Bahrain could’ve scored against , says coach “It was a tough game against a stubborn team, but we could’ve scored THURsday, NOVEMBER 28, 2019 in the end.” page 14

A large number of Kuwaiti fans wave their country’s national flag at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday for their team’s 24th Group B match against Saudi Arabia. They waved flags, blew horns cheering the team loud.( AFP) make a rip-roaring start to their campaign with fans galore Ten-time Gulf Cup Scoreline winners go past Kuwait 3 (Ahmed al Dhefiri 43’, Sami al Sanea 45+1’, Mubarak al Faneni 90’) bt Saudi Arabia 1 (Firas al Saudi Arabia 3-1, Buraikan 90+6’) top Group B

Ayeni Olusegun

Record champions Kuwait roared to a 3-1 win over Saudi Arabia in the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup at the Al Duhail Sta- dium, and top Group B with three points, on Wednesday. Kuwait have won the tro- phy 10 times with their last success in 2010. They have also failed to reach the final of the competition in the last three editions. Kuwait coach Thamer Enad, one of two Arab coaches in the competition, had ear- lier said the Gulf Cup is still a charming competition with its traditions, having played for Kuwait himself. Saudi Arabia started brightly and a defensive error presented the Green Falcons with a golden chance to score but Yahya al Sheri shot wide off the mark with the goal at his mercy. The Saudis domintated and soon had another oppor- Kuwait’s defender Sami al Sanea (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring the second goal in the Group B match against Saudi Arabia tunity to score when a long at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday. (AFP) ball found Sultan al Ghanam whose first touch was excel- er again in similar style. The loop his header over the cross lent. The defender however, midfielder sent another beau- bar from six yards out. went for glory sending his ef- tiful ball over the top which But, The Blue Wave put the fort harmlessly into the side of caught the Saudi defence nap- game to bed in the 90th min- the post despite better options ping for Sami al Sanea to make ute. Saudi quest for a goal left in the box. it two for Kuwait on the stroke their defence open and a swift Kuwait took time to settle of halftime. counter attack found Mubarak and soon started carving out The defender beat the off- al Faneni. openings in the Saudi defence. side trap before rounding the The young striker shrugged For all Saudi Arabia’s goalkeeper to slip the ball into off his marker before sending chances, they only managed an empty goal. a composed finish past the one shot on target and Ku- In the second half Saudi hapless Qarni in goal. wait made them pay soon after Arabia coach Herve Renard The Green Falcons finally through Ahmed al Dhefiri two made changes to the team but got a consolation in added time minutes before half time. Kuwait held firm playing at when Firas al Buraikan bun- A freekick from just out- their own pace. dled home from close range side the Saudi box was blocked was guilty of after good wing play from sub- and fell kindly for Bader al missing several chances to ex- stitute Nawaf al Abed. It was a Mutawa. The captain sent a tend Kuwait’s lead as Renard’s little too late as Kuwait held on lovely chip over the top unto side struggled to create any Kuwait’s Fahad al Hajeri to go top of the group. the path of Al Dhefiri who clear cut openings. (left) vies for the ball with Kuwait will next play Bah- calmly slotted past Fawaz al Nasser again with the Saudi’s forward Firas al rain on Monday, while Saudi Qarni in goal. goalie at his mercy in the 83rd Buraikan. (AFP) Arabia will meet Oman on the Kuwait fans cheer ahead of the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup match against Al Mutawa turned provid- minute, somehow managed to same evening. Saudi Arabia at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday. (AFP) 14 Thursday, November 28, 2019 24th Arabian Gulf Cup Qatar | Oman | Kuwait | Saudi arabia | UAE | Bahrain | Iraq | yemen

Qatar’s Bassam al Rawi suffers leg fracture, to Oman hold Bahrain miss rest of tournament to a goalless draw If we cannot win, we must maintain the draw: Defending champs’ coach

