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CCRICKETRICKET | Page 4 NFL | Page 6 There is a Miami Dolphins ‘divide’ in the set for playoff Indian team, push against hints Gavaskar Raiders Thursday, December 24, 2020 Jumada I 9, 1442 AH FOOTBALL GULF TIMES Messi passes Pele as top scorer at a single club SPORT Page 2 QNB STARS LEAGUE Bounedjah strike sends Sadd past fi ghting Rayyan Al Arabi defeat Al Kharaitiyat 3-1; Al Ahli are denied second spot in the standings after 1-4 loss to Qatar SC By Sports Reporter right-footed shot that swung in Doha late and beat the diving keeper. Al Kharaitiyat’s Moham- med Osman twice attempted he prolifi c Baghdad long-range shots (27th and 32nd Bounedjah scored the minute) from the edge of the Al Twinner for Al Sadd as Arabi box, but on both occasions Laurent Blanc’s fi rst he was wayward as The Thunders match in charge of Al Rayyan were not allowed much breathing ended in a defeat for the French- space by Al Arabi backline. man yesterday. In the second half, three The high-voltage QNB Stars quick goals were scored. Mehr- League match, dubbed Qatar dad, after receiving a short pass, Clasico, seemingly looked for a charged into the Al Karaitiyat box tense fi nish before Algerian strik- with Mahmoud Abdelhalim giv- er Bounedjah broke the deadlock ing a hot chase, but the former in the 83rd minute at Jassim Bin stopped the ball and then in the Hamad stadium. same momentum produced a Al Sadd’s ninth win in 10 left-footed clip into the goal. The matches extended their unbeaten ball swung and dipped into the run as they comfortably lead the far right of the keeper. table with 28 points, seven more In the 51st minute, after receiv- than Al Gharafa. Rayyan stay at ing a cross from Osman, Tiberka- sixth with 13 points, but Blanc nine charged ahead with the ball would have been impressed with inside the box before calmly slot- the way his new side fought till ting it into the Al Arabi net. the end against an Al Sadd side Then came the spectacular that are on a hot streak. Rayyan goal. Gunnarsson, after receiv- lacked quality on the night, but ing a short pass near the edge of made up for that with an impres- his own box, ran with the ball for sive defensive show. short distance and then in one Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez single move fi red the ball from later said that his side deserved around 70 yards into the net with the victory. “We were better Al Kharaitiyat keeper way out of than Al Rayyan, especially in the position. The long-range shot second half. We wasted many took the goalkeeper by surprise chances that could have changed Al Sadd’s Baghdad Bounedjah (right) celebrates with teammates after and he could do little to stop the the outcome of the match. I am scoring against Al Rayyan in the QNB Stars League at the Jassim Bin ball from going into the net. happy with the performance of Hamad stadium yesterday. Aron Gunnarsson (left) scored a spectacular goal from 70 yards as Al Arabi defeated Al Kharaitiyat 3-1. Meanwhile, Al Ahli were de- all the players, it is not easy to nied second spot in the standings win,” the Spaniard said. footballing wilderness, Blanc Kharaitiyat 3-1 at the Al Ahli Kharaitiyat in the 50th minute. covered plenty of ground on the weak header going a little way- after they lost to Qatar Sports Blanc made the surprise re- boasts a more than adequate suc- Stadium, in which Aron Gun- Arabi climbed to 9th from 11th right fl ank before slipping in a ward on a cross from Fathy on Club 1-4 at the Hamad bin Kha- turn to club management earlier cess rate having won four French narsson’s spectacular goal was after the victory with nine points, cross for Iranian team-mate Me- the fl ank. Four minutes later, Al lifa Stadium. In an action-packed this month, with the 1998 French league titles from only six sea- the highlight of the match. while Al Kharaitiyat are bottom hrdad, who jumped for a snap- Arabi opened the scoring. Ibra- match, Youcef Belaili converted World Cup winner resuming dug- sons as a manager, three of those Apart from Gunnarsson’s 55th with just six points. header from close range, but his him, with nobody marking him, three penalties for Qatar SC in out duties after a four-year hiatus. coming from his 2013-2016 spell minute strike, Ibrahim Nasser After a slow start, Al Arabi defl ection was grabbed by keeper picked up a short cross near the the second half, while the other The Al Rayyan job is his fi rst man- at PSG. And Rayyan will hoping Kalla (16th minute) and