Xavi's Al Sadd in Quarters with Feisty Win Over Al Duhail
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FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 RRUGBYUGBY | Page 4 Liverpool seek Wallabies more silverware bracing for as Lampard eyes Black-lash, says Super Cup boost Naisarani Wednesday, August 14, 2019 CRICKET Dhul-Hijja 13, 1440 AH Williamson’s New GULF TIMES Zealand eye top Test ranking in Sri Lanka SPORT Page 7 FOOTBALL / AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Xavi’s Al Sadd in quarters with feisty win over Al Duhail Akram Afif and Abdelkarim Hassan score for Wolves, Edmilson pulls one back before Ahmed Yasser’s own goal seals the deal By Sports Reporter Doha l Sadd sealed their place in the AFC Champions League quarter-fi nals after a 3-1 win over do- Amestic rivals Al Duhail in a feisty second leg encounter at the Jas- sim Bin Hamad Stadium yes- terday. Xavi Hernandez’s side secured their place in the last eight of the continental event with a 4-2 aggregate victory, af- ter the fi rst leg of the Round of 16 tie ended in a 1-1 draw at the Al Janoub stadium last Tuesday. Al Sadd’s second successive quarter-fi nal pits them against Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, with the fi rst leg taking place on August 26 and the return leg three weeks later on September 16. Al Sadd had never managed to beat a Qatari team in the AFC Champions League, drawing their last two such encounters in a row. They also went into the game having only won two of their last 15 games in the knock- out stages of the Champions League, failing to win any of the Al Sadd head coach Xavi is all smiles after the win. last four games at this stage. Al Sadd’s Akram Afif (second from right) wears a wolf mask in celebration of scoring a goal as teammates Hassan al-Haydos (left) and Abdelkarim But yesterday they brought an Hassan look on during the second leg of the AFC Champions League Round of 16 match against Al Duhail yesterday. PICTURES: Jayaram end to those records, thanks to some electrifying performance ly but the team has responded curacy, sending it wide of Sadd Sadd the lead in the 20th minute. minutes after the restart through in front of their vociferous home well to my coaching philosophy,” goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb. Akram Afi f now has had a hand in impressive Edmilson. Almoez fans. the Barcelona great added. The Sadd custodian was the last four goals scored by his started a quick counter attack Qatar internationals Akram Duhail coach Rui Faria was dis- brought into action in the 10th team in the Champions League, from deep into his own half, sup- Afi f and Abdelkarim Hassan gave appointed with the loss. “I con- minute though, but al-Sheeb was scoring the last three in a row. plying Ali Afi f down the left to Sadd a 2-0 lead. Al Duhail got a gratulate Al Sadd on their quali- alert enough to make a double- Three minutes later, cross for the Brazilian winger lifeline when Edmilson Junior fi cation. We were hoping to get save as Edmilson got past his Bounedjah could have doubled Al who fi nished into the bottom scored in the second half, but an a better result tonight. Once we marker down the right fl ank, Sadd’s lead, beating the defender corner of al-Sheeb’s net to revive own goal from Ahmed Yasser in went two goals behind, it was dif- cutting inside and shooting with to Abdelkarim Hassan’s cross and Al Duhail’s hopes. the dying minutes ensured Sadd fi cult to make a comeback. In the the outside of his right boot. Al- fl icking the ball, but the Algerian A thrilling fi nal half an hour progressed comfortably. second half, after we made the Sheeb made a superb diving save watched in agony as his strike saw Bounedjah hit the post again “We are delighted to have quali- substitutions we had some chanc- and was quick to get up and parry bounced off the upright and be- for Al Sadd after a solo run and fi ed for the quarter-fi nals. We beat es and scored a goal. But Sadd’s Duhail captain Youssef Msakni’s hind for a goal kick. Al Duhail came just as close to Duhail, who are one of the strong- third goal killed the game for us,” shot on the rebound. Xavi’s men got their second scoring two minutes later with est teams in the Middle East. In the Portuguese manager said. The early storm was weath- of the night in the 34th minute. Afi f’s corner being inadvertently the fi rst leg we were the better but It was