in Republic in the fi nal of the AFC Sthe fi nal of the AFC U23 Championship U23J Championship at Abdullah Bin at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium today Khalifa Stadium today evening. evening. Red Bull Salzburg forward Minamino Both teams secured berths at the fi - returned to the Austrian club after the nals of the Olympic Games in Rio de Ja- Japanese secured qualifi cation for the neiro, with Shin’s side seeing off hosts Olympic Games with victory over Iraq Qatar after Japan had beaten Iraq to in the semi-fi nals on Tuesday, while take two of the three tickets for Brazil in Suzuki has been ruled out due to injury. the summer. But despite having secured their But with the regional rivalry as in- main objective of claiming a ticket for tense as ever between the Japanese and Rio de Janeiro, Japan coach Makoto the Koreans, Shin will not be allowing Teguramori will ask his players for one his team to drop their guard ahead of fi nal eff ort ahead of the completion of the fi nal game of the competition. the championship. “Both teams have already achieved “It’s a little bit cold today but I’ve their goals, so in that context some fans come in a short-sleeve shirt, which is will think the game will be a comfort- my mistake, but tomorrow I can’t make able match,” said Shin. any mistakes in my decisions,” said Te- “But it’s Korea versus Japan and Korea coach Shin Tae-yong. PICTURES: Othman Iraqi guramori. there’s a lot of pressure and I’m nerv- “I’m looking forward to the fi nal ous about the game. central defender Song Ju-hun available concentration until the last minute and against Korea Republic. Both teams are “I’ve prepared fi ve diff erent forma- after struggling with injury. we’re looking forward to the game.” strong, both are from East Asia, both Japan coach Makoto Teguramori. tions for this competition and I’d like to “I’m looking forward to the game With Japan having conceded just two will play in the fi nal and both have been pick one tomorrow from among those against Japan,” said Shin. “I always look goals throughout the entire tourna- Asian football leaders for many years. four years ago. was a big celebration but this mood that we have shown during the tourna- forward to playing against Japan and ment, Shin knows his side will face a “Tomorrow’s game will be hard be- Despite this, Teguramori stressed the could change as a result of tomorrow’s ment, depending on our analysis of the I’m glad Japan have made it here. tough time trying to break through the cause both teams have been seeking to loss at the London Games taught Japa- match.” Japan team. “The fi nal match between Japan and back line of Makoto Teguramori’s team, play at a world-class level. At the last nese football a number of lessons. With qualifi cation for the Olympic “I’d like to be fl exible, because while Korea shows the power of east Asian but the former Ilhwa Chunma mid- Olympic Games both nations went to “We reached the semifi nals and that achieved, Teguramori is determined the content of the game will be very im- football.