Attiyah’s FIA World Cup hopes suffer a big blow in Morocco Rally PAGE 14 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 Al Annabi train ahead of qualifying clash against Bangladesh in Dhaka AFC Australia vs Nepal KUALA LUMPUR The Socceroos’ last home de- feat in FIFA World Cup quali- AS many as 32 ties will be fication was in 2008 - 1-0 to played in the next two Match- China PR - and this is a streak days of the Asian Qualifiers Nepal will have to overcome at for the FIFA World Cup Qatar the GIO Stadium Canberra. 2022 and AFC Asian Cup Chi- The South Asians, howev- na 2023 as the continent’s 40 er, will not be lacking in moti- hopefuls look to take another vation - especially after having step closer in advancing to the bounced back from a 7-0 de- two showpieces. feat to Kuwait to beat Chinese Matchdays One and Two Taipei 2-0. produced several surprises. He are five matches to keep an Uzbekistan vs Yemen eye on in Thursday’s Match- Uzbekistan’s opening match day Three. defeat to Palestine cost Hec- tor Cuper his job as head Bangladesh vs Qatar coach and the Central Asians The reigning AFC Asian Cup couldn’t have picked a worse champions and FIFA World time to play a Yemen side Cup 2022 hosts Qatar travel brimming with confidence. to Dhaka still wondering how The West Asians followed they settled for a 0-0 draw up a 2-2 draw with Singapore by with India on Matchday Two. holding Asian giants Saudi Ara- That result ended a winning bia to a similar result and will streak for Felix Sanchez’s side be confident of getting a posi- against Asian opposition and tive result against an Uzbekistan Bangladesh will be relishing the side that could still be reeling chance to lock horns with the from their opening day defeat. continent’s standout team. Qatar will play Bangladesh Vietnam vs Malaysia at the Bangabandhu National The last meeting between the Stadium in Dhaka on Thurs- two Southeast Asian rivals in day, eight days before meeting Hanoi ended with Vietnam Oman on October 15 at home lifting the 2018 AFF Cup. at Al Janoub Stadium. Much, however, has changed since then and Malay- China vs Guam sia – after a 3-2 win over Indo- On paper, this should be a The Qatar national football team players during a training session at the Al Janoub Stadium ahead of their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Asian Qualifers and AFC Asian Cup China nesia and a heartbreaking 2-1 win for China Peoples Re- 2023 group stage match against Bangladesh in Dhaka to be played on Thursday. loss to United Arab Emirates - public but it can never be as will believe they have a chance easy that, not when they are opponents. fiers when they defeated the the Pacific Islanders are itch- against Maldives and Philip- stage for a potential classic to take all three points against a facing a side who have a his- Guam grabbed headlines higher ranked Turkmenistan ing to score big again. pines mean Guam have no against a side – at 68 – ranked Vietnam side who are the domi- tory of beating higher ranked in the previous Asian Quali- and India in Round Two and Back-to-back defeats room for error, setting the 127 places higher. nant team in ASEAN now. Everyone will be welcome to enjoy Ooredoo Cup to Qatar’s festival of football: Al Khater kick off on Friday QNA Shahania, Al Ahli, Umm Salal, SC.QA will be unveiled on Qatar Na- DOHA Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah. tional Day 2019 when it hosts Group B consists of Al Duhail, ASSER al Khater re- the semi-final match involving THE QNB Stars League has Al Khor, Al Sailiya, Qatar SC, iterated Qatar’s com- Liverpool, while Al Bayt Sta- taken a fortnight-long break Al Arabi and Al Gharafa. Nmitment to hosting an dium, which has a capacity of due to FIFA Days and Ooredoo The ranking of clubs in the exceptional tournament that 60,000, will soon be complet- Cup is all set to steal the spot- draw was based on their final boosts the entire Middle East ed. We have also built all the light, with Round 1 matches standings in the 2018-19 QNB region during the Scientific training sites required for the being played on Friday and Stars League. Forum for Arts and Media in tournament.” Saturday at the Al Ahli and Al The fixtures are Al Sadd vs Kuwait. Al Khater went on to high- Arabi Stadiums. Al Wakrah (17:30) at Al Ahli Al Khater, CEO of the FIFA light various Qatar 2022 leg- The Ooredoo Cup, former- Stadium, Al Ahli vs Umm Salal World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, acy programmes during the ly QSL Cup, provides