Sport MONDAYMO 18 JANUARY 2021 Pakistan,Pa SA set to resume Test rivalry PakistanPak is a dangerous side at home; we will have to come up wwith a proper strategy to beat them at their own backyard. The wickets here in Pakistan are batting friendly, and we are relrelyingy on our batsmen to score runs. Their confidence will be hhighigh after scoring runs against Sri Lanka. MarkMaM rkk Boucher SoutSoStSouthut Africa head coach Sport |09 QSL WEEK 15: TOMORROW'S FIXTURES 4:30pm: Al Wakrah vs Al Rayyan; 7:00pm: Qatar SC vs Al Duhail; Umm Salal vs Al Arabi Qatar edge Japan in thriller to advance at World Championship THE PENINSULA — DOHA Reigning Asian champions Qatar yesterday moved into the second round of the 27th IHF Men’s Handball World Championship - Egypt 2021 after a thrilling 31-29 victory over Japan at Borg Al Arab Sports Hall, Alexandria. Qatar goalkeeper Danijel Saric, who didn’t have a save in the first half, stopped a Japan penalty one minute before the final buzzer to lift Qatar to their second straight win in Group C. It was another outstanding per- formance by the Valero Rivera- coached side in the final session that handed them a close win over their spirited Asian rivals, who stunned European giants Croatia with a 29-29 draw in their opening match. “I am proud of the players’ per- formance as they proved their ability to beat their opponents and reach the main round of the World Champi- onship,” Rivera said after the game. “Despite losing a number of tal- ented players due to injury, we per- Qatar’sQaQ tatar’r s AmeenAmA eeen ZakkarZaZakkkkarar inin formed well and snatched the actionacctitiono yesterday.yesteterdayay. victory,” he added. Right-back Frankis Marzo goalkeepers struggled in the first 30 betterbbetterr aandndd II’m’mm jjustuusst hahhappypppy fofforr whilewwhhille JapanJaJapapan willwwiillll emerged as star performer for Qatar minutes but that would change in the thethhe team,”teeaamm,”, saidsaaid AbidiAbAbididi afteraafteer takettaakek onon AngolaAAnngogolala inin as he claimed the ‘Player of the Match second half. thethe match.mmaattch.h thetthhe samessaameme day.daayy. Award’ after a superb performance Marzo brought the score level at DagurDDaaguur Sigurdsson’sSiS guurrddsss ono ’s’s teamteaam Meanwhile,MMeann whw h i l ee,, during the game, scoring 11 goals from 16:16 right after break as a part of a knowkknoww theythehey mademaadede mmistakesisisttaakes aat tthehehe eendndd ArgentinaAArgeentn ina managedmaannaaggeed 16 tries. five-goal Qatar run in the first five ofof thethehe match.matchh. to reachreaachh thethehe mainmaaiin It was a sea-saw contest right minutes. But, Japan responded with “We“WWe finallyfif nallly gotggoot intoinntoo ourouur geargeaar inn thethee round,rouund, thanksthhaannkks too a from the beginning, with Japan taking a tactical change, marking top scorer secondsseecoondd halfhalf andand playedplplaayeed emotionally,emoottioonallyl , narrownnarrrow 24:2124:211 winwin againstagainst BahrainBahraraiinn yes-yeess- a 16:15 advantage in the first period Marzo and in doing so halted the butbuut wwe mmadeada e mimistakessts akeess aatt ththehe eenendnd anaandd terdayterddayy iinn Cairo.Caairroo. TThehe ffirstirstt pperioderiod eenendedndeded following a lot of tense action. Qatar attack for eight minutes. theytht eey werewerere exeexpensivexpep nsivve aas yyouou can’tcann’t dodo withwith thethhe SouthSouuth AmericanAmmerrican sidessiiddee twotwwoo But, Qatar bounced back in the At 26:26 with eight minutes left, mistakesmiisstakkese atat thetht e end.enendd. WeWe areare growingggrowiing goalsgoals ahaaheadead withwiw thh a scorescoree ofof 12:10,1122:1100, asas second half like they did in their 30:25 it was still anybody’s game. However, andana d wee havehavave tot concentrateconnceenntraratee onon AngolaAngoolaa bothbboothth sidessidides startedstarteedd sslowlow anandnd caccameammee upup win over Angola in their first match it was Mohamed Abidi’s time to shine now,”nooww,” saidssaid thethe JapanJapapann coachcoaachh afteraftf er thetheh agagainstaiinsn t twttwowo ststrongtror ng ddefences.effeencees.s to grab victory. between the posts as he saved three match.mam tcch.h. TheThe secondseecond periodperioi d sawsas w bothboth teamsteaeamms Qatar, began flawless in attack, shots in a row. His partner Saric then “Qatar“QQatatara playedpllaayed a vevveryeryr goodgoood gamegaamme turnturnn thethe tabletabble onon eacheaacch other,otherr, asas recording a 100 shot percentage in saved a crucial penalty shot in the last ass thethhe gamegamme waswaas difficult.ddiffficiculu tt. WeWe prepareprrepare BahrainBahrain managedmanaagged to ttakeake thetht e leadleaadd 1111 the first 18 minutes of the game. minute, giving Qatar a 31:29 victory. thethhe currentcurrennt squadsquaad forffoor fourfour yearsyears andand minutesmim nuutes intointoo playpllay beforebefore ArgentinaArgennttinnaa Player of the Match Marzo was “We showed a big heart when we we areare onon thethhe rightrrighg t waywaay toto developdevveelop eventuallyeventutually regainedreegaineed thethe leadleadad 3 Qatar’s Mahmoud unstoppable, scoring seven