SPORT Thursday 23 March 2017 PAGE | 25 PAGE | 26 PAGE | 27 Hamilton eyes Spieth just Ageless Rossi fast start to wants Masters ready to give it new season to be over another shot Experience will be key for Qatar in 2022 FIFA Qatar eye home win World Cup: Ali Asad Armstrong Vas Qatar national team players taking part The Peninsula The Peninsula in a training session under the watchful eyes of coach Jorge Fossati in Doha, oach Jorge Fossati on the eve of their FIFA 2018 World atar midfielder Ali has made a rally- Asad (pictured) Cup qualifying match against Group A ing call to Qatar Q believes that leaders Iran. fans to come in experience and an large numbers inventory of skills will Cand back their team in the be his assets as he crucial FIFA 2018 World Cup Iran coach Carlos Queiroz. Qatar coach Jorge Fossati. aspires to be an ‘Al qualifying match against Anabi’ mainstay during Group A leaders Iran at the the 2022 FIFA World Al Sadd Stadium here today. Cup on home soil. Carlos Queiroz’s side, Speaking to www.sc.qa ahead their 2018 FIFA favourites to book a place for World Cup qualifier against Iran today, the 24-year- the show piece event in Rus- old Al Sadd player called the game at the home of sia, enjoy a slender his club “one of the most important in my career” one-point lead over second and added that he is prepared for even bigger occa- placed Korea Republic going sions that will beckon in the future. into today’s match, while the “The 2018 FIFA World Cup could be the last for hosts are in a do-or-die some of my teammates if we qualify, but I have age situation. on my side and can play in front of my country- The Al Anabi have to win men in the dream-come-true tournament in 2022,” all their reaming five said Asad, who has scored 10 international goals matches in the third phase, in 40 appearances. including the match against “Everyone in the QFA and Aspire Academy are Iran, to keep their qualify- doing their best to prepare a good team for 2022 ing hopes alive for next task and the very very Qatar Squad Iran Squad the qualifying campaign – which should contain a mixture of youth and year’s World Cup in Russia. important task ahead,” he with eight goals. experience. I will be 28 then, which is when mid- “I call upon the Qatar added. Hassan Al Haydos, Saad Abdullah Al Alireza Beiranvand, Mohammad- However, the experience fielders peak. As one of the experienced players in team fans to come in large Asked as to how difficult Sheeb, Ibrahim Abdul Magid, Pedro reza Akhbari, Rashid Mazaheri, of Reza Ghoochannejhad the squad, I will take on more responsibility and numbers and fill up the it will be to break into the Miguel, Hamid Ismail, Ali Asad, Mo- Ramin Rezaeian, Vouria Ghafouri, can't be understated consid- guide the youngsters.” entire Al Sadd Stadium, and rival defense which are yet hammed Kasola, Karim Boudiaf, Jalal Hosseini, Pejman Montazeri, ering his major contribution “Iran might be the highest-ranked team in Asia, cheer for the team. This is to concede a goal in the third Ahmed Yasser, Asim Umar, Moham- Morteza Pouraliganji, Ezatollah in firing Team Melli to Bra- but this bunch is not as good as their side that came the time to rally behind the phase of qualifying Fossati med Musa, Luis Martin, Ali Hassan Pourghaz, Milad Mohammadi, Mo- zil 2014. here for the 2014 qualifiers and drew. Iran and players and support the said: “Iran has a compact Afif, Ali Zainabuddin, Khizar Kamal, hammad Ansari, Ehsan Hajsafi, Despite starting on the South Korea have more experience playing in these team,” said the 64 year- old, defense and it is quite an bench, the 29-year-old for- big-match situations, but we can surprise them.” Abdul Matal, Sebastian Soria, Rod- Saeid Ezatollahi, Ali Karimi, Omid who took over from Jose achievement not to concede ward showed a glimpse of The attacking midfielder shed some light on rigo Tabata, Umar Bari, Mishal Ab- Ebrahimi, Masoud Shojaei, Sardar Daniel Carreno, who was in a goal.” his genius by coming on and Qatar’s tactics ahead of the game. “We will attack, charge of the team during The Iranians currently dullah, Ahmed Mohammed, Yasser Azmoun, Reza Ghoochannejhad, breaking the deadlock as we need at least four points from the next two the 2-0 loss in Tehran. lead Group A by a solitary Abubakr, Khalifa Abubakr, Al Hadi Karim Ansarifard, Mehdi Taremi, against Qatar with an injury- games to remain in contention for World Cup qual- Qatar lost the away point (11 points) from sec- Ali, Yusuf Hussain, Bualem Khoukhi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Vahid Amiri, time strike, which set them ification. A win at home is easier to achieve, even