Halep, Osaka to lead Qatar Total Open 2019 star cast PAGE 18 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019 Frenchman Loeb gets into Dakar desert swing, ASIAN CUP 2019 PAGE 18 takes edge in tricky second stage QATAR VS LEBANON (7 PM) Youthful Qatar ready for hopeful Lebanon Qatar players with coach Felix Sanchez warm up for a training session ahead of their Asian Cup 2019 group opener at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday. Twice AFC Asian Cup quarter-finalists, the maroons set to kick off 2019 campaign AFC football has been dreaming AL AIN about this competition for 20 years and we’re proud that QATAR coach Felix Sanchez is we’re in this company,” he confident his young squad can said. “We’re living the dreams match the best in the continent of the players and the football as they kick off their AFC Asian fans of Lebanon. Cup UAE 2019 campaign “We’re in a strong group, against Lebanon in Group E at but my players are ready to Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Sta- give a good performance and dium on Wednesday. we will be fighting for each Sanchez’s squad is one of point and each goal. Our focus the most youthful among the is on the first game. It’s a very 24 nations represented at the important game. Not decisive, tournament, with seven of the Living a dream Staying focused but important. I know very players who have travelled to well what to expect from such the United Arab Emirates hav- Everybody in Lebanese Everyone is fine and ready a level but I’m sure my players ing graduated from the side football has been dreaming to play. We know Lebanon. will have the possibility and that won the 2014 AFC U19 about this competition for We saw them playing, we the quality to make a perfor- Championship in Myanmar. 20 years. We’re living the know their strengths and mance and we are ready for to- And with the country con- dreams of the players and we know it will be a hard morrow’s (Wednesday) game. tinuing to build towards their “Qatar is really a very good hosting of the FIFA World the football fans of Lebanon. Lebanon players at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain on Tuesday. game and we’re only team, I made a good analy- Cup in 2022, Sanchez believes Lebanon coach focused on that. sis of them. They have built a the AFC Asian Cup will be the and we can’t look further than declared his squad fully fit for we’re going to face in the com- team for the world champion- perfect proving ground for his Miodrag Radulovic the game against Lebanon be- the Finals. petition, to compete and com- Qatar coach Felix Sanchez ship, they have very good bal- players. cause this competition is a few “Everyone is fine and ready pete well and get results. ance in the team, they have the “There is a group of play- “Now they’re in the first games and you need to be OK to play,” he said. “We know “How far we will reach is the first time since hosting best player of Asia in the team ers that played in (AFC U-19 team and it’s a group of – in in all of them.” Lebanon. We saw them play- difficult to say, but I’m quite the tournament in 2000 and, and the Spanish coach is a Championship) some years my point of view – very tal- Qatar have twice reached ing, we know their strengths sure that this group of players while coach Miodrag Radu- long time with the players. ago and had a good achieve- ented players with the quali- the quarter-finals of the AFC and we know it will be a hard are able to compete against all lovic is delighted to be leading “But also we are together ment,” said the Spaniard, who ties to compete and play in Asian Cup – in 2000 and game and we’re only focused teams in Asia and it is time to the country to the Finals, he almost four years and we built coached the U-19 team and Asia, and of course we want on home soil in 2011 – but on that. show they have the quality and stressed his team would not be a good team. We have our sys- also worked with the country’s to be here to try to compete Sanchez refused to be drawn “We’re going to try to show ability to do well.” overawed by the occasion or tem and we have tactical disci- U-23 squad before taking over against everyone. on his side’s expectations at that we’re able to compete Lebanon will be appear- the Qataris. pline and I’m optimistic about the helm of the senior side. “But we’re going to focus this year’s tournament as he against all the Asian teams ing at the AFC Asian Cup for “Everybody in Lebanese tomorrow’s game.” Heartbreak for Vietnam as Iraq edge past 3-2 AFP from close range after Nguyen DUBAI Trong Huang’s shot had been parried by Hachim. IRAQ’S Ali Adnan swept home But Tareq lashed home a brilliant, last-minute free-kick a second equaliser following as the former champions twice more horrific defending from hit back to beat Vietnam 3-2 the Vietnamese, who by that at the Asian Cup on Tuesday, point looked to be running out while Saudi Arabia dismissed of steam. 