Indian Cricket Chief Sourav Ganguly Has Ing the Pressures All Players Endure
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NNBABA | Page 5 GGOLFOLF | Page 7 Sixers romp Relaxed over Celtics, McIlroy chases Curry downs Masters and Bucks career Slam Thursday, April 8, 2021 CRICKET Sha’aban 26, 1442 AH In-form Zaman GULF TIMES leads Pakistan to series win over SA SPORT Page 4 Al Rayyan are Amir Cup volleyball champions Al Rayyan finished the season on a high as they emerged as the Amir Cup volleyball champions yesterday. At the Qatar Volleyball Federation Hall, the Lions overcame defending champions Al Arabi 3-2 (27-29, 25-18, 28-26, 23-25, 15-11) in the final. For Camilo Soto’s boys, who finished fifth in the Qatar league, this was their first title of the season. HE First Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Sheikh Saud bin Ali al-Thani and President of the Qatar Volleyball Federation Ali Ghanem al-Kuwari crowned the winners. Al Rayyan received QR500,000 as prize-money, while runners-up Al Arabi received QR300,000. UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOCUS AFC Congress and Mbappe stars as annual awards to be held in Doha PSG win at Bayern this November PSG keeper Navas plays a key role with a string of saves late in the match AFP Munich, Germany ylian Mbappe netted twice as Paris Saint- Germain (PSG) secured a thrilling 3-2 win at Kholders Bayern Munich in yes- terday’s Champions League quarter-fi nal fi rst leg, in a repeat of last year’s fi nal. Bayern had their 19-match unbeaten run ended in the AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifah and FIFA Champions League with their President Gianni Infantino (left) at AFC’s Executive Committee fi rst European defeat since meeting in Manama, Bahrain, yesterday. March 2019 as head coach Hansi Flick suff ered his fi rst loss in Eu- oha will host the 31st matches in the coming weeks rope. Asian Football Con- and months.” PSG raced into a 2-0 lead federation (AFC) Con- The AFC president added: “It after just 28 minutes behind gress and AFC Annual was crucial for us to show the closed doors at the Allianz Are- DAwards in November. The AFC world that Asian football is ready na as Neymar created goals for announced the decision after its to return - for the players, the Mbappe and Marquinhos. Executive Committee meeting in teams and fans across the Con- Bayern, whose top scorer Manama, Bahrain yesterday. tinent and, just as important, we Robert Lewandowski is side- Chairing the meeting, AFC must continue to demonstrate lined by a knee injury, drew level president Sheikh Salman bin Eb- that the AFC is in the best pos- with headed goals by Eric Max- rahim al-Khalifah acknowledged sible position to deliver safe and im Choupo-Moting and Tho- the commitment and unity of world-class competitions as un- mas Mueller. the AFC member associations derlined in the AFC’s Vision.” However, Mbappe showed his towards the resumption of the At the outset, Sheikh Salman class with a superb second goal Asian football calendar in 2021. expressed his warm appreciation to give the visitors an advantage Sheikh Salman said that the to FIFA President Gianni Infanti- for the return leg in Paris next highest health standards and no, who attended the meeting in Tuesday. protocols implemented during Bahrain and thanked FIFA for its PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe (second from right) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against Bayern Munich during the successful staging of the AFC leadership and continued sup- played a key role with a string their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg match in Munich, Germany, yesterday. (AFP) Champions League 2020 in Doha port to the AFC and its member of saves as Bayern peppered his had provided a comprehensive associations, particularly during goal late on in a desperate bid to shot fl ew into the net through David Alaba into defensive mid- shot past Neuer with 22 minutes on Wednesday helped Chelsea blueprint to replicate in 2021, these challenging times. grab an equaliser. Manuel Neuer’s legs. fi eld. left. Bayern went down fi ghting as to a 2-0 fi rst-leg win over Porto, and thanked the AFC member The AFC Executive Com- This was a record 19th ap- PSG’s Germany forward Ju- The hosts pulled a goal back Alaba and Mueller both fi red ago- whose wasteful fi nishing could associations for their interest in mittee decided to award the pearance in the Champions lian Draxler had a goal disal- when Mueller’s cross was head- nisingly wide in the dying stages. have scuppered their hopes of hosting the centralised formats