Tribune News Network bringing on defender Abdul Doha Salam al Mukhaini for Imran al Hadi. Defending champions “He seemed exhausted Bassam al Rawi recuperates at the hospital after his surgery. Oman began their 24th Ara- during the game and for me if bian Gulf Cup campaign with we cannot win, we must main- QNA In a statement released on a 0-0 draw against Group B tain the draw and get some- Doha QFA’s website it was informed rivals Bahrain at the Al Duhail thing from the match,” Koe- that Al Rawi will be away from Stadium on Wednesday. man said after the match. Qatar’s national football the rest of the national team’s Both teams struggled for “Overall, I’m happy with team defender Bassam al matches in the Gulf Cup, not- control in the opening 10 min- the players’ performance. Rawi, who got injured dur- ing that the player will now utes until Bahrain’s Moham- We had our chances but we ing the opening match of the need surgical treatment to his med al Ruhaimi tested Faiyz al couldn’t score, so to get a draw 24th Arabian Gulf Cup against broken leg. Rusheidi in goal for Oman. is not a bad result.” Iraq on Tuesday, has suffered Al Rawi underwent a sur- Oman soon had a chance to Al Rusheidi kept Oman in a fracture in his right leg and gery on Wednesday. open scoring when Al Mund- the match for stretches as he will miss the rest of the tour- Al Rawi was replaced by har al Alawi received a nice parried out Komail Hassan’s nament, according to Qatar Salem al Hajri during the pass from Mohsin al Ghassani attempt. Football Association (QFA ). match against Iraq. but Bahrain’s goalkeeper was Bahrain almost nicked it alert to the threat. 12 minutes from time but Ko- Eight minutes later, Bahrain mail’s shot bounced off the missed an attempt after a from cross bar in the 78th minute. Rashed Khalil found Moham- “It was a tough game med al Romaihi whose shot was against a very stubborn team, well held by Oman Al Rusheidi we played well and created as the first half ended goalless. chances. We could have scored Bahrain started the half in the last 15 minutes of the strongly though as Mahdi match,” Bahrain coach Helio Faisal’s shot was saved by Al Sousa said. Rusheidi. “We have the potential to A quick response from win any game. it is good to Oman was foiled by Bahrain show this level of competi- goalkeeper Sayed Subbar. tion,” the Portuguese added. With nearly an hour Oman will take on Kuwait played and the game still goal- in their next match on Satur- less, Oman coach Erwin Koe- day while Bahrain play Saudi man made a surprise changee, Arabia on the same day.

Oman fans at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday. (AFP)

Thousands visit Vodafone Qatar’s high-tech fan zone

Oman midfielder Harib al Saadi (right) is marked by Bahrain’s forward Mohamed al Romaihi during their 24th Arabian Gulf Cup Group B match at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday. (AFP) FIFA Club World Cup Winner’s Trophy at Aspire Academy

