FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 ATHLETICS | Page 6 Suwon grab All 32 last-16 spot as disciplines in ACL heads to 2021 Diamond knockouts League Saturday, December 5, 2020 CRICKET Rabia II 20, 1442 AH Concussion sub GULF TIMES Chahal fi res India to win over Aussies SPORT Page 4 FOOTBALL FOCUS Napoli’s San Paolo stadium Qatar cruise past renamed to honour Bangladesh to edge Maradona closer to Asian Cup Hatem, Afif and Almoez score in the hosts’ 5-0 victory AFC Doha In this November 26, 2020, picture, a man holds atar took a long-awaited a jersey of Diego Maradona outside the San step towards AFC Asian Paolo stadium in Naples. (AFP) Cup China 2023 qualifi ca- tion, scoring an emphatic Reuters Q5-0 win over Bangladesh at Abdullah Bengaluru, India Bin Khalifa Stadium yesterday. Abdulaziz Hatem opened the scoring before Akram Afi f and Al- talian side Napoli’s San Paolo stadium has moez Ali added two goals each as the been offi cially renamed the Diego Armando 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts took all Maradona Stadium after the late Argentina three points in 2020’s fi rst and only striker who led them to their only two Serie Asian Qualifi ers fi xture. IA titles and the UEFA Cup, the city’s council said Asia’s fi rst competitive interna- yesterday. tional match since the Covid-19 Maradona died last week after suff ering a pandemic began, the clash was at- heart attack at his home in the suburbs of Buenos tended by 1,044 socially-distanced Aires, less than a month after his 60th birthday. fans. The city council approved the resolution pro- A meeting between the Asian posed by Naples mayor Luigi de Magistris to champions and a Bangladesh side change the stadium’s name to honour the World boasting just one point from their Cup-winning great who scored 115 goals in sev- previous four Asian Qualifi ers match en years at the club. was also going to be a tough as- “I’ve been in talks with local authorities for signment for the South Asian side, the past 17 years, I’ve always asked to buy the and it took just four minutes for the stadium and rename it ‘Diego Armando Mara- alarm bells to start ringing as Qatar’s Qatar’s Abdelaziz Hatem (left) and Almoez Ali celebrate a goal during the AFC dona’,” Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis Ahmed Alaaeldin hit the post with Asian Cup China 2023 qualification match against Bangladesh at Abdullah told Sky in Italy. an early headed attempt. Bin Khalifa Stadium yesterday. (Twitter/QFA) “If then, for tradition, we will need to call Five minutes later the hosts were it both ‘San Paolo’ and ‘Maradona’ so be it. It in front, with another defl ected ef- at goal in the fi rst half underlined the dying moments. won’t change much, but it’s only right that Ma- fort, this time from the boot of Bangladesh’s task, and their cause Qatar are now well-placed to fi n- radona has this recognition. Even if we were to Hatem, leaving Anisur Rahman was made even more diffi cult when ish on top of Group E of the Asian build a whole new stadium, I would name it like helpless to prevent the ball from set- the hosts were awarded a penalty, Qualifi ers, which serve as the quali- that. tling into the net. with Ali stepping to hammer home fi cation path for both the FIFA World “Your years here remain indelible in the Afi f scored a brilliant second af- the spot-kick on the home ground of Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup memories of the people of Naples — symbolic ter 33 minutes, before hammering a his club side, Al Duhail. China 2023. of a coveted redemption and yearned-for resur- scorching 20-yard eff ort into Rah- He added his second of the match As FIFA World Cup hosts, Qatar rection.” man’s net, with the Bangladeshi six minutes later, as he bravely are automatic qualifi ers for the glo- Maradona signed for Napoli in 1984 and custodian once again unable to in- chested home after a terrifi c move bal showpiece, but they will confi rm helped the club conquer the northern teams tervene. involving Hatem and Ahmed Fathy their place at China 2023 as group such as Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan — Qatar’s dominance of possession to register his 29th international goal winners, or as one of the four high- Qatar’s Akram Afif celebrates his goal during the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 seen as the aristocratic establishment of Italian and tally of 18 unanswered shots before