younger (19:40) at Al Ahli Stadium said Qatar would welcome fans event, which was organised by players with more playing and Al Shahania vs Al Rayyan from everywhere – including the Authority for Youth in Ku- time and exposure. The tour- (19:40) at Al Arabi Stadium blockading countries – when wait. He outlined the football nament, which has a group- on Friday (Group A), Al Khor the tournament kicks off in for development programme cum-knockout format, offers vs Al Arabi (17:30) at Al Arabi just over three years’ time. Generation Amazing, Chal- new opportunities for spon- Stadium, Al Sailiya vs Qatar Speaking during a panel lenge 22, which aims to boost sors, partners and supporters SC (19:40) at Al Arabi Stadium discussion, Al Khater said: innovation and entrepreneur- to highlight their brands. and Al Duhail vs Al Gharafa “Everyone will be welcome ship across the region, and First-team play- (19:40) at Al Ahli in 2022. We want fans from the Josoor Institute – a driver ers, Under-23 play- Stadium on Saturday across the region and around for sports and events industry ers and Under-19 (Group B). the world to enjoy this incredi- professionals. players can partici- Al Gharafa are the ble festival of football and sam- Qatar’s commitment to pate in the tourna- reigning champions. ple the amazing atmosphere.” hosting major sporting events ment. This season’s They beat Al Du- Al Khater said more than 1 was also discussed. tournament’s major hail 1-0 in last edi- million fans were expected to Al Khater said: “Host- highlight is that it tion’s final. Al Ghara- visit Qatar during the tourna- ing sporting and other major would be held un- fa had triumphed in ment – including many from events is a driver for societal der the patronage of the previous season Kuwait. growth, so long as the oppor- Ooredoo, one of the as well. He added: “We are com- tunity is well utilised. Since major national com- Even though the mitted to engaging with the the 1970s, Qatar has strived panies. teams will miss some Kuwaiti community and keep- Nasser al Khater, CEO of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, at the Scientific Forum for Arts and Media in Kuwait. to build and grow its local in- The draw for the Ooredoo of their international play- ing them informed about the frastructure and support the Cup was held at the Qatar ers who will do duty for their latest developments on the line infrastructure progress in dium – during the upcoming aiming to complete all our growth of its society. Hosting Stars League’s headquarters country during the break, the road to 2022. We hope many relation to the tournament. FIFA Club World Cup in De- construction projects two the FIFA World Cup is a con- in Al Bidda Tower on Sunday, tournament is a good oppor- Kuwaitis will travel to Qatar Qatar has delivered two sta- cember. years before the tournament tinuum of this vision and one 1st September, 2019. All 12 tunity for them to make up for for the tournament.” diums to-date and will launch “Significant progress has kicks off,” said Al Khater. that echoes and fulfills Qatar QNB Stars League teams are the lapses and prepare for the Al Khater went on to out- its third – Education City Sta- been made so far and we are “Education City Stadium National Vision 2030.” divided into two groups and tough times ahead in the QNB the top four sides from each Stars League, where Al Duhail group will progress to the are leading the table, followed knockout quarter-finals. by Al Arabi, Al Sadd and Al Quick read Group A has Al Sadd, Al Rayyan in the top bracket. ROUND 1 UK Athletics head coach stands down amid Salazar ban fallout GROUP A GROUP B LONDON: UK Athletics perfor- former coach Alberto Salazar. Portland. Black was in charge ing potential doping violations, reason to be concerned”. There mance director Neil Black is to Salazar’s four-year suspension when UK Athletics appointed Salazar was coaching Farah, is no suggestion of wrongdoing stand down, the governing body last week followed an inves- Salazar as a consultant to its whom he helped become a four- from Black, who will still oversee said on Tuesday, after he said he tigation by the United States endurance programme in 2013. time Olympic champion distance Farah’s involvement in the Chi- would review his position follow- Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) into He had previously described runner. UK Athletics reviewed Sa- cago Marathon as planned this ing the doping ban handed down the activities of his Nike-backed Salazar as a “genius”.