Tribune News Network work hard in order to one day going to enjoy it,” he said. Doha be able to take part of this The FIFA Club World Cup tournament themselves. 2019 (to be held from Decem- The FIFA Club World Cup “The tournament brings to- ber 11 to 21) crowns the world 2019 Winner’s Trophy has been gether the best club from each champions of club football, on display at the Aspire Acad- continent and I’m positive that involving winners of the six Vodafone Gulf Cup Fan Zone. emy since Tuesday morning it’s going to be very exciting. continental confederations, and student-athletes and staff We’re also sure that the stadi- as well as the host nation’s Tribune News Network 5G network. Integrating game have had the opportunity to ums are going to be packed be- league champion. Qatar will Doha visual and audio content with have their photo taken with the cause the tickets were sold out host both the 2019 and 2020 the user’s environment in real coveted prize, which will be the as soon as they were issued, and tournaments, serving as test time, AR gaming showcased centerpiece of this special event. whenever we put some on sale, events ahead of hosting the Vodafone Qatar, the Official how Vodafone’s 5G GigaNet Among the more than 200 they are sold out immediately.” 2022 FIFA World Cup. Telecommunications Sponsor network transforms real-time people that went to see the tro- Ali Salem Afifa, Deputy The participants in 2019 of the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup, gaming. In turn, fans can get phy at the indoor football pitch Director of Aspire Academy, are Liverpool (Winners of the has upped the fan experience into the action in the VR Game of Aspire Academy, was stu- thanked the QFA, QSL and the 2018–19 UEFA Champions with a high-tech Fan Zone at that transports each par- dent-athlete Yousif al Darwish, Supreme Committee for includ- League), Flamengo (Winners of Khalifa International Stadium, ticipant right into the arena who was grateful for the chance ing Aspire Academy in the FIFA the 2019 Copa Libertadores), Al where thousands of football where they can show off their to exclusively see the FIFA Club Ali Salem Afifa, Deputy Director, Aspire Academy, thanked the QFA, Club World Cup 2019 Trophy Hilal (Winners of the 2019 AFC fans at the opening match be- football skills. World Cup Winner’s Trophy. QSL and SC for including Aspire Academy in FIFA Club World Cup Tour. “I’m positive the tourna- Champions League), Espérance tween Qatar and Iraq enjoyed Vodafone Qatar Chief Ex- “I’m looking forward to 2019 Trophy Tour. ment will be perfectly organ- de Tunis (Winners of the 2018- the very latest technology in ecutive Officer, SheikhH amad see the world’s best clubs from ized like any other sport event 19 CAF Champions League), real-time gaming. Abdulla al Thani, said: “It has each continent playing on our Nasser al Kuwari, Head of which intend to inspire young in Qatar and we’re very looking Monterrey (Winners of the The Fan Zone gives visi- been an exciting start to the ground. This is also great mo- Fan Engagement at QSL and Qatari talent. forward to watching big teams 2019 CONCACAF Champi- tors the chance to experience highly anticipated Arabian tivation for our young foot- in charge of the FIFA Club “The aim of taking our competing in some of the 2022 ons League), Hienghène Sport an Augmented Reality (AR) Gulf Cup, making us even more ballers in Qatar and even our World Cup 2019 Trophy Tour Tour to the academy is not FIFA World Cup stadiums. We (Winners of the 2019 OFC game powered by Vodafone’s delighted to have extended the graduates to work harder to that is taking place at Doha’s only to motivate the student- wish the organization of this Champions League) and Al 5G GigaNet network as well as fan experience well beyond the be where these players are one most popular places, stressed athletes to follow the tourna- tournament all the success pos- Sadd (Winners of the 2018–19 a Virtual Reality (VR) football pitch and into our Fan Zone. day in the near future,” he said. the importance of such events ment, but also for them to sible and I’m positive we all are Qatar Stars League). game. 5G technology provides Vodafone Qatar demonstrates gamers with ultra-fast speed, how cutting-edge technology a more reliable connection can transform the way people and ultra-low latency to enjoy stay entertained and we hope an enhanced gaming experi- that fans will truly enjoy our ence. The Fan Zone is open at virtual reality gaming experi- Khalifa International Stadium ences as part of an unforget- until the final match is played table Arabian Gulf Cup 2019.” on December 8. As part of its sponsor- The AR game has been ship of the Gulf Cup, Voda- specially customized to incor- fone Qatar is covering the two porate elements of the Ara- tournament venues - Khalifa bian Gulf Cup, while the mas- International Stadium and cot Sodeifi guides participants Abdulla Bin Khalifa Stadium through their games. Partici- - with free Wi-Fi powered by pants also have the opportuni- its GigaNet network that will ty to play on 5G handsets pow- keep thousands of fans con- ered by Vodafone’s high-speed nected during the matches. Sports Thursday, November 28, 2019 15 Spurs win on Mourinho home debut; Lewandowski hits four for Bayern Spain’s coach Luis Enrique speak to the media on Wednesday. (afp) Last year’s Champions League finalists beat Olympiakos 4-2; Mbappe scores as PSG hold Madrid to 2-2 draw No place AFP for ‘disloyal’ Paris Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals down to beat Moreno, Olympiakos 4-2 and qualify for the Champions League says Enrique last 16 on Jose Mourinho’s home debut on Tuesday, AFP while Robert Lewandowski Madrid continued