10-man North Korea 4-0. A lazy foul on the edge of In a game of emotions, it the penalty area subsequently was a heart-breaking way for presented Adnan with the Vietnam to lose in Abu Dhabi, chance to take all three points but no more than Iraq deserved and he did not disappoint, for going for the jugular af- curling a left-foot shot into the ter Humam Tareq had hauled top corner, prompting several them level on the hour-mark. Vietnamese players to slump “The first half was horri- to the turf in despair. ble,” said Iraq coach Srecko Iraq join Iran on three points Results Katanec. “We showed nothing after their bitter rivals thrashed Group D: Iraq 3 that we did in training – no Yemen 5-0 on Monday. (Mohanad Ali 35, Faraj power, no personality at all. In a later match, the Sau- Maybe it was first-game emo- dis, humbled at last year’s 60, Adnan 90) bt tions, the players felt the pres- World Cup in Russia, looked Vietnam 2 (Ali Faez sure a little bit.” far more at home as they tore 24-og, Cong Phuong 42) “I knew it would be a tough Iraq’s defender Ali Adnan (1st-R) kicks a corner kick and scores during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Group D North Korea apart 4-0 in their Group E: S Arabia 4 game,” added the Slovenian. match against Vietnam at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. (AFP) opening Group E game. (Bahbri 28, Fatil 37, “But the most important thing It was a performance that was the three points.” er Ali Faez panicking under Iraq, who defied the odds a defensive error to rifle home tagged Saudi Arabia as one of Dawsari 69, Muwallad Vietnam’s Golden Drag- pressure from Nguyen Cong to win an emotional Asian Cup from the edge of the box. the teams to beat at the con- 87) bt North Korea 0 ons took a shock lead after Phuong and clumsily back- title in 2007, levelled 10 min- Cong Phuong restored Vi- tinental showpiece along with 24 minutes in the Group D heeling the ball past goalkeep- utes later through striker Mo- etnam’s lead three minutes Iran, who thrashed Yemen 5-0 Players of Iraq celebrate during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup group D clash in Abu Dhabi, defend- er Jalal Hassan Hachim. hanad Ali, who profited from before the break, stabbing in on Monday. match between Iraq and Vietnam in Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday. (EPA) Sports Wednesday, January 9, 2019 17 German FA delegates discuss cooperation with Aspire Zone TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK guided tour by Dr. Abdulaziz DOHA al Kuwari, Acting CEO, As- petar; and Dr. Hakim Chalabi, ASPIRE Zone Foundation Assistant Director General for (AZF) welcomed a senior International Medical Affairs. delegation from the German The delegation also had Football Association (DFB) on the opportunity to visit the Tuesday to discuss areas of co- various departments of As- operation between the two gi- petar, the accredited FIFA ant sporting organisations. Medical Centre of Excellence, The visiting delegation including: Sports Medicine, comprised various senior Sports Science, Orthopaedic members of the DFB includ- Surgery, Medical Imaging, ing: Oliver Bierhof, General Rehabilitation and Dentistry Manager of Germany’s na- departments. tional team and member of Their third stop was a visit the Presidential Board of to Aspire Academy and Profes- DFB; Nicklas Dietrich, Fit- sor Valter Di Salvo, Director of ness Coach of Germany’s na- Football Performance and Sci- tional team; Thomas Beheshti, ence, who gave the delegation Head of Team Management a sneak peek at the Academy’s DIE MANNSCHAFT; and Carl new Football Performance Monteiro, Head of Sales and Centre that centralises foot- Digital Marketing. ball performance, science and Ahead of the DFB estab- training methodology to sup- lishing a new sports academy port the development of elite in Frankfurt, they visited Qa- football in Qatar.