• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

CRICKET | Page 2 FOOTBALL | Page 3 Karachi Kings Premier beat Islamabad League ‘may United to enter not fi nish’, says semi-fi nal FA chief Sunday, March 15, 2020 BASKETBALL Rajab 20, 1441 AH Al Shamal retain GULF TIMES title with late blitz against Al Gharafa SPORT Page 4 FOOTBALL / AMIR CUP QOC suspends all activities until March 29 QNA in a statement that the move Doha came to build on the state’s eff orts in taking all the pre- Dominant Duhail cautionary measures against atar Olympic Commit- the spread of the coronavirus tee (QOC) announced (Covid-19), in line with the rec- Qyesterday that it will ommendations of the Ministry halt all its activities until March of Public Health to avoid public 29, with the activities of diff er- gatherings and with the resolu- ent age groups suspended in- tions of the national committee ease past Sailiya to definitely. The committee said on the coronavirus. REACTION set up semi vs Sadd We got a deserved Edmilson, al-Ahrak, Almoez and Mohamed score in Duhail’s 4-0 quarter-final win win over By Sports Reporter Doha Al Wakrah, says Al l Duhail set up a mouthwatering Amir Cup semi-fi nal against Sadd coach Xavi arch-rivals Al Sadd Aafter sailing past Al Sailiya 4-0 but we managed to win the pen- in the quarter-fi nals yesterday. alty shootout and qualify for the It was a dominant performance semi-fi nals.” by the Red Knights at the Jas- Regarding the performance of sim Bin Hamad Stadium, while the team after the second goal Sailiya arguably played their was scored, the coach said: “It worst match of the season. was possible to clinch the match Duhail had beaten Sadd to win in the normal time. It is impor- the Amir Cup last year, before tant to learn from the mistakes the latter avenged their loss in and not to repeat them. I am the Qatar Cup fi nal this season. happy to win and qualify, and if The semi-fi nal clash at Amir we played as in the fi rst 70 min- Cup between two of the biggest utes, we would have settled the clubs in Qatar should be nothing game in the normal time.” short of fi reworks. As for the team he prefers to Going by Duhail’s perform- face in the semi-fi nals, Xavi said: ance last night, the QNB Stars “We have reached the semi- League leaders will fancy their fi nals, and we are ready for the chances against Sadd, who winner in tomorrow’s match. I needed a penalty shoot-out think Al Duhail have the greater win over Al Wakrah on Friday chances to qualify for the semi- to book a place in the semis. fi nals.” The other last four encounter And about the absence of some pits Al Arabi against second of his players from the match, the division side Al Markhiya, who Al Sadd coach said: “Baghdad stunned Al Rayyan. Bounedjah was absent from the Edmilson Junior was the star beginning of the match due to a of the show for Duhail yesterday, By Sports Reporter slight injury and only played the creating havoc for Sailiya’s de- Doha last 10 minutes. We played with fence. Duhail should have been (Meshaal) Barsham in goal, and 2-0 up inside the fi rst 10 min- he is a good goalkeeper. He suc- utes but Mohamed Muntari and l Sadd head coach Xavi ceeded in stopping one of the Almoez Ali were poor in front of Hernandez described penalty kicks and helped us a lot goal, failing to take advantage of his side’s win over Al in qualifying for the semi-fi nal.” Edmilson’s pin point cross from Wakrah in the Amir Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal the left hand side. ACup quarter-fi nals as a deserved Barsham was understandably Edmilson himself put Duhail Al Duhail players (in red) celebrate their goal during their Amir Cup quarter-final against Al Sailiya at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday. result. delighted after stepping closer to ahead in the 24th minute as the PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil Speaking at the press con- the title. Belgian forward converted a ference after the match that Speaking after the game, he penalty after Sailiya’s Mostafa ond goal arrived in the 49th the semi-final against Sadd. Sailiya’s Serigne Mbodji said “We didn’t deserve to win, fi nished 2-2 in regulation time said: “We played a big match Mohamed Abdelha handled the with Abdulla al-Ahrak scoring “We are very happy to play his team didn’t deserve to win Duhail did. We gave them some before Sadd won 4-1 on penal- against