his incredible sea- son by scoring four times for Spain’s returning coach Luis Bayern Munich. Enrique described his predeces- Spurs were one of three sor Robert Moreno as “disloyal” teams to secure their place in on Wednesday and confirmed the knockout phase with one he will not be part of his coach- game to spare as Manchester Making History ing team for Euro 2020. City and Real Madrid also Lewandowski has Moreno was removed as made it to the last 16. coach last week to make way for However, it looked like scored four times in a Luis Enrique’s return, despite it might not be Tottenham’s Champions League game Moreno leading Spain through night as they went 2-0 down once before, for Borussia an unbeaten qualifying cam- inside 19 minutes in north paign that ended with a 5-0 London with a Youssef El Dortmund against Real thrashing of Romania. Arabi strike followed by a Madrid in 2013. He now Moreno had been promoted Ruben Semedo tap-in for has 27 goals for Bayern from assistant to head coach Olympiakos. after Luis Enrique resigned in Mourinho, though, had this season. June to take care of his daugh- been unbeaten in his first ter, Xana, who died in August home game in charge of each in the last nine minutes to of cancer. Luis Enrique and of the seven previous clubs earn a draw, a Kylian Mbap- Moreno had been close friends he had coached, including pe tap-in being followed by a after previously working to- in each of his two spells at Pablo Sarabia strike against gether at Barcelona, Celta Vigo Chelsea. his old side. The result al- and Roma. Dele Alli pulled one back lowed PSG to clinch top spot “The only one responsible for Spurs just before the in- in the section. for Moreno not being part of my terval, and Lucas Moura set Brugge are in third after staff is me,” said Luis Enrique at up Harry Kane to equalise Krepin Diatta’s stoppage- his unveiling on Wednesday. five minutes after the break. time equaliser cancelled out “The disagreement came on A thumping Serge Aurier Adem Buyuk’s opener for September 12, it is the only day I strike completed the turna- Tottenham Hotspur’s Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho (centre) celebrates as Serge Aurier scores during their UEFA Champions League Galatasaray, but both Diatta had contact with him. He called round on 73 minutes before Group B match against Olympiakos at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London on Tuesday. (AFP) and teammate Clinton Mata me and we met at my house and Kane headed in Christian were shown second yellow it seemed he wanted to continue Eriksen’s free-kick to become, helped them to a 6-0 win at I don’t score and we win,” the join them by winning their Saint-Germain in securing cards for wild celebrations, for the European Champion- on his 24th appearance, the Red Star Belgrade. Polish striker told German Sky. final game against Atalanta. qualification from Group A with the latter breaking a ships and then if I wanted to, he quickest player to 20 goals in Pep Guardiola’s Man- The Italians are still in before kicking off against the corner flag. would be my assistant again. Champions League history. Four goals in 15 minutes! chester City got the point contention to qualify after French side. Meanwhile, Paulo Dy- “I understand that he is “The boys gave every- Lewandowski scored four goals they needed to progress beating Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Karim Benzema scored bala overshadowed Cristiano excited to be a coach and I thing, the feeling is good and in the space of 15 second-half from Group C, drawing 1-1 thanks to Luis Muriel’s pen- twice for the hosts in an im- Ronaldo by scoring a superb understand that it is a dream we have difficult matches minutes, the first of them a pen- with Shakhtar Donetsk. On alty and a cracking Alejandro pressive performance, while free-kick to give Juventus a of a lifetime and that he has to come. We can look to the alty, in between goals by Leon a subdued occasion, Ilkay ‘Papu’ Gomez goal. there was controversy in be- 1-0 home win over Atletico worked hard for it. But I also Bayern Munich game with Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso. Gundogan got a 56th-minute Atalanta remain bottom tween as the Portuguese ref- Madrid. understand that he is disloyal - different eyes,” Mourinho Lewandowski has scored opener, but Manor Solomon of the group but can still go eree showed Real goalkeeper That result confirmed Ju- I would never do that and I do told BT Sport. four times in a Champions levelled for the Ukrainians. through if they win their final Thibaut Courtois a red card ventus as Group D winners, not want someone like that in Tottenham will finish sec- League game once before, “The group stage is always game, provided Dinamo do and gave PSG a penalty for a and left second-placed Atleti- my staff.” ond in Group B behind their for Borussia Dortmund tricky but the target was to not beat City. foul on Mauro Icardi, only to co one point ahead of Bayer “I feel responsible and I am final-dayopponents Bayern, against Real Madrid in 2013. qualify and we have done it,” A 1-1 draw in the early overturn his decision follow- Leverkusen. They won 2-0 at not proud of how everything who made it five wins from He now has 27 goals for Bay- Guardiola said. game between Galatasaray ing a VAR review. Lokomotiv Moscow thanks ended, I do not like to see peo- five inE urope this season as ern this season. City will finish top of the and Club Brugge meant Real With Neymar on as a to Rifat Zhemaletdinov’s own ple suffer,” Luis Enrique said. Lewandowski’s quadruple “I am just as happy when group while Shakhtar will Madrid had joined Paris substitute, PSG scored twice goal and Sven Bender’s volley.

