Nothing Is Impossible for Qatar's Hassan
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SPORT Monday 28 January 2019 PAGE | 05 PAGE | 06 Messi on Holder first WI target as Barca all-rounder since overcome Sobers to top ICC Girona rankings Nothing is impossible for Qatar’s Hassan AFC Qatar’s players during a practice session in UAE ABU DHABI yesterday ahead of the Asian Cup semi-final against UAE tomorrow. Familiarity paying On the verge of his side’s first ever AFC Asian Cup semi-final Qatar’s star left-back Abdelkarim dividends: Khoukhi Hassan has a simple message - AFC anything is possible. ABU DHABI everything went the way Felix Qatar’s success would have wanted. been difficult to imagine four Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi says “We hope that we can years ago. Hassan, an unused familiarity and stability within achieve something in this substitute, watched on as Bah- his side’s playing and coaching competition.” rain’s Sayed Ahmed scored eight ranks is a positive factor in Khoukhi turned in a minutes from time to deliver a their surge to a first ever AFC superb display in the heart of final blow to Al Annabi’s 2015 Asian Cup semi-final. the Qatari defence, helping to campaign. The West Asians earned a restrict a Korean attack which Three successive losses slice history on Friday, featured Son Heung-min meant Hassan’s side left Australia defeating two-time winners among several other attacking without a single point. After years and 2015 runners-up Korea weapons. of steady progress, and a quarter- Republic thanks to Abdelaziz’s His performance was even final appearance on home soil Hatim’s 78th-minute more impressive when con- four years prior, it was their screamer at Zayed Sports City sidering he is also adept as a worst ever result at an AFC Asian what can be achieved. “What I suspension made him a spectator stop them from scoring against Stadium. midfielder, winger or forward, Cup. have learned in football, is there during their historic quarter-final us and we did it. The achievement is the and has 15 international goals Skip forward four years and is nothing (that is) impossible,” against Korea Republic. “We did it, we wrote history latest for a side packed with to his name, including one in the circumstances are unrecog- said the Al Sadd dynamo. “Eve- Despite not being able to per- and we enter history (being) the young talents to have blos- this tournament during his nisable. Qatar have won five suc- rything is possible, so we will sonally impact the breakthrough first time in the Asian Cup that somed under the tutelage of side’s 6-0 group stage win cessive matches, and beaten keep working hard and pushing, 1-0 win, Hassan wore one of the Qatar arrive in this stage, and I head coach Felix Sanchez, who over DPR Korea. three former champions in a row, until the end.” biggest smiles at Zayed Sports am very proud of my team- also coached 11 players from the The utility revealed his to reach the final four for the first Alongside club team-mate City Stadium, and remains mates, from the head coach to current squad at last year’s AFC delight at being a part of time history. Akram Afif, and in-form striker delighted with his country’s the administration, because we U-23 Championship history. An unused substitute no Almoez Ali - who remains one achievement. work hard, and a lot, to reach this The Qatari starting line-up “I’d like to congratulate more, Hassan is the 2018 AFC goal away from equalling Ali “I cannot say anything about stage. also featured no less than our players, my team-mates, Player of the Year, and, with such Daei’s tournament record of the game,” he said. “What can I say? It’s won- seven players from the Al Sadd the technical staff, the admin- significant changes, the 25-year- eight - Hassan has become a key “Korea (Republic) were derful, and mabrouk for it.” club, including Khoukhi, who istration and everyone who old is not one to set limits on figure in Felix Sanchez’s side, but strong and we had to defend to The next challenge is a semi- believes those examples of has supported us. final against the United Arab continuity are aiding the “I’d like also to thank the Emirates; the same side who team’s cause. Oman fans who have been Qatar’s Hassan dealt the first blow, a 4-1 defeat, “For sure, it gives us sta- supporting us during the com- Abdelkarim to the campaign of 2015. bility for the team,” said the petition. We now will focus on (left)shields the A sixth win in a row would 28-year-old. the semi-finals.” ball away from see Qatar into their first