hosting rights of the AFC U20 League quarter-fi nals for Bay- lowed with Mbappe off side in ed past Navas by Choupo-Mot- springing another Champions of the upcoming Asian Qualifi - Women’s Asian Cup 2022 to the ern, but there was little for the the build-up as the visitors kept ing to make it 2-1 at half-time. NEYMAR BANNED FOR TWO League upset in the quarter- ers, the AFC Champions League Uzbekistan while confi rming the Bavarian giants to celebrate at up the pressure. Neymar and Mbappe had ef- LEAGUE GAMES fi nals. and the AFC Cup. new dates from April 4-17, 2022. the fi nal whistle. Bayern midfi elder Leon forts saved off the line, while The Brazilian forward was given Mount’s slick turn and shot Sheikh Salman said: “The suc- The AFC U17 Women’s Asian Covid-19 cast its shadow over Goretzka powered a header into Leroy Sane went close at the two yellow cards, the second for in the fi rst half would have been cessful completion of the 2020 Cup 2022 will be hosted by Indo- both teams with Bayern winger the feet of Navas just before the other end for Bayern as both a late push on Tiago Djalo, who painful enough for Porto, who AFC Champions League has nesia from May 9-22. Serge Gnabry, plus PSG pair hosts fell two goals behind. teams had their chances after was also dismissed. were the better side for large given us a template to approach The members were also Alessandro Florenzi and Marco A clearance kick only got as the break. Neymar also tried to confront spells of this fi rst leg in Seville 2021 with greater confi dence and briefed about FIFA’s decision to Verratti quarantined after test- far as Neymar, whose ball over Bayern then equalised when Djalo again in the hallway lead- but repeatedly lacked the preci- our thanks must go to the Qatar immediately suspend the Paki- ing positive. the top found Marquinhos un- Mueller nodded in a superb ing to the dressing rooms. sion to take advantage. Football Association, the Qatari stan Football Federation (PFF) in Heavy snow fell in the fi rst marked in the area to stroke his Joshua Kimmich free-kick on He will miss Saturday’s game Instead, their misery was Authorities and the medical pro- light of the recent events which half in Munich as the visitors put shot past Neuer, shortly before the hour. at Strasbourg and the match compounded by Ben Chilwell fessionals for their commitment took place at the PFF headquar- the heat on the holders. the PSG captain limped off in- However, the wintry night in against struggling Saint- capitalising on a mistake at the and support. ters in Lahore during which a The opening goal came after jured. Munich belonged to Mbappe, Etienne on April 18. back to score a late second that “Our sincere appreciation group of protesters stormed the Neymar sprinted through a gap- Flick responded by bringing who showed his class by turning gave Chelsea another away goal must also go to all our Member offi ces and took control of the ing hole in the defence and laid on Alphonso Davies to provide Bayern defender Jerome Boateng CHELSEA DOWN PORTO and leaves them on the brink of Associations who have agreed to premises from the PFF Normali- the ball off for Mbappe, whose pace on the fl anks and moved inside and out before driving his A classy goal from Mason Mount the semi-fi nals. host our national team and club sation Committee. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, April 8, 2021 FOOTBALL QNB STARS LEAGUE SERIE A Lukaku pulls Inter 11 Rodrigues strike seals clear, Dybala scores as Juventus win AFP next season with both teams Milan equal on points in fourth place before kick-off in Turin. Juve Umm Salal’s survival were without Leonardo Bonucci omelu Lukaku powered and Federico Bernardeschi who Inter Milan closer to tested positive for Covid-19 after Al Kharitiyat, who are already relegated to the second division, stun Al Arabi their fi rst league title in international duty with Italy. over a decade by scoring Dybala started on the bench, Rand setting up Lautaro Martinez having being dropped for the for the second in yesterday’s 2-1 derby match with Torino last win over Sassuolo to move 11 weekend after breaking lock- points clear at the top of Serie A. down rules with teammates We- Champions Juventus are 12 ston McKennie and Arthur Melo. points behind Inter in third af- Ronaldo missed a chance to put ter beating Napoli 2-1, as Paulo the champions ahead after two Dybala scored on his return after minutes when headed wide, be- nearly three months out and the fore Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski also league’s leading scorer Cristiano fi red over not long afterwards.