Mehr- picked up momentum with a Shehab Ellethy. half-line and then charged ahead goal came from Anthony Okpotu. agerial role since the 55-year-old Blanc can lead them to success in dad Mohammadi (47th minute) threatening move that lacked fi n- In the 12th minute, a simi- solo. Around 5-6 yards from the For Al Ahli, Nabil El Zhar had left Paris Saint-Germain in 2016. Qatar’s top fl ight. scored for Arabi. Rachid Tiber- ishing touch in the third minute. lar move involving the same edge of the Al Kharaitiyat box, equalised also through penalty in Despite his long spell in the Earlier, Al Arabi defeated Al kanine scored the only goal of Al Al Arabi captain Ahmed Fathy players ended with Mehrdad’s Nasser curled in a spectacular the 42nd minute. FOCUS Ahmad Bin Ali, Education City, Khalifa stadiums to host FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020 By Sports Reporter The winner of the CONMEBOL the safety, health and well-being Match schedule Doha Libertadores will determine the of players and fans as we hosted South American representative, several important local and in- February 1, 2021 Stadium rounding off this edition’s par- ternational footballing events, 1. 8:30pm: Al Duhail vs February 11, 2021 atar will host the FIFA ticipants. The South American and we look forward to welcom- Auckland City FC, at Ahmad Bin 7. 6pm: 3rd place, at Education Club World Cup Qatar title winner will be determined ing the world’s best clubs in the Ali Stadium City Stadium 2020 from February by the end of January 2021. The New Year for what will be yet an- February 4, 2021 8. 9pm: Final, at Education City Q 2. 5pm: 1-11, 2021, after it was draw to fi nalise the detailed pair- other important milestone on the Team A vs Team B, at Stadium postponed earlier this year due ings in the tournament will take road to Qatar 2022,” al-Khater Khalifa International Stadium to the Covid-19 pandemic. Six place in Zurich on January 19. added. 3. 8:30pm: Team C vs Team D, PARTICIPATING TEAMS continental confederations, as “Hosting the second edition Inaugurated exactly two years at Education City Stadium AFC: Ulsan Hyundai (KOR) well as the host nation’s league of the FIFA Club World Cup in before Qatar hosts the FIFA February 7, 2021 CAF: Al Ahly (EGY) champions, will compete in the a row will allow us to build on World Cup fi nal, Ahmad Bin Ali 4. 6pm: 5th Place, at Education CONCACAF: Tigres UANL tournament, which will be held our operational experience and Stadium has a capacity of 40,000 City Stadium (MEX) across three FIFA World Cup Qa- apply learnings both from 2019, seats and is a demonstration of 5. 9pm: Conmebol vs W2/W3, at CONMEBOL: TBC (Jan. 30, tar 2022 stadiums – Ahmad Bin as well as the tournaments at- Qatar’s commitment to sus- Khalifa International Stadium 2021) Ali, Khalifa International and tended by fans in Qatar through- tainability, having been largely February 8, 2021 OFC: Auckland City (NZL) Education City. out 2020. It will help ensure we constructed from recycled and 6. 9pm: W2/W3 vs Bayern UEFA: Bayern Munich (GER) The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, deliver an amazing experience reused material from an older Munich, at Ahmad Bin Ali Host: Al Duhail (QAT) inaugurated just last week on De- for every fan when the Middle stadium that once stood on the cember 18, will stage the opening FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venue, Education City Stadium, will host East and Arab world hosts its same site. match between Qatari champi- the final on February 11, 2021. fi rst FIFA World Cup in just un- Education City Stadium, mond-like geometrical patterns regarded as Qatar’s national sta- ons Al Duhail and Auckland City der two years’ time,” said FIFA nicknamed the ‘Diamond in the which appear to change colour dium, the recently refurbished of New Zealand on February 1 European champions and Ger- Egypt, along with Ulsan Hyundai, World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC CEO Desert’, has its design inspired depending on the sun’s position. venue hosted the previous tour- at 8:30pm, and the fi nal will be man side Bayern Munich, CON- who recently laid claim to the AFC Nasser al-Khater. by the rich history of Islamic ar- The third stadium to be used nament’s fi nal where English side played at Education City Stadi- CACAF champions Tigres UANL Champions League at a match “Over the past few months, chitecture, blended with striking during the FIFA Club World Cup Liverpool won the title for the um on February 11 at 9pm.