SPORT SPORT | 14 SPORT | 15 Shan, Abbas put Manchester Pakistan on top City ‘ready’ for in first Test Real Madrid against England test: Guardiola FRIDAY 7 AUGUST 2020 Brahimi seals crucial win for Al Rayyan CHINTHANA WASALA THE PENINSULA Algerian forward Yacine Brahimi scored an early goal against Al Sailiya to secure an all important win for title-chasing Al Rayyan in their Week 20 match of the QNB Stars League (QSL) at the Al Janoub Stadium yesterday. Brahimi struck the only goal of the match in the eighth minute as the former champions closed in on the leaders Al Duhail with 45 points. Al Duhail are just one point ahead of the Lions, however, they will have the opportunity to extend the lead when they meet defend- ing champions Al Sadd tomorrow . Despite the early setback, Al Sailiya were able to pose a con- siderable threat to the Diego Aguirr-coached side. Brahimi, one of the tournament top scorers, placed the ball home Al Sadd's latest recruit, Spanish star Santi Cazorla holding a team past goalkeeper Amine Lecomte jersey with coach Xavi Hernandez during a ceremony held yesterday. in no time after being assisted by The midfielder bid farewell to Villarreal few days ago. Cazorla had youngster Ibrahim Masoud from Al Rayyan's Algerian forward Yacine Brahimi (left) vies for the ball against two Al Sailiya players made 180 appearances over six years for Arsenal and has 81 caps the left. for Spain. Brahimi had another chance to during their QNB Stars League Week 20 match played at Janoub Stadium, yesterday. double the lead, but was unlucky with a free-kick in the 30th minute. Today, Al Gharafa will meet against). They are sure to give off After many exchanges in the Al Khor in their Week 20 fixture. their best in the remaining games second half, Al Rayyan’s Abdulrah- Al Shahania will face Qatar SC at in order to stay in the top flight. QFA fines players and man Al Harazi missed a chance in AL Sadd Stadium in today's sec- Qatar SC, who played out a 1-1 the 87th minute when he chipped ond match. draw with Umm Salal in Week 19, officials for breaching the ball past Lecomte from the right Even though Al Shahania are are ninth with 18 points. only to see it go wide after he was tat the bottom of the standings with Al Gharafa, who lost 0-2 to safety protocols set up by Brahimi with a through 14 points, they have been doing Al Duhail in Week 19, are fourth WEEK 20 pass from the middle. Karim Ansari well ever since Nabil Anwar took in the standings with 31 points. THE PENINSULA – DOHA YESTERDAY'S RESULTS almost equalised for Al Sailiya deep charge of them replacing Span- The Cheetahs, coached by Serb Al Rayyan 1 - 0 Al Sailiya into stoppage time, but his angular iard Jose Murcia. They beat Al Ahli Slavisa Jokanovic, are likely to fin- Al Wakrah 2 - 1 Al Arabi The Disciplinary Committee of the Qatar Football shot went inches wide. The Iranian 3-1 in Week 18, before a 2-2 draw ish among the top four, given that TODAY'S FIXTURES Association (QFA), in a meeting headed by had earlier been thwarted by Al with Al Sailiya last week. they have a six-point difference Al Gharafa vs Al Khor (16:30, Al Janoub Stadium) Chairman Hassan Al Hammadi, yesterday Rayyan goalkeeper Fahd Younis. Al Shahania have two victo- with fifth-placed Al Arabi with only Al Shahania vs Qatar SC (18:45, Al Sadd Stadium) announced a series of fines imposed on players Yesterday's win was Al Rayy- ries, eight draws and nine defeats three matches remaining. SATURDAY and officials due to non-compliance of MOPH’s an's 13th win of the season. against their name with a goal dif- Al Khor, coached by Omar Umm Salal vs Al Ahli (16:30, Al Janoub Stadium) safety protocols. The defeat, the ninth of the sea- ference of -18 (22 goals for and 40 Najhi, are 11th with 15 points. Al Sadd vs Al Duhail (18:45, Al Sadd Stadium) Al Arabi's Muhammad Issa Al Muhammadi, son, dented Al Sailiya's hopes of Mohamed Essam El Din and Marc Muniesa were moving into top four. Al Wakrah and Al Arabi players in action during their Week warned and fined QR 10,000 easch due to non- Al Sailiya remained on 25 20 match yesterday. compliance with the MOPH’s safety protocols points, and six behind fourth placed including breaching home quarantine pledge Al Gharafa with only two rounds signed by them. of action remaining. Al Sadd's coach Xavi Hernandez and two of his Al Sailiya finished third last players, Hammam Al Amin and Abdelkarim Hassan season, their best performance in also received warnings and fines of QR 10,000 the QSL history, as they secured each due to the same reason. places in both Qatar Cup and AFC Diego Pereira, a member of the Qatar SC tech- Champions League play-offs. nical staff, and midfielder Ahmed Moeen also were