FOOTBALL | Page 2 NNBABA | Page 5 Argentina Golden Warriors face Chile win ‘Curry Bowl,’ test in World Aldridge leads Cup race Spurs rally Thursday, March 23, 2017 FORMULA ONE Jumada II 24, 1438 AH Mercedes look to GULF TIMES make winning statement in opener SPORT Page 4 FOOTBALL/ ROAD TO RUSSIA Game on as Qatar take on Iran in crucial WC qualifi er Emotional clash expected after Fossati and Queiroz spar on eve of match over events in Tehran where Iran won By Joe Koraith pers. I’ve never made those comments,” Doha he said yesterday. Queiroz also stressed that that inci- dent should be forgotten and asked for n the face of it, it will be Qa- today’s game to be played in a fair man- tar’s sixth match of their 2018 ner. “What happened in Tehran was not World Cup qualifying cam- something that you expect in a football Opaign when they take on Iran game. But that is history. The referee, today at the Jassim bin Hamad stadium. FIFA have all made their reports. Both But the plot runs so deep that one should teams have suff ered. And both teams expect no less than a no-holds barred need to learn from that. Football is not contest when the two teams face each war and should be a fair game. The play- other. ers of both teams want to play good Iran are, on paper, the superior football. They should play according to team with a FIFA ranking of 33. Qatar the spirit of FIFA Fair Play – fair and re- are ranked 51 places lower. The visi- spectful,” said the Portuguese yesterday. tors haven’t lost a game yet and with 11 After the loss to iran, Qatar also lost to points are leaders of Group A. The home Uzbekistan – a match that they were ex- side have managed just one win and have pected to win. This loss cost then coach conceded six goals so far. And as a result Jose Carreno his job and Fossati was of which, they are fi fth in the standings. given the reins. Queiroz believes that it In the nine times that these two sides has been too short a time for Fossati to have met, Iran have won fi ve times and have had too much of an impact on the one match has ended in a draw. Qatar team. “The Qatar team has indeed Those are the statistics. Qatar coach Jorge Fossati (top left) and his Iranian counterpart Carlos Queiroz address the media yesterday. At bottom, Qatar players train for today’s match. changed when the coach was changed. But this match is going to all about But at the end of the day he has had just emotions. Qatar had played the fi rst 3-4 months with the team. He cannot match of this campaign against Iran in produce a miracle. The players are the Tehran and they were up for the fi ght same, the culture of the players are the till a disastrous goalkeeping error from same. At the end of the day, it’s the play- Claude Amine gave the home side the ers who will be on the pitch and playing lead in the 94th minute. Two minutes the game,” said the 64-year-old. later Iran doubled their lead and Qa- Queiroz went on to express his un- tar had to leave empty handed. Not just happiness at his counterpart focusing on that, the tie ended on an ill-tempered the ‘fake news’. “Fossati shouldn’t have note with many players getting involved said what he said. What we needed was in a fracas. FIFA ended up having to sus- a fair play environment. The comments pend certain players from both teams for that he should emphasise on is that I that unruly incident. had congratulated Qatar on bringing the And then it was reported that Iran World Cup to this region. He should have coach Carlos Queiroz had questioned emphasised on the thanks that I gave to the team composition of the Qatar team. the Qatar offi cials for the eff ort they All of this meant that today’s match put in in bringing the World Cup to this could no longer be a straightforward tie country.” as emotions are going to run high. He then went on to praise Qatar for Qatar coach Jorge Fossati didn’t mince helping promote football not only in the words regarding the incident during region but all over the world. I want to say yesterday’s pre-match press confer- thank you to the Qatari leaders for eve- ence. “What happened in Tehran, after rything that they’re doing for the game. that Iran goal, didn’t start at that mo- When a football coach like me, with 36 ment. The atmosphere was created by years of experience, sees the facilities here my colleague (referring to Queiroz). He and the multitude of coaches working spoke badly about Qatar and about Qatar four players suspended. Iran have just I am sure the players will be ready for the quality to beat them,” said the 64-year- that they are 100 per cent ready to take with young kids here, I want to say ‘Thank Football Federation. This is not his issue two players. And that too just for one match,” said Fossati. old. on Iran. We will do our best to get the You’ to the Qatar Football Federation. I to talk about. He should ask the question match,” he added. Fossati also called upon Qatar fans With time running out, a good per- win. That much I can promise,” said the want to thank Qatar for the eff ort that they regarding his own country – Portugal. But the veteran coach was quick to to turn up in large numbers to sup- formance is a must for Qatar to grab val- Uruguayan. are putting in to improve football - not just Why does Portugal have so few players point out that now the players should port their side. “It’s time for our fans uable points. “It’s an important game for Iran coach Queiroz, as he had then in the country or the region but all over the born in their country,” said an animated focus on today’s game against a “diffi - to show their support. To show that us and there are many reasons for us to too, protested his innocence regard- world,” signed off Queiroz. Fossati yesterday. cult opponent” and put in a strong per- we have fans here who have lots of pas- take a win. We know that we’re playing ing the comments that was attributed The Iranian coach surely tried to ap- “I’m not one who supports violence. I formance to get that much-needed win. sion for football. The stadium must be against a very tough opponent and one to him. “Fossati should know, with the pease the situation. But at 7pm in Doha prefer not to speak about something that “That event occurred six months ago. full for this match. We will show on the of the favourites to qualify for the World experience that he has, that he shouldn’t today, one thing that the fans can be sure was very damaging for Qatar. We have But now we have to focus on this game. fi eld and outside of it that Qatar has the Cup. But I trust my players and know believe what’s written in the newspa- of is a feisty contest. Game on then. BOTTOMLINE China aim to lift fading campaign against Korea Reuters after Gao Hongbo stepped down in Oc- know that,” added Lippi, who led Italy to against Japan in Saitama last year but Ali Changsha, China tober, told reporters. World Cup glory in 2006. stressed that result counted for nothing “I have repeated that very often to the Iran travel to Doha to take on 2022 against Vahid Halilhodzic’s side, who players since day one and they have to World Cup hosts Qatar (four points), will be without injured captain Makoto hina coach Marcello Lippi has forget about all the pressure and fear. who are in fi fth place, with Carlos Quei- Hasebe. sought to bolster player con- “They are defending the honour of roz’s side aiming to maintain their un- “Football doesn’t believe in history... fi dence ahead of a do-or-die 1.4bn Chinese people. Once they put on beaten run in the campaign. what happened in the previous game is World Cup qualifying clash the jersey, they have to give their best. Syria (fi ve points), who are forced to in the past,” he said. “Football knows Cwith South Korea today as the Italian at- We are worse than no one in Asia as long play their home games in Malaysia due only one language: how prepared you tempts to encourage his squad to display as they play at their true level.” to the security situation in their country, are, how strong you are on the pitch, more self-belief. China, who have struggled for goals, will host a third-placed Uzbekistan side how much eff ort you give in the game. China have picked up just two points are eight points behind second-placed (nine points) poised to capitalise on any “And I think we always play our foot- in fi ve games to sit bottom of Group A in South Korea and nine adrift of leaders errors by the two teams above them.