a tough Al Wakrah side. ball in the box. Karim Boudiaf a stunner from outside the box. in the semis against Sadd. We and lamented the second half easy chances and they capital- ties, Xavi said: “The victory is We managed to score two goals, and Muntari spurned easy op- It was all over for Sailiya, have taken another step closer performance. “It’s was a very ised on it. In the fi rst half we deserved, despite the penalty but Al Wakrah did not surrender portunities to increase the lead when Almoez found the net in to winning the Amir Cup again diffi cult match for us. The way played better, tried to play be- shootout. We played wonder- and worked to exploit our mis- as Duhail went into half-time the 52nd minute. Abdulrah- and I hope we play well against we played in the second half was tween the lines. I think the big- fully for 70 minutes, but then we takes and succeeded in coming with one-goal lead. man Mohamed piled on the Sadd. We have a good team and bad. If you are playing the lead- gest change in our performance made mistakes and Al Wakrah back, scoring two goals to take Just 30 seconds after the misery for Peregrines with are playing at good level. The ers of the league you need to try was our mentality. We played managed to score.” the match to a shootout.” break, Edmilson had a chance a 66th minute strike. Du- last time (at Qatar Cup) Sadd and not give any chance, and but without desire and honour. He added: “We have to im- He added: “The Amir Cup to double the lead but took too hail midfielder Boudiaf was played better than us but hope- we were very poor in the second When you play against Duhail prove the performance if we championship is of great impor- long to shoot and was crowded pleased with his team’s show fully this time it will come out as half,” the Senegalese defender you have to give everything,” want to win the Amir Cup. We tance to us and we will strive to by Sailiya defenders. The sec- and was looking forward to winners,” said Boudiaf. said. Mbodji added. lost focus and paid the price, qualify for the fi nal.” CRICKET IPL season will be shortened, says Ganguly AFP ernment ordered measures against April 15, then, in any case 15 days IPL, which draws the world’s top situation,” said Ganguly. Mumbai, India travel and public gatherings. are gone, it has to be a truncated players from Australia, England “It will be re-assessed every Top offi cials of the Board of one. How truncated, how many and South Africa, and generates week. I can’t say at the moment Control for Cricket in India games, I can’t say at the moment.” hundreds of millions of dollars (about any deadline). It has to be ndia’s cricket board chief (BCCI) met franchise owners of While the country of 1.3 bn has in revenues each year, has domi- worked around. As much as we Sourav Ganguly said yes- the eight IPL teams in Mumbai to reported just two deaths from nated Indian headlines. want to host the IPL, we also need terday the Indian Premier assess the situation. coronavirus and more than 80 Ganguly, one of India’s most to be careful about the security.” League will be truncated “Safety is most important for confi rmed cases, all sporting ac- successful India captains who IPL is estimated to generate Iwith the Twenty20 tournament the players and at the moment tivities have been suspended. became BCCI president last year, more than $11 bn for the Indian pushed back due to the coronavi- (with) what’s going around in the India has stopped all domestic said everyone was forced to wait economy and involves cricket’s top rus pandemic. world and India with the govern- soccer and cricket events after and see. international stars including Eng- The world’s richest cricket ment directives this is all we can two remaining one-day cricket “We met with the owners, to land’s Ben Stokes, David Warner of league was postponed on Friday, do. We have postponed remain- internationals against a visiting tell them how it can happen and Australia and Indian captain Virat meaning instead of starting on ing domestic matches,” Ganguly South Africa side were called off where do we stand at the mo- Kohli. Chinese mobile-maker Vivo March 29, it will begin on April 15 told reporters. on Friday. ment. At the moment, it is just paid $330mn to be the league’s top at the earliest after the Indian gov- “If it (IPL) is (postponed till) But postponing the cash-rich postponed.

Load more

  4

Copy Link