Ex-Iran, Persepolis Player Minavand Dies of COVID-19
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6 January 30, 2021 Ex-Iran, Persepolis Player Four Iranians Nominated for AFC International Player of Week Minavand Dies of COVID-19 TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Four Iranian players were dad Minavand who passed away nominated for the AFC International Player of the in Tehran after a battle with CO- Week. VID-19”, AFC wrote on its Insta- Reza Ghoochannejhad, Alireza Beiranvand, Mi- lad Mohammadi and Mehdi Taremi are among gram account. this week’s 10 nominees. And also, FIFA President Gi- But who deserves the crown of the best player anni Infantino extended his deep- outside the Asian continent for matches from Jan- est sympathies to the Iran Foot- uary 21 to 27? ball Federation over the death of Reza Ghoocheannejhad (PEC Zwolle, Iran) Ex-Team Melli and Persepolis 48 minutes, 3 goals, 1 shot assist, 100% pass ac- midfielder Mehrdad Minavand. curacy (3-1 v Willem II) 24 minutes, 1 goal (2-2 v Heracles) “I would like to express my sin- A good 15 years after his Eredivisie debut, the cere condolences over the pass- man known as Gucci is the hottest striker in Hol- ing of the former Iranian national land, following up a remarkable 12-minute hat- football player Mehrdad Mina- trick against Willem II with an equalizer just three Former Iranian Footballer Mehrdad Minavand vand,” Infantino said. minutes after coming off the bench four days later. TEHRAN (Dipstaches) – Ex- World Cup. He added that “words seem in- Alireza Beiranvand (Royal Antwerp, Iran) midfielder of Iran national foot- He also played for Iranian club adequate to describe this sorrow. 90 minutes, 3 saves, 90% pass accuracy (1-2 v KV Oostende) Muhammadi began the league clash against ball team and Persepolis Mehrdad Persepolis in two stints. Minavand’s legacy and achieve- 90 minutes, 5 saves (2-0 v KAS Eupen) Leuven with a blistering strike into the back of Minavand has died due to CO- ment, especially his personality, From goal scorers to arguably Asia’s most in- net within six minutes, and he never let up in a VID-19. AFC, FIFA President Gianni popularity, and humanity, will form shot-stopper, Alireza Beiranvand once again wonderful performance for KAA Gent. He was 45. The former player Infantino Extend Condolences never be forgotten.” earned Player of the Match honors after a terrific Mehdi Taremi (FC Porto, Iran) of Austrian team Sturm Graz was “On behalf of the international performance which included four saves within six 78 minutes, 1 goal, 1 shot assist (1-0 v Farense) hospitalized in intensive care unit The Asian Football Confedera- football community, I deeply second-half minutes. Another game, another goal and another AFC International Player of the Week nomination for (ICU) of the Laleh Hospital in tion (AFC) and FIFA President sympathize with the Football Milad Muhammadi (KAA Gent, Iran) 90 minutes, 1 goal, 1 shot assist, 15 duels won Mehdi Taremi who netted the winner against Fa- Federation of the Islamic Repub- Tehran last week. Gianni Infantino condoled the (3-0 v OH Leuven) rense in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. He now Minavand was part of Iran na- death of Mehrdad Minavand. lic of Iran, his family, and friends 45 minutes – statistics not available (1-1 v Sint- has 11 for the season, and seven in his last six tional football team in the 1996 “Our heartfelt condolences to and loved ones of Mehrdad” he Truiden) matches. AFC Asian Cup and 1998 FIFA the family and friends of Mehr- added. Pistons Hand Lakers 2nd Successive Defeat Nauman, Yasir Spin Pakistan to LOS ANGELES (Dispatch- Wayne Ellington was also es) - The Los Angeles Lakers in inspired form, scoring 20 Verge of South Africa Test Win were beaten 107-92 by the De- points as the Pistons rebound- troit Pistons as they lost con- ed from their worst loss of the secutive games for the first time season against the Cleveland this season. Cavaliers on Wednesday. The Lakers, who are five Elsewhere, the LA Clippers games into a seven-game road handed the Miami Heat a fifth trip, went six minutes without straight defeat. scoring in the fourth quarter. Nicholas Batum scored 18 “Every team has long road points as the Clippers tri- trips,” said LeBron James, umphed 109-105 to make it who scored just two of his 22 eight wins in their past nine points after half time. games. “We’ve got to keep our The Houston Rockets over- minds fresh and our bodies Griffin (centre) outscored James as the Detroit Pistons handed the LA came the Portland Trail Blazers fresh. Obviously, we haven’t Lakers a second successive defeat on the road 104-101 and the Phoenix Suns done it in the last couple of ended the Golden State War- Pakistan’s Yasir Shah (2L) took four wickets and teammate Nauman Ali games.” points