match on September 1 in ond-placed Korea Republic Akram Ali Afif and Fahad Ali. Sasan Ansari on the road to a 2-0 win. if the opponents are Iran, than claiming three points Tehran, with both goals while Uzbekistan remain hot Coach: Jorge Fossati Coach: Carlos Queiroz After the Iran match, in Tashkent,” he said. coming in second-half stop- on their heels in third place Qatar travel to Tashkent to “I am happy to have contributed significantly page time. in the group with 9 points. move which will lift the pro- Syria 1-0 and claiming a take on Uzbekistan on March in the win against Syria in October,” said the man Qatar are currently at Fossati’s opposite file of the game in the point in China. 28. Qatar next three who is equally comfortable manning the central the fifth spot with four points number, Queiroz on the country and in the region,” On the other hand, Que- matches are on June 13 midfield and the left wing. from five matches in the other hand wish his oppo- he said. iroz’s side are the only against Korea Republic, “Even more satisfying was that the perform- group which includes also nents luck ahead of the Syria lead the chasing unbeaten team in Group A Syria on August 31 while they ance came after I had not started against Uzbekistan includes South Korea, qualifier and is hoping they pack but sit four points adrift and are yet to concede a goal conclude their engagements in Doha in September, and then I missed out totally Uzbekistan, China, and Syria. join his team in the World of the Central Asians, while The home side will be with a match against China against South Korea, both due to tactical reasons. “We have big trust we Cup in Russia. Qatar and China urgently without four players through on September 5. External circumstances affected our performance can do it. We are confident “Hope Qatar qualifies for require victories if they are suspension with Khalid Muf- The winner and runner- during the draw in China in November, but I am of achieving the target. We the World Cup in Russia but to stand any chance of tah, Ahmed Yasser, up of each group (four teams now focused for the immediate challenges ahead.” have planned well and not at the expense of Iran,” securing a top-three Abdelkarim Hassan and in total) will qualify for the The bigger challenge, Asad recognises, lies in hopefully it will come off on the Portuguese said. position. Meshaal Abdulla all unavail- 2018 FIFA World Cup, while surprising the world’s best teams in five years’ time the pitch,” said the Uruguay “The Qatar authorities Qatar got off to the worst able for selection. the third-placed teams of in Qatar. And he says he has given some thought tactician on the eve of the have been doing a good job possible start on the Road to For Iranians fans in each group (two teams in to the nature of his preparations. match. in prompting football in the Russia by suffering three Qatar, the cynosure of all total) will head to the play- “I would like to play in the English Premier “All my players are con- region and bringing the 2022 defeats on the bounce but eyes will be young Sardar off round of the 2018 FIFA League after 2018,” said the man noted for his ball fident and ready for the big World Cup to Qatar is a good responded well by defeating Azmoun, Iran's top-scorer in World Cup qualifiers. control and passing. FIG Artistic World Cup: Berki, Chusovitina cruise into finals Fawad Hussain However, it was a tough day Qualification results The Peninsula for the hosts as Qatar’s Ahmed (Top 3) Al Dayani failed to qualify for the op stars including Krisztian final after finishing 23rd with Berki, Oksana Chusovitina 11,600 points. POMMEL HORSE Tand Emily Little got off to Al Dayani, though may be Berki Krisztian (Hungary) 14,833 a flying start as they entered the seen in action in the final as a Jingyuan Zou (China) 14, 433 points finals of their respective compe- wild card entrant with a decision Filipe UDE (Croatia) 13,800 points titions on the opening day of the expected after qualification WOMEN’S VAULT 10th FIG Artistic World Cup round, according to an Yan Wang (China) 14,566 points which got under way at the organiser. Oksana Chusovitina (Uzbekistan) 14,249 Aspire Dome in Doha Meanwhile, as expected, an Emily Little (Australia) 14, 100 points yesterday. intriguing action was witnessed Qatari gymnast Ahmed Al Dayani MEN’S FLOOR EXERCISE The 2012 London Games gold in the women’s vault qualifica- in action during the men's Pommel Pablo Braegger (Switzerland) 14,133 medalist Berki topped qualifica- tion which saw star-studded Horse competition of the 10th points tion round for the men’s pommel line-up in action.