Umm Salal Hold Rayyan Teams Set to Know to 1-1 Draw
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NNBABA | Page 5 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 6 Warriors England need outlast Lakers, to get into Rockets beat the swing in Pacers day-nighter Friday, December 1, 2017 FOOTBALL Rabia I 13, 1439 AH Neymar magic GULF TIMES lifts PSG as Marseille go second SPORT Page 3 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP QNB STARS LEAGUE Wait is over as Umm Salal hold Rayyan teams set to know to 1-1 draw By Sports Reporter as star striker Abderrazaq Hamdallah Doha had to pull out in the fi rst quarter with a pulled thigh muscle. He was replaced their opponents by Mohsine Moutaouli. mm Salal were rewarded for Tabata’s free-kick went out in the their confi dence as they held 24th after hitting the crossbar. He high-fl ying Al Rayyan to a 1-1 then came up with a long-range vol- Kremlin Palace in Moscow will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup draw today draw at the Al Gharafa Stadi- ley which Umm Salal goalkeeper Basel Uum in Week 10 of the QNB Stars League Zeidan blocked. Play was largely con- yesterday. fi ned to The Orange Fortress’ area and Rodrigo Tabata put Al Rayyan ahead Sebastian Soria missed a sitter. in the 49th minute, an advantage nul- Not long after resumption, So- lifi ed by Umm Salal’s Mohamed Sayed ria’s power-packed angular shot was in the 61st. blocked by Umm Salal’s Adil Rhaili at Al Rayyan stood second in the stand- the goal-line and Tabata was on hand ings despite the draw on 25 points, to slam home the rebound. while Umm Salal now have 15 points. The equaliser came when Sayed Al Rayyan may have dominated pos- headed in Rami Fayez’s cross from the session and created more chances, but left. Amid fl aring tempers, substitute Umm Salal had their share of opportu- Ismail Mahmoud had a chance to give nities. They were a determined lot as if Umm Salal the lead, but he headed they were hell-bent on arresting their over. So did Tabata who sent his free- slump in the last three games, which kick wide on the stroke of fi nal whistle. saw them losing two and drawing one. Al Rayyan are away at Al Ahli, while Tabata led The Lions’ attack even Umm Salal face Al Markhiya next. Draw assistants pose for a photo on stage after a rehearsal on the eve of the Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Russia, yesterday. (Reuters) DPA of one of the draw assistant, Argentina Uruguay’s Diego Forlan and 91-year- start to work.” Moscow great Diego Maradona, who famously old Russian football great Nikita Si- Germany midfi elder Thomas Mu- Umm Salal’s Adel al-Yafi (left) and Al Rayyan’s Rodrigo Tabata in action during the punched the ball into the England net monyan are also helping out, while eller said: “I am looking forward to it. QNB Stars League match yesterday. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed at the 1986 fi nals. former Germany striker Miroslav Are we going to get a tough opponent he rehearsals are over, the leg- Maradona, however, was not at the Klose will carry the World Cup trophy or not? We don’t need Spain and Eng- ends are in town and the last fi nal rehearsals because of a shoulder onto the stage. land in the group.” SPOTLIGHT piece of the jigsaw has been injury which needed treatment. The draw will use the tried and Former Russian striker Yevgeny put in place with the confi r- The hands of Gordon Banks, who tested procedure of small plastic balls Savin, an ambassador for Samara, one Tmation that President Vladimir Putin made a legendary save for England containing the team’s names drawn of the 11 venues, sees Germany among will be attending — the World Cup against Brazil’s Pele in 1970, could also from pots — four for the teams and the top favourites. draw is ready to begin. be called on to help Gareth Southgate’s eight for the eight groups. “They could come here with three Gulf Cup deadline Thirty of the 32 team coaches are England side as one of the other assist- Germany, who are seeking back-to- teams,” he told DPA, but says he also in Moscow to attend the cere- ants at the star-studded event just a back titles, France, Brazil and Argenti- wouldn’t mind seeing a team like Ice- mony at the State Kremlin Palace in a short walk from Putin’s Kremlin offi ce. na will be among the favourites for the land along with Brazil playing in the long-anticipated event being televised “It doesn’t make any diff erence to June 14-July 15 