14 Wednesday, September 18, 2019 Sports Qatar U-16 team hopes to emulate seniors’ Asian Cup success: Coach Group E AFC U-16 Qualifiers for 2020 Qatar squad Abdullah Mohammed Abdul C’ships begin today at Aspire Dome Rauf, Talal Ateeq al Shaabi, Mohammed Salem Saad al AYENI OLUSEGUN of players who love football and Qurashi, Nayef Hamid Musleh, DOHA enjoy the game. Results will come with good performance Abdul Rahman Faisal al QATAR U-16 coach Abdulraz- and the players will hopefully Dosari, Mohammed Imad zaq Hedider says the recent continue on to the national Fayez, Yousef Abdullah al success of the national team team. Even if we don’t get the Ishaq, Issa Abdul Basit al will motivate his boys to play best results, they will still be Najjar, Mubarak al Khalidi, at a high level as Qatar begin an important part of future na- the qualifying campaign for tional teams,” he added. Rashed Abdulaziz al Abdullah, the 2020 AFC U-16 Champion- The Qatar players under- Mubarak Mohammed al ships on Wedenesday. went a training camp in Italy in Jassem, Meshaal Ibrahim al The young Al Annabi are August. They also participated Tamimi, Mubarak Shanan in Group E alongside Yemen, in a tournament from Aug 25 to Khader, Manaf Abdul Karim al Bangladesh and Bhutan. The 30, where they played against winners of the 11 groups will Jordan, Indonesia, Maldives Adwan, Talal Mohammed qualify automatically for finals and Lebanon. Qatar won the Taleb Blanc, Adnan Ali Saleh, while the best-placed runners- tournament in 1990 and have Mahdi Salem al Mujiba, up will complete the final 16 been runners-up on five differ- Abdulrahman Khalid team roster. ent occasions. Mohammed, Hassan From left: Qatar coach Abdulrazzaq Hedider, Yemen coach Mohammed Saleh Ali, Bangladesh coach Robert Martin, and Bhutan coach Subrama- Hedider’s boys will kick-off “We had a good preparation Mohammed Hassan, Abdul against Bangladesh at the As- for this challenge and I’ll like to niam Vaithilingam at the media conference ahead of the AFC U-16 Group E Qualifiers for 2020 Championships at the Aspire Dome on Tuesday. pire Dome – which will host all thank the QFA (Qatar Football Aziz Fahad al Naimi, Nabil the group matches. Association) for providing us to test ourselves against the best against Bhutan and the team’s prepared than us but the plan ed yesterday when we trained. Erfan, Sami Mazen Issa, Awab “The good results achieved with the best means to train. teams. We are here to compete head coach Mohammed Saleh is to develop these young men The weather is excellent inside Ali and Abdulrahman Nasser by the national team, particu- Our objective is to qualify for and get the best we can. We can Ali said, “Thanks to Qatar for into players for the future.” and I’m sure the boys will enjoy al Shaiba. larly in Asia will definitely put the championships but also we also develop young players. We the welcome. The players are Bhutan are relatively un- playing here. pressure on my players – I can’t want to prepare these players are respectful of our hosts and happy to play in this venue and known in the group and they Obviously we hope to qual- deny that. But this is positive for the future,” Hedider said. my boys will be able to enjoy we consider Qatar our second have yet to qualify for AFC U16 ify from the group but at this qualify we will be happy but we pressure and it will motivate Meanwhile, Bangladesh these facilities. The reception home. championship, but coach Sub- tender age, we don’t want to will congratulate whoever goes the boys to emulate the older coach Robert Martin Ryles so far has been excellent and “In Yemen, obviously some ramaniam Vaithilingam be- put too much pressure on the through from the group,” he players,” Hedider told said at was full of praise for the facili- thank you to Qatar for the hos- issues have disrupted our plans. lieves the opportunity to groom boys – we want them to go out added. a press conference on Tuesday. ties at Aspire while stating his pitality,” Ryles said. Our players are all over the young minds for the small na- there and perform,” Subrama- The top four countries from “It’s my belief that it is a team’s desire to be the best in Delighted to being in Doha, country and we were only able tion is more than victory. niam said. the AFC U-16 Championships process to grow with the team the group. Yemen will open the group pro- to select them in July. All the “Aspire is a great venue for “It’s a learning process will represent Asia in the 2021 and grooming new generation “I am excited to be here and ceedings early on Wednesday other teams are probably more sports and my boys were excit- for all of us and sure if we can FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Inter Milan’s Nicolo Dogged Juventus keep trying to fulfill Barella celebrates scoring the equaliser with Valentino Lazaro during their UEFA their long Champions League dream Champions League match against SK Slavia Prague at the however, found encouragement San Siro on Tuesday. A new coach steering from their former boss Mar- (REUTERS) an expert side is the cello Lippi, who has enjoyed success with Guangzhou Ever- Old Lady’s recipe grande and currently steers the in their chase Euro Chinese national squad. “Juve are after something success that fans have different and it will take some Inter scrape late draw with dreamed of for more time,” said Lippi, who won five Scudetti and the Champions Slavia Prague in CL opener than two decades League at Juve, plus the 2006 world title with Italy. AFP However, Inter equalised DPA “They, however, will give PARIS when a Stefano Sensi free-kick ROME their best as they do every rattled off the bar and the ball year. There is nothing strange. SUBSTITUTE Nicolo Barella came out to Barella, whose shot JUVENTUS are again among Probably (Sarri) did not ex- scored in added time to rescue found the net with the aid of a the top contenders in the pect to have to manage such a 1-1 draw for a disappoint- deflection. Slavia goalkeeper Champions League campaign a rich line-up. But there is ing Inter Milan in their Cham- Ondrej Kolar then made a fine they begin Wednesday with respect (from the squad) pions League