FOOTBALL | Page 4 NBA | Page 6 Hiddink James rallies To Advertise here Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 says Chelsea Cavs to eighth are short of straight, past strikers Mavs in thriller Thursday, January 14, 2016 CRICKET Rabia II 4, 1437 AH De Villiers confi rms GULF TIMES ‘bit of truth’ in his retirement rumours SPORT Page 9 AFC U23 CHAMPIONSHIP, DOHA Defending champions Iraq beat Yemen, make ideal start ‘Most importantly we scored and we won and we got the three points as that was the objective and the target for tonight’ AFC Doha li Faez and Ali Hisny scored quickfi re goals at the end of the fi rst half as defending champi- ons Iraq made the ideal start to Athe AFC U23 Championship with a com- fortable 2-0 win over Yemen at Suhaim Bin Hamed Stadium yesterday. Centre-back Faez opened the scor- ing from the penalty spot after 36 minutes of the Group C opener before midfi elder Hisny added a second from close range just three minutes later. And despite Humam Tareq seeing a second half penalty saved for Iraq, who beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the fi nal of the AFC U-22 Championship two years ago, Shahad Abdulghani’s side claimed a deserved three points. “At the beginning, as with all open- ing games, the match was full of ten- sion and at the beginning we were a little tense against a Yemen opponent who are not easy opponents. But I am satisfi ed with the performance and most importantly we scored and we won and we got the three points as that was the objective and the target for to- Iraq’s Ali Hisny (second left) celebrating his goal against Yemen yesterday in a unique way . PICTURES: Mamdouh Centre-back Ali Faez scored the first goal yesterday through a penalty. night,” said Iraq coach Abdulghani. “We played well in the second half had conceded possession. “We played well in the second and going for the goal, but the turning And Iraq doubled their advantage half and going for the goal, but SYMMETRY IN MOTION point was the missed penalty and the just three minutes later as Hisny was the turning point was the missed performance after the penalty went on hand to follow up from close range penalty and the performance down. We as the technical staff also after Yemen goalkeeper Al Harsh had aft er the penalty went down. changed some of the players to allow parried Tareq’s low angled drive from We as the technical staff also them to rest as some of the players are the edge of the area. changed some of the players to not at the top level to allow them to The defending champions contin- allow them to rest as some of the prepare for the next matches.” ued to dominate at the start of the players are not at the top level After a tentative start which was second half as the lively Tareq fi red to allow them to prepare for the edged by Iraq, it took until the 24th straight at Al Harsh just before the next matches.” minute for the defending champions hour mark before the 19-year-old was to register a eff ort on target as a snap again denied by the Yemen custodian “We played a tough match against a shot on the turn from the edge of the soon after, this time following a dart- very diffi cult and strong opponent. We penalty area by Tareq was comfort- ing run into the penalty area played well and I am satisfi ed with my ably gathered low to his right by Yemen And Al Harsh again got the better players and their performance. They goalkeeper Salem al-Harsh. of Tareq seven minutes after the hour played well, but the turning point in But Iraq were able to fi nd the break- mark as the Yemen goalkeeper guessed the fi rst half was the penalty given to through before half-time as Faez con- right to save the midfi elders penalty Iraq which changed the whole match,” fi dently converted from the penalty after the teenager had been fouled in- said Yemen coach Amin al-Sunaini. spot nine minutes before the break af- side the area. “We had some chances, and two def- ter Aymen Hussein had been bundled But despite the missed chance, and inite chances were in the second half, over inside the area while attempting a stronger fi nish from Yemen, Iraq had but we lacked the luck to score. We will to convert a cross from Amjad Attwan done enough to claim all three points in try and build on this performance in Kadhim after Yemen’s Alawi Fadaaq the Group C opener. the coming games from now.” BOTTOMLINE Football’s scandal-plagued FIFA dumps its once-powerful secretary general Valcke Reuters “Jerome Valcke is proud of all that Last week FIFA’s ethics judges an- “Jerome Valcke is proud of all Zurich was accomplished for