Afi f slid home Qatar’s fi fth in est-ranked runners-up. qualification match against Bangladesh yesterday. (Twitter/QFA) football, and briefl y turned Serie A on its head. MOTORSPORT Al-Attiyah heads six-strong Toyota and Overdrive entries in Baja Hail Agencies at the start of January 2021. be looking for outright victory Overdrive cars, the experienced Ha’il, Saudi Arabia While al-Attiyah and French on the driver’s home event. The duo hoping to strengthen their navigator Matthieu Baumel look Saudi pushed al-Attiyah and relatively new partnership before to round off the chaotic season by Carlos Sainz hard at the Andalu- tackling the Dakar together for atar’s Nasser Saleh challenging for outright victory cia Rally in southern Spain in Oc- the fi rst time. The pair worked al-Attiyah heads a in their Toyota Hilux, Ten Brinke tober and has a formidable record together in Andalucia and set six-strong Toyota and will be looking to try and clinch a in the Ha’il International Rally. some impressive times, despite a Overdrive Racing chal- fi rst ever FIA Baja title. Partnered Al-Rajhi has won that event technical issue preventing them Qlenge at a pair of forthcoming by the Belgian Tom Colsoul, Ten through the An Nafud desert on taking a potential top fi ve fi nish. back-to-back Baja Hail events Brinke will arrive in Saudi Arabia fi ve occasions (2009, 2010, 2012, The French crew of Ronan that will form the last two rounds locked in a duel for the title with 2015 and 2016) in four diff er- Chabot and Gilles Pillot com- of the radically revised 2020 FIA Russian Vladimir Vasilyev after ent vehicles. Two of those wins plete the offi cial Toyota line-up World Cup for Cross-Country the Dutchman’s impressive win came with al-Attiyah’s co-driv- in Saudi Arabia, the experienced Bajas. in Baja Portalegre last month. The er Baumel and two with Timo duo hoping for a clean run as they Al-Attiyah will drive the sole pressure will be on Ten Brinke to Gottschalk. make their fi nal preparations for Toyota Gazoo Racing entry over balance speed with a degree of Przygonski and Germany’s another Dakar outing with Over- the course of the two events in caution in a bid to clinch the pres- Gottschalk clinched the 2020 drive Racing. the deserts of north-central Sau- tigious Drivers’ title. Polish (RMPST) Cross-Coun- The closing two rounds of the di Arabia and will be joined by “Our last test for the Dakar try Championships at Wysoka FIA World Cup for Cross-Coun- Overdrive Racing entries for local will be by doing Ha’il Baja,” said Grzeda Baja Drawsko and arrive try Bajas take place over a hectic entry Yazeed al-Rajhi, the Dutch Baumel, who won events in Qatar in Saudi Arabia keen to continue seven-day period. The three-day duo of Bernhard ten Brinke and and Andalucia this season with their Dakar preparations in the Baja Hail 1 (December 10-12) will Erik van Loon, Frenchman Ronan al-Attiyah. “It’s good news that Team Orlen-supported car. The off er 592 competitive kilometres Chabot and a Team Orlen/Over- all the teams can compete in this Pole won the FIA World Cup for in a route of 890km. drive Toyota Hilux for Poland’s race, just around 15 days before Cross-Country Rallies two years Baja Hail 2 (December 14-16) Jakub Przygonski. An offi cial the start of Dakar. This is unu- ago and is sure to be challenging has a slightly shorter format and Toyota entry is yet to claim a win sual because we are not normally an impressive FIA fi eld over the off ers 479km of competition in a at the Ha’il event. allowed to test in the country of course of the two events, span- route of 780km. Most equipment The Belgium-based opera- the rally and especially 15 days due to Covid-19. rything on our new Toyota. We tion. It will be a good training for ning six competition days. will likely then stay in the Middle tion has been making pre-event before. This will be good for us to “It will be good to be there for are quite happy with Nasser to be Dakar.” Dutchman Erik Van Loon and East before teams ready them- preparations for the two Bajas in drive a little bit on the sand, as we fi ve days competing in this rally. there. It will also be good to work Al-Rajhi and German co- French co-driver Sébastien De- selves for the Dakar Rally at the Ha’il that precede the Dakar Rally did not really compete this year It will be the last check for eve- a little bit with all the naviga- driver Dirk von Zitzewitz will launay crew the fourth of the start of January.