Kashiwa Down Spurs in Thriller C Milan Secured a Narrow One- Game Arrived When the Referee Awarded a Goal Victory Over Wydad, De- Penalty to Milan
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NNBABA | Page 5 FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 7 Rockets Football continue to Dreams and roll over the Real ease into top teams knockout stage Wednesday, January 24, 2018 CRICKET Jumada I 7, 1439 AH Shakib, Tamim give GULF TIMES Bangladesh big win over Zimbabwe SPORT Page 4 HANDBALL Qatar power past Bahrain 29-21, qualify for Worlds ‘It was a great team eff ort and the fact that we won five matches in a row gives me no reason to complain’ By Our Correspondent Suwon, South Korea atar inched closer to a third straight Asian handball title yesterday and in the process also qualifi ed for the World QMen’s Handball Championship to be held in Denmark and Germany in Janu- ary next year. In yet another impressive display at the Asian Championship being played in Suwon, South Korea, Qatar breezed past Bahrain 29-21 in Group 2 of the main round to remain unbeaten in fi ve matches so far in the tournament “Qualifying for the World Cham- pionship was our fi rst strategic goal at the Asian Championship and having achieved that we can concentrate fully on winning the title here,” Qatar coach Valero Rivera told journalists after the match against Bahrain. “The boys once again were excep- tional and I couldn’t be more pleased. It was a great team eff ort and the fact that we won fi ve matches in a row gives me no reason to complain,” the Spaniard added. Rivera refused to criticise the umpir- ing after some decision went against Qatar. “I don’t want to get into that. Fact is that we won and our tactics paid off . I am very happy with this victory and would like to thank my players for their performance.” Qatar Handball Association president Ahmed al-Shaabi congratulates Qatar players after they beat Bahrain in the Asian Asked who he would like to meet in Handball Championship in Suwon, South Korea, yesterday. the semis, Rivera said he believed in giving his best no matter who the op- Qatar, who beat Japan on Monday, and Ahmad Madadi then scored crucial deserved but now we must stay focused position is. were tested by Bahrain in the fi rst half goals to increase the gap to eight (26- and win the Asian title,” said Madadi. “We play each match as it comes. We during which both teams struggled to 18) to virtually seal the outcome of the On Qatar’s match against the UAE don’t really worry about who our op- gain the upper hand although the de- match. today, Madadi said: “We enter each ponents are.” fending champions just about managed Youssef Ben Ali was declared the game with victory in mind. We don’t Qatar Handball Association Presi- to take a 13-11 lead, thanks to three suc- Most Valuable Player of the match for care who the opposition is.” dent Ahmed al-Shabbi also praised the cessful penalties converted by Bertrand his fi ne show in both off ence and de- A win against UAE will help Qatar top team’s show. Roine. fence. Group 2 earning them a meeting with “I congratulate the players, the tech- Bahrain, however, quickly equalised Qatar star Madadi exuded confi - the second-placed team in Group 1. nical and coaching staff for the fi ne dis- as the second half began but Qatar hit dence that the team will go on and win It would also mean a clean sweep play of the players,” said al-Shaabi. back with vengeance to assert their su- the title. over the siege nations, as Qatar had “They showed great fi ghting spirit premacy as they took a four-point lead “Qualifying for the World Cup was beaten Saudi Arabia in the against Bahrain and eventually emerged (20-16) for the fi rst time in the match. our fi rst goal in the tournament and Preliminary rounds earlier in the Youssef Ben Ali of Qatar was adjudged Most Valuable Player of the match for his winners convincingly,” he added. Kamalaldin Mallash, Youssef Ben Ali thankfully we achieved it. It was well- tournament. fine show in both off ence and defence. AFC U23 CHAMPIONSHIP Vietnam set up fi nal against Uzbekistan aft er thriller vs Qatar By Our Correspondent riod proved to be a cautious aff air, as shot from distance, before they re- Changzhou Qatar, with captain Moein pulling the gained the lead through Almoez Ali’s strings in midfi eld, constantly prod- scrambled 84th minute eff ort, only to ded and probed a resolute Vietnamese lose it again in dramatic fashion mo- oalkeeper Bui Tien Dung’s two backline which refused to give an inch. ments later when Quang Hai curled a penalty saves sensationally