Elsewhere, at Al Sadd Stadium, fined and warned. Al Wakrah recorded a 2-1 win over Umm Salal SC's Mahmoud Al Mawas, Ismail Al Arabi. Mahmoud Mardanli, Al Wakrah's Omar Afifi Abdul Cristian Ceballos (71st-minute Majeed, Al Rayyan's Mohamed Alaa, Al Khor's penalty) and Omar Ali (75) scored Ahmed Salem Al Askar, Al Gharafa's Koo Ja-cheol for Al Wakrah as The Blue Wave and Al Duhail's Ahmed Sufyan were also among raised their tally to 24 points. It the players who were warned for breaching home was their sixth victory as they are quarantine pledge signed by them. All of them were featuring in the top flight after a fined for their misconducts. space of two seasons. In addition, the committee also decided to The defeat, their seventh this suspend Al Arabi player Fahd Shanin for three season, further thwarted Al Ara- matches on disciplinary grounds and impose a QR bi’s hopes of making it to the top 20,000 fine for showing lack of sportsman spirit four as they stayed on 25 points. during his team's match against Al Rayyan. His Hamdi Harbaoui scored their team-mate Musab Khadr was fined QR5,000 for goal in the 20th minute through showing lack of sportsman spirit during the same a penalty. match. Longines Hathab Equestrian Tour set to return after break Riders with their horses during the official vet check ahead of the 10th round of the Longines Hathab Equestrian Tour at the Qatar Equestrian Federation Arena, yesterday. The third season of the annual series which offers QR1m in total prize money, is making its return after a four-month break. Today, the Small Tour (100 - 115cm) competition will kick off at 4.00pm, followed by the individual and team competitions of the Medium Tour (120 - 130cm) at 6.45pm. 14 SPORT FRIDAY 7 AUGUST 2020 England struggle at 92-4 after visitors score 326 in first innings Shan, Abbas put Pakistan on top AFP —MANCHESTER Pakistan’s Shan Pacer Archer Masood in action on England suffered a dramatic top-order collapse that saw Ben second day of first SCOREBOARD bemoans Stokes out for a duck after Shan Test at Old Trafford Pakistan 1st Innings 22.3-9-54-3; Woakes 20-6-43-2; Archer 22- Masood’s brilliant century yesterday. Shan Masood lbw b Broad ....................... 156 4-59-3 (1nb); Bess 20-4-74-1; Root 6-0-25-0 luck as hosts ........................................... established a strong position for Abid Ali b Archer 16 England 1st Innings Azhar Ali lbw b Woakes .................................0 R. Burns lbw b Afridi ......................................4 Pakistan in the first Test at Old Babar Azam c Root b Anderson ...............69 D. Sibley lbw b Abbas ....................................8 off target at Trafford yesterday. Asad Shafiq c Stokes b Broad ......................7 J. Root c Rizwan b Yasir Shah .....................14 The hosts were 92-4 at Mohammad Rizwan c Buttler b Woakes ...9 B. Stokes b Abbas ...........................................0 Old Trafford stumps on the second day, after Shadab Khan c Root b Bess ....................... 45 O. Pope not out .............................................46 slumping to 12-3, in reply to Yasir Shah lbw b Archer .................................5 J. Buttler not out ...........................................15 REUTERS — MANCHESTER Pakistan’s first innings 326 that Mohammad Abbas c Root b Archer ............0 Extras (lb2, nb3) .............................................5 Shaheen Afridi not out ..................................9 Total (4 wkts, 28 overs, 132 mins) 92 featured opener Masood’s Test- Naseem Shah c Buttler b Broad ..................0 To bat: J Buttler, C Woakes, D Bess, J Archer, England fast bowler Jofra best 156. Extras (b1, lb7, nb2) ....................................10 S Broad, J Anderson Archer believes his side Ollie Pope defied Pakistan Total (all out, 109.3 overs) .................. 326 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Burns), 2-12 (Sibley), lacked luck after another to be 46 not out, with Jos Buttler Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Abid), 2-43 (Azhar), 3-12 (Stokes), 4-62 (Root) disappointing display with unbeaten on 15. But England 3-139 (Babar), 4-150 (Shafiq), 5-176 Bowling: Afridi 9-4-12-1 (1nb); Abbas 7-0- the ball has left them facing were still 234 runs behind with (Rizwan), 6-281 (Shadab), 7-291 (Yasir), 24-2 (2nb); Naseem 5-2-18-0; Yasir 7-0-36- a sizeable first innings 8-291 (Abbas), 9-317 (Masood), 10-326 (Na- 1; no more specialist batsmen left. seem) Match position: England are 234 runs be- deficit after day two of the It took towering left-armer Bowling: Anderson 19-6-63-1 (1nb); Broad hind with six first-innings wickets standing first test against Pakistan Shaheen Afridi just four balls to yesterday.