opener against reaction save from a Romelu a challenging visit to Atletico and awareness that it takes rank outsiders Slavia Prague on Lukaku header in the 97th min- Madrid. months to chance method of Tuesday. ute, and a draw was the least the Juve won the title twice and playing and working.” It looked as though the visitors deserved. yearn to end a 23-year drought Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo with teammates during training on Tuesday ahead of their Champions League French world champion Czech side would leave San They are among the longest as they hold a negative record clash against Atletico Madrid. (REUTERS) Blaise Matuidi, meanwhile, Siro with all three points in shots with bookmakers to win of seven defeats in nine con- cannot wait to begin the chase the Group F clash after Nige- the Champions League in their tinental finals, two in the past far from shining in a 0-0 draw from knee surgery. and Chelsea, where he won the of the coveted trophy, after lift- rian forward Peter Olayinka put first appearance in the group five editions. at Fiorentina, where their Chiellini’s heir, the young last Europa League, recovered ing the last two in Juve’s record them ahead in the 63rd minute, stage since 2007-08, and this They lost 2-0 to Atletico at speedy winger Douglas Costa Dutch talent Matthijs de from pneumonia, but had a run of eight domestic titles. only for Barella to level in the result suits neither side in a sec- the Wanda Metropolitano in was replaced with muscular Ligt, joined from Ajax for 75 lacklustre debut in Florence. “We know the importance second of eight minutes of stop- tion also featuring Barcelona the last season’s round of 16 in problems and will be out for million euros after scoring The general impression is of the Champions League page time. and Borussia Dortmund. February, but Cristiano Ronal- at least two weeks. a goal that eliminated Juve that the Bianconeri are strug- matches,” the midfielder said. Olayinka, who has previ- Inter came into their Cham- do mended matters with a hat- A longer lay-off awaits de- in the quarter-finals and is gling in the switch from the “We will go to Madrid look- ously played in Albania and Bel- pions League campaign with trick in Turin for Juve. fence veteran Giorgio Chiel- learning the ropes with the utilitarian tenets of Massimil- ing for the result. We have a gium, pounced to score in the optimism after winning their Atletico come off a 2-0 lini, who hopes the squad veterans under new coach iano Allegri to Sarri’s fast and team that can do great things, 63rd minute after Inter goal- opening three games of the sea- defeat at Real Sociedad in do- reaches the knock-out stage, Maurizio Sarri. sparkling game. but playing at Atletico, which keeper Samir Handanovic had son in Serie A under new coach mestic action, and Juve were when he should possibly be fit The former boss of Napoli The Serie A champions, we know well, is never easy.” saved from Jaroslav Zeleny. Antonio Conte. Zidane tips Hazard for ‘great future’ ahead of PSG clash AFP and he has a strong enough missing here. PARIS character to deal with that,” Kylian Mbappe is injured said Zidane at a press confer- while Edinson Cavani is not fit REAL Madrid coach Zinedine ence at the Parc des Princes on He (Eden Hazard) is going and PSG are also missing two Zidane believes Eden Hazard Tuesday. to be an important player right-backs in Thilo Kehrer and will make a huge difference for “He is going to be an im- for Real Madrid and he is Colin Dagba. his side as the Belgian prepares portant player for Real Madrid going to have a great future. “We are calm. We are miss- to start for the first time this and he is going to have a great ing players but it is the same for season in Wednesday’s Cham- future.” – Zinedine Zidane Real,” said PSG coach Thomas pions League clash with Paris After winning the Champi- Tuchel. Saint-Germain. ons League three years running are both suspended and Mar- “It is a real shame but I have Hazard was signed for 100 in Zidane’s first spell as coach at celo is injured, leaving Zidane confidence in my players. I am million euros from Chelsea in the Santiago Bernabeu, Real are without a trio of defenders. Bal- convinced we will have a good the summer as the spearhead of now eager to make amends for lon d’Or winner Luka Modric team on the field and will cause a new-look Real, but a thigh in- their defeat at the hands of Ajax has a groin injury. Real problems.” jury prevented him from mak- in the last 16 last season. “A lot is expected of both Tuchel has refused to set ing his first appearance until Both sides are expected to teams but it is just the start of an objective for his team in this last weekend. qualify from Group A, which the season. We will definitely season’s Champions League as After coming off the bench also contains Turkish champi- improve and we have to, in eve- PSG seek to improve on three in a 3-2 win over Levante in ons Galatasaray and the Belgian ry area. It is the same for Paris,” consecutive exits in the last 16. La Liga, the 28-year-old looks former European Cup runners- added Zidane. He is also wary of the threat likely to play a key role in the up, Club Brugge. posed by Real striker Karim French capital at a venue he Wednesday’s game will nev- No Neymar, Mbappe, Benzema, scorer of a brace in knows well from the early years ertheless provide an indication Cavani Saturday’s win against Levante. of his career at Lille. of where these two clubs cur- PSG discovered on Tuesday “Benzema is one of the “He knows where he is, we rently stand, even if there are that Neymar’s European ban Real Madrid’s Belgian forward Eden Hazard (left), Spanish forward Lucas Vazquez (1st-R) and Brazilian most underrated players in the are an ambitious club. We know key absences in both ranks. has been reduced from three forward Rodrygo attend a training session on eve of their UEFA Champions League match against Paris world,” said the German of the we have to play well all the time Sergio Ramos and Nacho games to two, but he will still be Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on Tuesday. (AFP) ex-France forward.