of his took the game in the last minutes. The ourour performance,”pep rfr ormance,e ” heh added.adddeded. minutesmiinutes fromfromom time,tiimmee, goinggoio ng onon too widenwiddeenn Hassab Alla in eleven goals in the first 30 minutes. Japanese team is a very different team QatarQaQ ttar willwill facefacce CCrCroatiarooaatitia in thethe thirdthih rdd thethhe gapgap to threethhreee goals byby thethe endeennd ofof action yesterday. He also added five assists. The now, as they are getting better and roundrouund of GroupGrooup C gamesgaammess tomorrow,toommoorror w, thethhe match.mamatcch.h Premier League: United Australian Open 'going ahead' stay on top after goalless as players fume over quarantine draw against Liverpool REUTERS — MELBOURNE carrying 23 players from Abu Dhabi. Some of the affected REUTERS — LIVERPOOL teams matching up. We found it Australian Open tournament players complained about their difficult in the first half to get a director Craig Tiley has detention. Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson rhythm to the game, the press confirmed the year’s first Grand Romanian Sorana Cirstea, Becker made two vital saves as was high." Slam will go ahead from the women’s world number 71, the champions were held to a The result leaves United on February 8 despite anger from said on social media: “If they 0-0 draw at home to Premier 37 points, two ahead of second- players forced into hard quar- would have told us this rule League leaders Manchester placed Leicester City, while antine in Melbourne due to before, I would not play in Aus- United at Anfield yesterday. Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool side positive COVID-19 cases on tralia. I would have stayed The Brazilian saved a close- are third on 34 points after 18 their charter planes. home.” range effort from Bruno Fern- games. Seventy-two players and Swiss player Belinda Bencic andes, United’s first real Earlier yesterday, Tot- their entourages have to isolate said she and the other 46 chance, in the 75th minute with tenham Hotspur's record for two weeks in their hotel players were at a his feet denying the Portuguese signing Tanguy Ndombele con- rooms in Melbourne and are no disadvantage. midfielder. jured a moment of magic to longer able to leave them to “We are not complaining Then Alisson did well to seal his side's 3-1 victory at the train after infections were (about being) in quarantine. We keep out a blast from inside the Premier league's bottom club reported on three flights car- are complaining because of box by Paul Pogba as Ole Sheffield United. rying them to Melbourne. unequal practice/playing con- Gunnar Solskjaer’s United side Spurs had just seen the A positive case was reported ditions before quite important finished a disappointing game commanding lead given to late yesterday from the third tournaments,” she said. strongly. them by Serge Aurier and Harry flight which landed a day earlier COVID-19 Quarantine Vic- "We had two great chances Kane halved by David and had ferried 58 passengers toria boss Emma Cassar said and two great saves," United McGoldrick's header on the from Doha, where the Grand Rafael Nadal (foreground) arrives at Adelaide Airport ahead of authorities had provided con- captain Harry Maguire said. "It hour when Ndombele struck Slam’s qualifiers were held. the Australian Open in Adelaide on January 14, 2021. sistent advice. was cagey but it was two good with an audacious flicked lob. Twenty-five players were “The rules for close contacts on board but the passenger, the Grand Slam. Tiley said the authorities said they had haven’t changed,” she told who tested negative before the tournament would start as recorded a fourth COVID-19 reporters in Melbourne flight, is not a player. scheduled but governing body infection among the pas- yesterday. Liverpool’s Georginio “The 25 players on the flight Tennis Australia would look at sengers on the two charter “The program is set up to Wijnaldumm will not be able to leave their altering the leadup tournaments flights carrying players to keep people safe.” (right) in action hotel room for 14 days and until to help affected players. Melbourne. Cassar also warned players with Manchester they are medically cleared. “We are reviewing the A broadcaster on the flight to stick to quarantine rules and United’s Paul Pogba, They will not be eligible for schedule leading in to see what from Los Angeles had tested threatened them with yesterday. practise,” the Australian Open we can do to assist these positive, adding to an aircrew A$20,000 ($15,400) fines and said in a statement. players,” Tiley told the Nine member and a tennis coach on having them moved to an even Other players who arrived Network yesterday. the same plane who were stricter facility after two players in different planes are also “The Australian Open is reported on Saturday. made low-level breaches, undertaking a mandatory going ahead and we will con- The other case was Sylvain opening their hotel room doors 14-day quarantine but are per- tinue to do the best we possibly Bruneau, the coach of Canadian to talk to others.