for the Pistons, said: proud of the way everybody riors’ two-game winning streak (2R) took five in South Africa’s second innings Blake Griffin, who hit 23 “We were really good. I was played.” with a 114-93 victory. KARACHI, Pakistan (AFP) - Debu- haraj on the first ball of the day, bowled tant Nauman Ali took five wickets and by pacer Hasan Ali for two. fellow spinner Yasir Shah grabbed four to South African skipper Quinton de Liverpool Break Out of Slump, Thump Tottenham spin Pakistan to within 66 runs of victory Kock had a miserable 50th Test as he TOTTENHAM (Dispatches) – Sadio Mane has scored and set up in the first Test against South Africa in followed his 15 in the first innings with two others as Liverpool burst out of its scoreless funk and into the win Karachi on Friday. just two, caught off a lazy push off Yasir. Nauman finished with 5-35 and Yasir Temba Bavuma, who scored 40, added column with an impressive 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur. took 4-79 as South Africa slumped to 42 for the seventh wicket with George Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold also scored for the 245 all out in their second innings on Linde before being the last man out as reigning Premier League champions, who move back into the top the fourth day on a wearing National Nauman took the last four wickets in his four with 37 points. Man City leads the league with 41 points and Stadium pitch. 22 balls. Pakistan, needing 88 for victory, had He dismissed Linde (11), Kagiso has played one fewer match than the four closest rivals for the reached 22 without loss at lunch with Rabada (one), Anrich Nortje (nought) crown. Abid Ali on 10 and Imran Butt on 12, and Bavuma to become 12th Pakistani Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s smashed answer was Tottenham’s only as the home team closed on a 1-0 lead in bowler to take five wickets in an innings goal on a day that mistakes doomed them and Harry Kane did not the two-match series. on debut. The writing was on the wall as South South Africa is on their first tour of emerge for the second half after two first-half injuries. Africa lost nightwatchman Keshav Ma- Pakistan for 14 years. Spurs’ 33 points are good for sixth, four points back of Liverpool. Sadio Mane capped a dominant display Tottenham has a match-in-hand on the Reds. UEFA Still Planning to Host Melbourne Struggles to Warm to Pandemic Grand Slam Euro 2020 Across 12 Cities MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The Australian Open has long been the jewel in LONDON (Xinhua) - UEFA reaffirmed its plan to host the delayed Melbourne’s sporting crown but residents with bitter memories of COVID-19 Euro 2020 tournament across 12 European cities, as the continent’s foot- lockdowns fear the Grand Slam could yet prove a poisoned chalice. ball governing body met representatives of the 12 host associations and As the country nears two weeks without a case of community transmis- tournament organizers in a routine meeting. sion, Tennis Australia spent some $30.58 million flying in 1,200 players The tournament was originally planned to be held from June to July and personnel from around the world and putting them through two weeks last year, but was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic of hotel quarantine. with the event name remaining unchanged. Unlike at last year’s French and U.S. Opens, where the focus was on “UEFA repeated its commitment to holding Euro 2020 across the minimizing the risk of infection to the players, the measures in place for 12 cities according to the timetable that has already been published,” the Australian Open are to protect locals who paid dearly for the freedoms they currently enjoy. said UEFA. Melbourne was the epicentre of Australia’s largest second wave outbreak, “All parties recognize the need for flexibility around decisions to be which sprung from returned travelers infecting staff in hotel quarantine. made on the arrangements for the tournament, in order to reflect the The outbreak in mid-2020 ended up costing nearly 800 lives and ru- different challenges and circumstances that cities find themselves in,” ined countless livelihoods as some five million people endured one of the it added. world’s strictest lockdowns for nearly four months. A staff member wearing PPE works to clean surfaces at Melbourne UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said he was assured that the With the virus now under control, Melbourne has regained most of its Park in Melbourne situation would take a turn for the better as time wore on. pre-COVID freedoms and Australia is being held up by other nations as a numbers and news of a slew of positive tests among the quarantined Aus- UEFA added that it hadn’t finalized plans to accommodate fans in- model for how to contain it.