Police spikers back atop QVA League

Saudi Arabia on top of GCC Police posted their fourth straight win and regained the top place in the QVA League on Wednesday. b’ball; Qatar lose to Kuwait At the QVA Indoor Hall, defend- ing champions Police beat Al Tribune News Network in double figures and two of Khalid Abdelbaset, another Khor Club 25-18, 30-28, 25-20 DOHA them – centre Saleh Albrahim guard, had 10 points, while and replaced former winners Al and Abdullah Alshammari – power forward Erfan Ali Saeed Arabi in the first spot. In another Defending champions and recorded a double-double each. grabbed 10 rebounds, along match, Al Ahli Club defeated Al five-time winners Qatar disap- Albrahim had 12 points and 11 with five points. Sadd Club 25-19, 25-12, 25-21 pointed once again, losing to rebounds, while power forward In another match, Saudi for their third victory in as many hosts Kuwait in the group stage Alshammari notched up 10 Arabia ended the winning run matches. Police and Al Arabi of the GCC Basketball Champi- points and as many rebounds. of Bahrain as they won by 77-70. are followed by Al Wakrah in the onship by 56-73 in Kuwait City Shooting guard Rashed Centre Mohammed Alsuwailem third spot, while Al Ahli are fourth on Wednesday. Alrabah led the bench with a excelled with a superb double- and former champions Al Rayyan A poor second quarter, in team-high 14 points, including double effort of 21 points and 15 Club round out the top five. which Kuwait outplayed the ri- four successful efforts beyond rebounds. vals 19-8, did not allow Qatar to the arc. Overall, the bench ac- Guards Marzouq Almuwal- recover in their third game. counted for 34 of the winner’s lad and Khalid Abdel Gawar Earlier, Qatar suffered de- points. chipped in with 18 and 16 points feats at the hands of Saudi Ara- For Qatar, guard Abdulrah- for the winners, who shot to the bia and Bahrain. man Saad led the fight, mus- top of the table with three wins Four Kuwaiti players scored tering a match-high 17 points. in four matches.

Thomas caps a treble with Muraikh Cup win astride Christofano Allori

Ronan Thomas completed a superb treble, riding Christofano Allori to a victory in the feature race of the 11th Race Meeting – The Muraikh Cup – at the QREC Racecourse on Wednesday. The five-year-old bay colt, owned and trained by Abdulaziz al Khathiri, beat Munira Eyes (Eduardo Pedroza) by one and a quarter lengths on the dirt track. Astley Hall, with JP Guillambert astride, was third. Earlier, Thomas steered Meelad to a thrilling quarter-length victory in the Purebred Arabian Novice Cup. He followed it up with inspiring Badda to an over a length triumph in the Purebred Arabian Handicap race as well.