Duhail who had started ered and soon the hosts took the Nam won a free-kick at the edge fl icked by Gabi into the frame of today we were made to work hard on a bright note. Faria’s men lead against the run of play. Play- of the box after he was brought his own goal. Al Duhail’s Mohamed Muntari (second from right) was shown a red by Duhail. We still had chances to showed attacking intent from the maker Nam Tae-hee, who joined down by Madibo. Step up 2018 Matters were settled in Al card for his assault on Al Sadd’s Boualem Khoukhi (right). score many goals but we missed word go as centre-back Ahmed Sadd from Duhail this season, AFC Player of The Year Has- Sadd’s favour in added time with many opportunities,” Sadd coach Yasser found Almoez Ali with a supplied a defence-splitting pass san to fi re a bullet from the set- a double-blow for Al Duhail. it 3-1 for Al Sadd at the death. third goal went in. Muntari, who Xavi said after the match. long pass after just three minutes. for Baghdad Bounedjah who went piece into the roof of the helpless First, Yasser’s attempt to defend Al Duhail ended with 10 men had clashed with Bounedjah mo- “I am happy with the perform- The Qatari international striker through on goal and selfl essly Amine Lecomte to make it 2-0 a Hassan al-Haydos free-kick when substitute Mohamed Mun- ments earlier, was sent-off in ances of my players. I have taken controlled the ball neatly inside squared for Akram Afi f to fi n- going into the dressing rooms. ended with the ball rolling into tari was shown the red card for the aftermath after an assault on up the coaching role only recent- the box, but his fi nish lacked ac- ish into the empty net, giving Al Al Duhail pulled one back 10 the back of Lecomte’s net to make violent conduct soon after the Boualem Khoukhi. ATHLETICS Qatar to take part in U23 West Simbine on mission at Doha 2019 but rues Semenya absence Asia athletics Reuters participation in the sport. focus on now, however, starting the next king of the track. QNA London The 28-year-old double with his bid to become the fi rst Doha 800m Olympic gold medallist is South African to win a sprint AMERICAN COMPETITION fi ghting an International Asso- medal at the world champion- Simbine is aware of the fi erce outh African sprinter ciation of Athletics Federations ships. competition he faces, particu- atar’s junior athletics team Akani Simbine will (IAAF) regulation that female Born in a poor suburb of Jo- larly from Americans. Christian will take part in the third look to become the fast- middle-distance runners with hannesburg, Simbine fl our- Coleman has the world leading Qedition of the West Asian est man on earth at next a high natural level of testoster- ished on the track while study- time this year of 9.81 seconds Championship which starts tomor- Smonth’s world championships one must take medication to ing an Information Science while compatriot Noah Lyles is row in the Lebanese capital of but he will run with a heavy reduce it. degree at the University of Pre- second with 9.86. Beirut and will last for four days. heart that his compatriot and The Swiss Federal Tribunal toria, encouraged by his parents Also up there is world cham- Speaking ahead of the mission’s friend Caster Semenya will not (SFT) last month reversed a who insisted he made sure of pion Justin Gatlin who will be departure to Beirut yesterday, the be joining him in Doha. ruling that temporarily lifted being able to make a living out- defending his title on what Director of National Teams and Simbine, 25, has enjoyed a the IAAF’s testosterone regu- side of athletics. could well be his fi nal appear- Head of Mission Khalifa Abdul stellar year in preparation for his lations imposed on Semenya, They need not have worried ance in the global event. Malik said that the tournament fourth world championships, eff ectively ruling her out of the so much, though, as he set the But Simbine, whose Diamond will witness the participation of winning 100m gold at last year’s September 28-October 6 world 100m national record of 9.89 League winning time of 9.93 is 10 countries, including Qatar, Commonwealth Games and tri- championships in Qatar. seconds in Hungary in 2016 at tied-fi fth best in the world this Iraq, Oman, Yemen, Syria, Jordan, umphing at London’s Diamond Simbine, who has talked to the age of 22. year, is confi dent he can win the Palestine, Lebanon, Bahrain, League meeting in July.