Indeed, a Bassam al-Rawi free-kick superb shot past Mohamed al-Bakari to earned Vietnam a place in the from range in the 36th minute was the signal the need for extra-time. AFC U23 Championship fi nal closest either side came to breaking By way of contrast to what had just Gyesterday as the Southeast Asian side the deadlock, until defender Bui Tien gone before, chances were few and defeated Qatar 4-3 in a penalty shoot- Dung’s foul on striker Almoez Ali in the far between during the additional 30 out after an extraordinary 2-2 draw at penalty area just three minutes later minutes, leaving Tien Dung to emerge the end of extra-time. saw referee Mohamed Taqi point to the as the hero in the subsequent penalty Vietnam will now face Uzbekistan, spot. shootout as Vietnam celebrated wildly who hammered a hapless Korean side The dynamic Akram Afi f duly kept and Qatari hearts were broken. 4-1 in the other semi-fi nal yesterday, his nerve to convert from 12 yards and Azizjon Ganiev’s 30-yard screamer on Saturday. hand Qatar a slender advantage ahead helped seal Uzbekistan’s place in the fi - Tien Dung stopped eff orts from of the break. nal as Ravshan Khaydarov’s side hand- Qatari duo Ahmad Moein and Sultan However, after seeing Almoez Ali – ed 10-man Korea Republic a 4-1 defeat al-Brake to seal the victory, one which the tournament’s leading goalscorer – in extra-time. continues Vietnam’s incredible journey fi re narrowly over shortly after the re- Zabikhillo Urinboev had given the in the competition under the wily guid- start, Vietnam were soon to draw level. Central Asians the lead before Hwang ance of head coach Park Hang-seo. Nguyen Quang Hai was at the heart Hyun-soo levelled the score. While the victory moves Vietnam, of things for the Southeast Asians, But, with Korea down to 10 men incredibly, a step nearer to the title, it fi rst seeing his free-kick rattle the bar following Jang Yun-ho’s sending off , sees Qatar fall at the semi-fi nal stage and then, following Qatar’s inability to Ganiev’s thunderbolt put the Uzbeks for the second successive competition clear Nguyen Phong Hong Duy’s cross, back in the front 10 minutes into ex- following their fourth-place fi nish at pouncing to slam the ball home from tra-time before Jasurbek Yakhshiboev the tournament’s last edition in 2016. close-range to claim an equaliser on 69 added the third and Akramjon Komilov With a place in the fi nal potentially minutes. completed the scoring right on the fi nal only 90 minutes away, the opening pe- Qatar duly responded with an Afi f whistle. Action from the AFC U23 Championship match between Qatar (in maroon) and Vietnam (in white) yesterday. (AFC) Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, January 24, 2018 FOOTBALL PREMIER LEAGUE Morocco plays up long-shot Klopp says Liverpool 2026 WC bid Casablanca, Morocco: Mo- rocco is “fully mobilised” for its long-shot bid to host the 2026 World Cup, hoping to be a candidate “for the whole of Africa”, top sports off icials dragged into a fi ght said yesterday. The kingdom “is not a non- starter — it’s a real candidate,” Moulay Hafid Elalamy said in It was Liverpool’s first defeat since October, but the points were priceless for Swansea his first public appearance as chairman of the country’s AFP 2026 bid committee. Swansea, United Kingdom “We are going to put in all our energy,” he told a news conference in Casablanca, urgen Klopp blamed his play- brushing off criticisms that ers for becoming embroiled in a the campaign had been de- fi ght at Swansea City as they lost layed. “Our record is and will their unbeaten 18-match run to be irreproachable.” Jthe Premier League’s bottom club last Morocco’s fifth bid, an- night. Liverpool failed to grab a late nounced in August, faces draw to extend their lead over fi fth- fierce competition from a placed Tottenham as they lost to a sin- three-nation ticket of the gle goal from Alfi e Mawson — and Klopp United States, Mexico, and himself clashed verbally with a home Canada. Fouzi Lekjaa, head of supporter. the Royal Moroccan Football It was Liverpool’s fi rst defeat since Federation (FRMF), said he October, but the points were priceless hoped the North African for Swansea, who cut the gap between country’s bid would be “a themselves and those above the relega- candidacy for the whole conti- tion places to just three points. nent”. The committee has en- He said: “I am more frustrated about listed Ivory Coast legend and the performance than the result. We former Chelsea star Didier were just not good enough, especially Drogba along with Cameroon in the fi rst half.