tournament but now city during the tournament — and also extended to Dec 4 in more than 200 territories around be honest because whoever we pick much will now depend on the luck of Russia reaching the knock-out stage. the world. out for them you still have to get the today’s draw. Today’s top players won’t be in AFP ‘withdrawn’ from the eight-team tour- Former England striker Gary Linek- results,” Banks said of England’s pos- Germany coach Joachim Loew says Moscow, but most will be glued to the Doha nament after failing to respond to a er spent Thursday celebrating his 57th sible opponents. he is relaxed about it all, but is eager television — Brazil star Neymar among written invitation to take part. birthday as he ran through the last re- Another meeting with Brazil might to fi nalise his planning which will also them. Saudi Arabia is the only nation in hearsals as draw co-host with Russian be just what England need. “When- mean choosing a team base. “Obviously you can’t wait to fi nd November 30 deadline to an- the region which has qualifi ed for next sports journalist Maria Komandnaya ever you play against a big side you to “The pulse is not higher because of out who you’re going to play against,” nounce if the Qatar-hosted year’s World Cup fi nals in Russia. for the hour-long ceremony. tend to raise your game and say ‘come it,” he said before leaving for Moscow. he told FIFA.com. Gulf Cup will take place amid The slim chance that the Gulf Cup England, for one, will be hoping on let’s show them what we can do’,” “But of course I’m going there with ex- “But I don’t think it matters too an ongoing regional political will go ahead rests with Kuwait. Lineker provides them with some good he said. citement — which opponents we’ll have, much. It’s one of those occasions where Acrisis has been pushed back, an offi cial Although Kuwait is not part of the fortune in the draw — but the Three World Cup winners Laurent Blanc which way we can get our of group. you put the popcorn in the microwave said yesterday. The fi nal decision will political dispute — it has acted as a Lions might have to hope too for the of France, Cafu of Brazil, Fabio Can- “Then we can concentrate spe- and call your family and friends together now be made early next week following regional mediator since the crisis be- helping “hand of God” — in the form navaro of Italy, Carles Puyol of Spain, cifi cally on other teams. Then we can to watch it on television.” a meeting on December 4 — just 18 days gan back in June — its football asso- before the tournament is scheduled to ciation has its own separate problems start — Jassim al-Rumaihi, Arab Gulf and remains suspended by FIFA, which How the draw works highest-ranked teams plus Russia, Pot 4: Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, Ja- The positions of all the other teams Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) gen- means it is unclear if its team is eligible pot two has the next eight teams in pan, Morocco, Panama, South Korea, (from pots two, three and four) will eral secretary, told AFP. to play in the tournament. The 32 teams who have qualified will the rankings, and so on. Saudi Arabia be decided when they are drawn. “We wait until Monday for a fi nal The AGCFF, based in Doha, have be split into eight four-team groups, As is customary at final draws, a ball decision on this matter,” Rumaihi said. said they would go ahead with a fi ve- drawn from four pots. The groups Pot 1: Russia (hosts), Germany, Brazil, The four pots will be emptied by will be drawn from the team pots and Doubts have hung over the Gulf Cup team tournament. will contain one team from each pot. Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, drawing the eight teams they each then another from the group pots to because of a bitter political and diplo- If the Gulf Cup begins on December Teams have been placed in the pots France contain one by one and placing them determine the position in which the matic row triggered off by Saudi Ara- 22 it will be played between Qatar, Iraq, according to their position in the Pot 2: Spain, Peru, Switzerland, in the eight groups of four teams team in question will play. bia, UAE and Bahrain against Qatar. Oman, Kuwait and Yemen. FIFA world rankings for October. The England, Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, (Groups A to H). Russia, as hosts, will There can be a maximum of two Monday’s expected fi nal decision Qatar are the current holders.