CCRICKETRICKET | Page 4 MOTOGP | Page 7 Australian Vinales is batsmen kept fastest on in check in Day One of South Africa testing at Losail Friday, March 2, 2018 FOOTBALL Jumada II 14, 1439 AH Blatter appeals GULF TIMES for World Cup with video replays SPORT Page 2 FOOTBALL SPOLTIGHT Duhail strike late Neymar set for surgery, to leave Al Sadd ruled out for three hopes in tatters months Youssef El Arabi scores with the last kick of the match to give Al Duhail a AFP thrilling 4-3 victory and a sniff of the title with just three matches remaining Rio de Janeiro By Sports Reporter razilian superstar Neymar Doha fl ew into Rio de Janeiro yes- terday ahead of an operation Bon his fractured foot that will or more than 90 minutes of sideline him for up to three months, the match yesterday, Al Duhail casting a long shadow over Paris fans were left wondering why Saint-Germain and Brazil’s World Youssef El Arabi had not regis- Cup preparations. Ftered on the score sheet. The world’s most expensive player, The highest scorer of the Qatar Stars 26, arrived on an Air France fl ight from League so far with 22 goals, El Arabi Paris and left in a wheelchair, a photo could only produce occasional sparks taken by one of his fellow passengers of brilliance during his team’s crucial showed. match against Al Sadd, while his cap- Dressed in a black hoodie, a black tain Youssef Msakni had already struck baseball cap and wearing sunglasses, twice. the PSG star smiled and took selfi es Brazilian superstar Neymar arrives Surely, something was wrong, they with passengers, before leaving on a in Rio de Janeiro after flying from felt, because the Moroccan’s scoring private jet to an undisclosed destina- Paris ahead of an operation on his ability had been key to their unbeaten tion. Surgery is booked for tomorrow, fractured foot. run in the season. said national team surgeon Rodrigo But El Arabi had other ideas. Pa- Lasmar, who will lead the procedure. the treatment. We were unanimous in tience, folks, he must have told them But despite the hurry to put Ney- agreeing that it would have to be sur- had he been reading their minds, re- mar’s right foot under the knife at a gical treatment. More conservative minding them there was still a minute hospital in Belo Horizonte, he won’t be treatment, without surgery, would of the four minutes of injury time re- back on the fi eld soon. present a far greater risk for refracture. maining. “The (recovery) period will be We can’t run that risk.” And sure enough, with the seconds around two and a half to three PSG lost 3-1 to Real in the fi rst leg of ticking fast and the teams tied 3-3, El months,” Lasmar told journalists after their European tie in Spain two weeks Arabi struck with the last kick of the arriving with the player on the same ago and are in danger of being knocked match to all but end nearest rivals Al Air France fl ight. out of the competition in the last 16 for Sadd’s hopes of winning the title. “It’s not a simple fracture, but a the second season running.The drama Al Duhail’s 4-3 win yesterday means fracture in an important bone in the is also a big personal setback for Ney- they have opened up a fi ve-point lead middle of the foot,” Lasmar said. mar who has been at the centre of the over Al Sadd (51-46) and with just three The injury has not only ruled Ney- world’s footballing attention since his matches in the season remaining, they mar out of PSG’s do-or-die Champi- 222 million-euro ($264mn) move from virtually have the title wrapped up. ons League clash with Real Madrid on Barcelona last August. He has scored The winning goal saw Duhail coach March 6, but now threatens the much 28 goals in 30 appearances in all com- Djamel Belmadi slump to the ground in fancied Brazilian national side’s build- petitions for PSG since arriving. But a prayer of thanks, while his opposite up to the World Cup, which starts in on Sunday he looked to be in tears as number Jesualdo Ferreira took out his Russia on June 14. he was stretchered off the fi eld at the frustration by slamming a water bottle The initial prognosis did not appear Parc des Princes. into the ground quite as serious on Sunday, when Ney- Brazilians care little about the im- Al Sadd, however, have only them- mar suff ered a hairline fracture of the pact on PSG. Their attention is entirely selves to blame after leading the match fi fth metatarsal, as well as a twisted trained on the World Cup, where they twice, only to surrender the advan- ankle late in PSG’s 3-0 win over Mar- have ambitions of