the game of foot- nounced they had opened formal pro- that was accomplished for the ball during his long tenure as Secretary ceedings against Valcke, who has de- game of football during his long General, including two of the most suc- nied wrongdoing in the past. tenure as Secretary General, orld soccer body FIFA cessful World Cups in history in South Valcke was placed on leave by FIFA including two of the most said yesterday it had fi red Africa and Brazil,” he said. in September following the allegations successful World Cups in history Secretary General Jerome “He remains confi dent that he will be and initially suspended for 90 days in in South Africa and Brazil,” said Valcke, a move that comes fully vindicated and history will recog- October when the ethics committee Jerome Valcke’s lawyer yesterday Wamid alleged corruption involving nise all of his contributions to the sport started its investigation. That suspen- World Cup ticket sales and a number of he loves.” sion was extended for another 45 days credit card fi rms MasterCard Inc and swirling scandals at the sport’s govern- Valcke was once one of the most last week and a ban from all soccer ac- Visa Inc. ing authority powerful men in FIFA and responsible tivities remains in eff ect. His case has been overshadowed by “The FIFA Emergency Committee for ensuring that preparations for the The secretary general’s duties will the turmoil which has engulfed FIFA in decided, on 9 January 2016, to dismiss last two World Cups, in South Africa continue to be carried out by Acting the last year, with criminal investiga- Jerome Valcke from the position of FIFA and Brazil, were completed in time. Secretary General Markus Kattner, tions into the sport in both the United Secretary General with immediate ef- An ethics investigation into the FIFA said. States and Switzerland. fect,” the Zurich-based organisation case recommended a nine-year ban Valcke has now been sacked twice Altogether, 41 people and sports en- said in a statement. for the Frenchman, former right- by FIFA. He joined the organisation tities, including top FIFA offi cials, have It gave no reason for the dismissal but hand man to FIFA President Sepp in 2003 as marketing director but was been indicted by US prosecutors for of- Valcke’s lawyer in New York, Barry Berke, Blatter who himself has been banned fi red in December 2006 for his part in fences including corruption, fraud and was defi ant on behalf of his client. for eight years. botched sponsorship negotiations with money laundering. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, January 14, 2016 AFC U23 C’SHIP, DOHA SPOTLIGHT DOUBLE Chang-jin brace Pinyo’s late equaliser helps helps South Korea Thailand hold Saudi Arabia defeat 10-man Uzbekistan 2-1 AFC Doha npinit Pinyo’s 84th minute equal- iser salvaged a deserved point as Thailand claimed a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia in the teams’ Group B Iopener at the AFC U23 Championship at Grand Hamad Stadium yesterday. Inpinit’s late strike cancelled out Mo- hammad al-Saiari’s 71st minute header while Kiatisuk Senamuang’s side also had goalkeeper Somporn Yos to thank after saving a penalty in the fi rst half. Somporn pulled off a fine save in the 12th minute after referee Mohammad South Korea’s Moon Chang-jin (C) Abdulla Hassan had pointed to the spot following Adison Promrak’s foul on al- Saiari, only for Mustafa al-Bassas to see oon Chang-jin scored 20 minutes as Moon confi dently his attempt from 12 yards pushed onto a goal in each half converted from the penalty spot the crossbar. as Korea Republic after the strikers’ attempted cross The Thais, though, had more than edged out 10-man from the left was adjudged to have enough opportunities to put themselves MUzbekistan 2-1 yesterday to make been handled by a sliding Otabek Action during the match between Saudi Arabi and Thailand played at the Al Arabi Stadium yesterday. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil on the scoreboard, with Inpinit twice a winning start to Group C at the Shukurov. unable to fi nd the back of the net in a Mohammad AFC U23 Championship. The East Asians continued to fi ve minute spell that also saw Thitiphan al-Saiari scored Pohang Steelers midfi elder pour forward at will as the half Puangjan shoot across the face of goal. for Saudi. Moon netted a 20th minute pen- progressed, although Uzbekistan Somporn was again on hand to res- alty to open the scoring at Suhaim did start to fi nally come into the cue the Thais in the 27th minute when Bin Hamad Stadium before dou- contest towards the end.