SPORT Monday 17 September 2018 PAGE | 25 PAGE | 27 Hamilton opens Ronaldo opens 40-point lead with Juventus account Singapore GP win with a brace AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TODAY'S FIXTURES: Advantage Al Sadd as Xavi’s AL DUHAIL VS PERSEPOLIS FC (IRN) at Azadi Stadium: 5.00pm AL SADD VS ESTEGHLAL FC (IRN) men eye semi-final berth at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium: 7.00pm RIZWAN REHMAT THE PENINSULA DOHA: Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira has urged his players to I address all Qatari remain ‘focused’ for the entire football fans to duration of the AFC Champions come and support League (ACL) quarter-finals leg Al Sadd. All the fans against Iranian outfit Esteghlal today. will be representing Former champions Al Sadd, Qatar football. If we 3-1 winners of the first leg in qualify for the semi- Tehran two weeks ago, play host finals, it will be the to the Iranian giants at Jassim Bin third time in the Hamad Stadium for the return history of the club. match. A win today will seal Al Sadd’s spot in the semi-finals of I know the fans will the region’s premier football be behind us: Coach championship. Jesualdo Ferreira “I have asked the players to focus at all times in the match,” Ferreira said during a pre-match press conference yesterday. “The dream is to reach the semi-finals. Al sadd’s players taking part in a training session on the eve “A similar focus gave us an of their AFC Champions League quarter-finals second leg early goal against Esteghlal in the match against Iran’s Esteghlal which will be played at the first leg (at Azadi Stadium). That Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha today. was great motivation to do well in the entire match,” the seasoned Portuguese coach added. The Al Sadd coach had a piece kind. A win can give us a ticket to the 2011 AFC Champions League. mentality’. Theyhey willwill enter thethe “We went on to play great of advice for the club fans. the semi-finals,” he said. “We have the home game with alll systemssystems go.go. We football and win by three goals. I “I address all Qatari football “This match against the advantage. We will be playing must be fully ppreparedrepared fforor tthathat have spoken to my players about fans to come and support Al Sadd. Iranian side is very important for in front of our own fans,” Al kind of attitudee and we must play not making mistakes. All the fans will be representing us. We will start the game with a Haydos said yesterday. according to ourur brand of “In fact we must exploit mis- Qatar football. If we qualify for the score of 0 -0 scoreline. We will “We will try to provide our football. That’ss the takes by our opponents,” he said. semi-finals, it will be the third time not think about the first leg. We best to repeat the win we got in way to deal withth Al Sadd coach said: “We know in the history of the club. I know the have forgotten about it com- the first leg,” he added. this kind of a the strength of our opponents and fans will be behind us,” he added. pletely. We will play as if we have “A win (today) will confirm high profilee we know what awaits us and most When asked about a possible no points yet,” he said. our berth in the semi-finals,” Al game,” hee importantly I am confident we draw, he said: “We will not play Al Sadd captain and key Haydos said. added. will not make too many mistakes. for a draw. We will choose to fight striker Hassan Al Haydos said “They (Esteghlal) have come The game I trust the players to win the and control the match. That is the ‘home advantage’ remains here four days in advance. They will kick off match.” best way to win a match of this with Al Sadd, the winners of have this ‘nothing to lose at 7:00pm. We will be aiming for a win, says confident Al Duhail coach THE PENINSULA Al Duhail’s players taking part in a practice session ahead of their AFC Champions League quarter-finals second leg match against Iran’s Persepolis which will be played at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, Iran today. TEHRAN: Qatar football giants Al Duhail will be aiming for an outright win in their We are expecting return AFC Champions League quarter- final clash against hosts Persepolis, team a tough game, but coach Nabil Maaloul said yesterday. it will not only In the first leg two weeks ago, Al Duhail be difficult for Al beat Iranian outfit Persepolis 1-0 to grab Duhail only but for advantage going into the second leg to be Persepolisp also. We played today at Azadi Stadium. willwill enter thethe “Al DuhailDuhail hashas completelycompletely forgottenf thethe outcome of the first leg agaagainstin Perse- gamegame withwith polis.polis. We willwill enter thethe secondsecond leg with the aim ofof a clear and specific aim aandn that is winningwinning to win andand reachreach thethe semi-finalssemi of the match: thethe AFC ChampionsChampions League,”L CoachCoach MaaloulMaaloul said at a pre-matchpre-ma press NabilNabil conferenceconference yesterday.yesterday. When asked about theth possi- MaaloulMaaloul bility of playing for a draw,draw Maaloul said: “The attitude of this team,t the potential of mymy plaplayersyers anandd my phi- losophylosophy in trainingtraining do not makemake me playpla in a defensive manner.ma We willwill play to win this ggame.ame. ThThee best we are in front. We must show the required tournament for the first time. Our players We should close out the space for Perse- cancan dodo is balancedb form and come out with the result that are ready to do well. The most focused polis players. They have a number of performanceperforma and takes us to the next round of this big com- team is the one who will eventually win injuries and key players are likely to be pputut ppressureres on petition. We know that the levels among this clash. The competitive levels of both absent,” the coach of the Qatari outfit said. tthehe opopponents all the clubs that have reached this stage side is very close. We know that the Iranian “Then there are suspensions also. We andand workwork to reach is tough. We also know that in football you club will depend on the support of their have (central defender) Karim Boudiaf the net.”net.” can have only three things - a win, a draw crowd. Teams rely on the support of their back for us. He is an important member TheThe Tunisian or a defeat.” fans for such games,” he said. in the squad for us. His presence is key,” added:added: “We do “We are expecting a tough game, but “We also know that physical fitness Al Maloul said. not llookoo at the it will not only be difficult for Al Duhail also plays a key role in such matches. Our “Although our preparation for this prpreviouse only but for Persepolis also,” Maaloul confidence is and we will fight on the pitch match was simple because of the presence reresultss added. “We will enter the game with the at the stadium,” the Al Duhail coach said. of our players with the Qatari national acachievedhie by aim of winning the match,” he added. “Such games will be very tactical. Our team but overall we are ready for the tthehe teteam. We “We are playing this stage of the players must carry out the plans prepared. game,” the coach said. 26 SPORT MONDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2018 Qatar Swimming Federation President Khaleel Al Jabir interacts with a Qatari swimmer during the FINA Swimming World Cup Doha 2018 at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha. RIGHT: Volunteers and officials who were part of the FINA Swimming World Cup Doha 2018 in Doha pose for a group picture. The three-day event ended on Saturday and several world records were broken at the meet which attracted some of the leading swimmers of the world, including world record holders and Olympic winners. Kipchoge shatters marathon world record REUTERS RECENT MARATHON WORLD RECORDS BERLIN: Kenya’s Olympic Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge set a new world record for the men’s marathon yesterday, clocking 2hr champion Eliud Kipchoge 01min 39sec to improve the previous world mark by more than a minute. Below is a list of the last 10 men’s world records for the marathon, held over a distance of 42.195 pulverised the marathon world km (26 miles). record with a blistering run 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/18 in Berlin yesterday, to shave off a stag- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin gering 78 seconds off the 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin previous best and land the one 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin major running crown that had 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin eluded him. 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin The 33-year-old, widely 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin seen as the greatest marathon 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London runner of the modern era, ran 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago an official time of time of two Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin hours, one minute and 39 celebrates winning the seconds on a sunny autumn day Berlin Marathon setting a along the flat inner-city course mark in 1:26:45, with a pace of London (2015, 2016 and 2018).