ever “Felix has been with most That semi-final will come Iraq’s Safaa Hadi AFC Asian Cup final, and a of our players since seven tomorrow, when Qatar face during the AFC seventh would make them years ago. This is an advantage host nation UAE at Abu Asian Cup Round champions. for us, and also, we have pre- Dhabi’s Mohammed bin Zayed of 16 match held All unthinkable four years pared the team for a year, so Stadium. at the Nahyan ago, but in 2019, according to Stadium in Hassan, anything is possible. Qatar’s Boualem Abu Dhabi, on Khoukhi during a January 22. practice session in UAE yesterday. What I have learned in football, is there is nothing (that is) impossible. Everything is possible, so we will keep working hard and pushing, until the end: Hassan Djokovic wins Australian Open Al Attiyah likely to kick off FIA World Cup campaign at Qatar Rally THE PENINSULA to the Qatar event. South Racing built DOHA Can-Am Maverick X3s that claimed the first four places in the Side-by-Side (SxS) category Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (pictured), the Arab at the recent Dakar Rally and there were 17 world’s most famous rally driver and a cars built by the team at the finish in Lima sporting ambassador for Qatar, is expected last week. to top the entry list for the Manateq Qatar In 2017, South Racing-run cars – in the Cross-Country Rally (QCCR), the opening hands of Germany’s Jürgen Schröder and round of the FIA World Cup for Cross- Spaniard Fernando Alvarez – finished eighth Country Rallies, on February 21-26. and 12th in Qatar. Alvarez returned last April Fresh from his domination of the recent in a new Volkswagen Amarok, but retired on Dakar Rally, where he and French navigator the final day after sub-frame damage and Matthieu Baumel guided Toyota to a first ever hefty time penalties. victory on the world’s toughest rally, Al This year’s FIA off-road scene has been Attiyah is expected to try and win back the split into two different championships by offi- FIA World Cup and Qatar titles that he last cials at the sport’s governing body and five won in 2017. long distance five or six-day events in Qatar, The Qatari’s home off-road event is close The German X-raid is likely to send cars Abu Dhabi, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and to his heart and the host nation’s sporting to the deserts of Qatar, with Poland’s Jakub Morocco will count for the FIA World Cup, all-rounder has already secured victory on Przygonski and his Belgian navigator Tom while eight shorter Baja-style events in the event on five occasions (2012 and 2014- Colsoul looking to target the defence of their Russia, Dubai, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Poland, 2017) in seven years. FIA World Cup title and the first win they Jordan and Portugal constitute a new FIA Entries officially close on February 5, but claimed in a MINI John Cooper Works Rally Baja series. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates with the championship trophy the opening round of the FIA World Cup is in Qatar last April. Organised by the Qatar Motor and Motor- after his victory over Spain’s Rafael Nadal in the men’s singles sure to attract many of the sport’s leading Scott Abraham, managing director of the cycle Federation (QMMF), the Manateq Qatar final of the Australian Open in Melbourne, yesterday. protagonists, despite its close proximity to South Racing and South Racing Can-Am Cross-Country Rally gets underway with a SEE ALSO PAGE 27 the South American event that finished last Teams, has also confirmed that his Rus- ceremonial start on The Pearl-Qatar on 21 Thursday (January 17th). selsheim-based operation will send vehicles February and finishes on 26 February. 06 SPORT MONDAY 28 JANUARY 2019 Al Khelaifi maintains perfect run at QTCC THE PENINSULA had a technical issue and DOHA started from the pit so I didn’t pushed the car too much, man- Qatar’s Abdulla Al Khelaifi aging the race but in the fourth continued with his outstanding After the third round, lap, I saw him behind me in the performance at the Qatar Al Khelaifi is leading rear mirror so I had to push Touring Car Championship the championship really hard to keep the gap,” said (QTCC), clinching another Al Khelaifi. double win in the third round with 96 points. Hamad Al Kuwari was also delighted at Losail International Circuit Al Sulaiti is second to be back on the podium for first yesterday. with 52 points while time. For third time in a row this Ghanim Al Maadheed “I am very happy to be again season, the defending champion into the podium.