walking away with a tage as Al Duhail struck two times in seille in Ligue 1. sixth title. the fi nal six minutes to clinch victory On Tuesday, the Brazilian’s father “We just might have lost the World and maintain their unbeaten run in the Neymar Senior had claimed the player Cup last Sunday,” one radio commen- tournament. would be out for “at least six weeks”. tator, Milton Neves of Bandnews FM, The match was widely billed as the Al Duhail’s Youssef Msakni celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal to equalise, while at bottom Youssef El Arabi shows PSG coach Unai Emery had said earlier said Wednesday. Images of Sunday’s one where the winners might go on to his joy after netting the winner with the last shot of the match. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil that there remained a “small chance” fateful duel between Neymar and become the eventual champions with of getting him back in time to face Real. Marseille player Bouna Sarr were be- only three more matches remaining. Al In another match Dutch attacking Lasmar’s assessment painted a ing shown incessantly on TV, often in Duhail could even aff ord to lose and still midfi elder Wesley Sneijder played an graver picture both in terms of the slo-mo, before he was stretchered off . have their chances. infl uential role as hosts Al Gharafa re- injury and the timing of Neymar’s re- “I don’t think we can really talk Instead, Belmadi’s men underlined corded a comfortable 6-1 victory over covery. “Yesterday we went back to about fears of him not being at the their status of being the best side Al Rayyan. the hospital (in Paris) and made new World Cup. But there is a noticeable around and notched up the winning Sneijder scored in the 15th (pen- exams that left the seriousness of the haste to fi nd a solution so that Neymar goal with the last kick of the game. That alty) and 25th minutes, and provided fracture very clear,” he told journalists will have recovered in time,” an ESPN really showed how entertaining and the assists for the goals by Abdelaziz in Rio. Brasil sports commentator, Mauro Ce- electrifying the encounter was. Hatem (22nd), Diego Amado (54th) “There was no doubt left regarding zar Pereira, told AFP. The match was fast-paced and even- and Mehdi Taremi (62nd). Muad Has- ly-fought, and Al Duhail had a slight san rounded off The Cheetahs’ tally in edge in ball possession (53 per cent). Al the 90th. FIFA boss says Saudi-Iran spat should keep out of football Sadd took the lead through Hamroun Abderrazzaq Hamdallah found the in the 11th minute and waged a spirited mark for Al Rayyan in the 27th minute Tehran: FIFA president Gianni Infan- between countries all over the world battle. to stay as third in the top-scorers’ list tino said yesterday that a two-year but this should not have an impact However, Ismaeel Mohamed equal- with 16 goals. diplomatic rift between Saudi Arabia on the football tournament. ised from close in the 37th minute and Al Gharafa showed purpose from and Iran should not be allowed to “The solution is always just to play Msakni scored from outside the area in the start and had more of the ball, with get in the way of football. home and away like in every compe- the 41st with a ferocious kick to help Al Sneijder orchestrating their game. Ob- Saudi clubs have refused to play in tition in every country.” Duhail go into half-time with a 2-1 lead. viously, they were spurred on by their Iran since the kingdom broke off The FIFA chief acknowledged that Al Sadd were not cowed down and new position (fi fth) in the table. relations in January 2016 forcing Saudi Arabia had voiced security hit back with the unstoppable Baghdad Al Markhiya’s 3-2 victory against Al AFC Champions League fixtures with concerns after protesters angry at Bounedjah making a mockery of the Al Gharafa last week was overturned by Iranian clubs to be played in neutral its execution of a top Shia cleric at- Duhail defence with goals in the 71st the Qatar Football Association’s Disci- Oman. tacked its embassy and a consulate and 80th minutes to put his team ahead plinary Committee and the latter was “It’s very clear that politics should in Iran, prompting it to cut ties. again. awarded a 3-0 win for breach of rules stay out of football and football “Obviously the guarantees must be But Al Duhail were not fi nished yet regarding fi elding resident players in should stay out of politics,” Infantino there, the safety must be there,” he as Msakni equalised with a cracker of a the QNB Stars League matches.