14 Thursday, January 16, 2020 Sports Milan cruise Elite training camps at Aspire into Italian Cup last eight AFP Academy a win for everyone MILAN EVEN with Zlatan Ibrahimovic TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK They faced former Dutch in- resting on the bench, AC Mi- DOHA Top European clubs like Bayern Munich, ternational and 2010-11 UEFA lan cruised past SPAL 3-0 on Champions League-winner with Wednesday to reach the last THREE years before the first PSV Eindhoven and Club Brugge all FC Barcelona, Ibrahim Affe- eight of the Italian Cup. ball is kicked at the 2022 FIFA lay, and 17-year-old Mohamed Later, Juventus took on World Cup Qatar, the coun- visited Doha for their winter camps Amine Ihattaren, a star on the Udinese without Cristiano try has established itself as a rise, in a crossbar challenge. Ronaldo who the club tweeted leading destination for inter- “It’s always great to share shortly before kick off was suf- national football stars. A major experiences with young play- fering from sinusitis. reason for the success is the ers and these boys are really In Florence, Pol Lirola shot incredible facilities and know- talented,” Affelay praised the 10-man Fiorentina past Atal- how that Aspire Academy of- skills of Afifa and his team- anta 2-1 to set up a quarter-final fers top clubs that choose Doha mates. “I remember with PSV against Inter Milan. for their winter training camps. at the Al Kass International In Milan, Krzysztof Piatek, In early 2020, some of Eu- Cup at Aspire Academy in who is reportedly on the verge of rope’s elite visited the country 2017,” Ihattaren told the boys. a move to Tottenham Hotspur, for this reason and provided “I was impressed of this outpaced the sluggish SPAL off- the student-athletes of Aspire place back then and I’m im- side trap to give the home team Academy with the unique op- pressed even more coming back. the lead after 20 minutes. portunity to shadow some of The tournament was a great ex- Samuel Castillejo curled a the world’s best players. perience for me, as I was very precise left-foot shot inside the “Having some of the world’s young at the time and compet- far post just before half time. best teams here every year is a ing in such a great environment Fullback Theo Hernandez big asset for our boys. Over the was huge for me.” added a third in the 66th min- past few years, they had the op- Maybe it was as an impres- ute, intercepting a pass, surging portunity to see how serious sive experience as it was for upfield and then smashing a stars like Neymar, Ibrahimovic young Aspire Academy-student left-foot shot inside the far post or Neuer take their job and how ern Munich returned to Doha in praise for his players in par- big inspiration for the hun- for young players like them,” athlete Ali Al Qahtani, who was from just outside the penalty they put in a hundred percent January 2020 for a week-long ticular: “The intensity was very, dreds of Aspire Academy-play- said Saeed Afifa, who is a player one of the two Qatari players area. in every training session. We winter training camp looking very high right till the end. The ers training on the pitches next of Aspire Academy’s Football hitting the crossbar and secur- In Tuscany, Lirola collected are happy about this opportu- to make the most of their time whole team “approached the to Alaba, Kimmich or Boateng. Programme. ing his team a 2-0 win over the Erik Pulgar’s long drilled pass nity and we highly appreciate at Aspire in readiness for the training camp in a focused “Seeing players like them Besides watches the play- Dutch stars. “It’s been great,” before charging towards goal it if some of the visiting teams second half of their Bundesliga- way”, even though the pro- every year is just great. They ers of teams such as FC Bay- Al Qahtani said afterwards. and slotting home his first take the time to share some season. Head Coach Hansi Flick gramme was “pretty tough.” are stars, but they are still very ern Munich, Club Brugge, KAS “But I hope that I’ll be able Fiorentina goal six minutes their experience with our stu- described their 10th training In absence of top striker friendly when we run into them. Eupen or PSV Eindhoven from to compete against these kind of from time, winning the tie for dent-athletes,” Edorta Murua, camp in Qatar as a huge success. Robert Lewandowski, the The intensity they show on the the stands during training ses- players on a professional level in the hosts despite German Pez- Technical Football Director of “We are very satisfied,” team’s squad in Doha fea- pitch is something that needs a sions or in friendlies, Afifa and big leagues and not just in a fun zella’s sending off 14 minutes Aspire Academy, explains the the 54-year-old told media. tured at lot of young players lot of training and passion and five of his teammates even had challenge. Therefore, I will give earlier. Patrick Cutrone also educational benefit of the Elite In addition to the “top condi- that made their mark in the that’s a great motivation for me the opportunity to compare everything I have, because there scored his first goal for the club Training Camps. tions” on the Aspire Academy team over the last few months. to work hard every day, so I can their skills with two of PSV Ein- is nothing better than to collect when he put Fiorentina ahead German champions FC Bay- grounds, Flick found words of Young players that are also a one day become a role model dhoven’s top players. unique moments like these.” in his first start for the club. Al Sadd’s Nam Tae-Hee excited to Qatar out of AFC U23 C’ship play former team in Qatar Cup final after 1-1 draw with Japan AFC TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK on Tuesday evening under BANGKOK DOHA the astute eyes of coach Xavi (Hernandez). We’ll be ready TEN-MAN Japan held on to AL Sadd midfielder Nam Tae- in time for the final. claim their first point of the Hee is one of few players to AFC U23 Championship Thai- have played for Al Sadd and How do you rate Al Sadd’s land 2020 on Wednesday as Al Duhail. The South Korean performance this season? Hajime Moriyasu’s side earned who joined The Wolves last We’ve had ups and downs, a 1-1 draw against Qatar that summer enjoyed a trophy- but we fared pretty well in the meant the two-time semi-final- laden stay with Al Duhail, last few matches, like the one ists missed out on a place in the winning the Qatar league against Al Arabi in the Qatar knockout rounds. title five times. Noted for his Derby of QNB Stars League Felix Sanchez’s side needed composure on the ball, nibble and semifinal of the Qatar to win to advance to the quar- feet and vision, the 28-year- Cup. The team is well set now. ter-finals for the third tourna- old has been an integral part ment in a row but a resolute of Xavi Hernandez’s reign at What’ll be the strategy performance by Japan, despite the club. Nam, in an exclusive against such an aggres- Ao Tanaka’s sending off in the interview with qsl.qa ahead of sive side as Al Duhail? dying seconds of the first half, Qatar’s goalkeeper Mohammed al Bakri and defender Tarek Salman their Qatar Cup final against Al Sadd midfielder We must be wary of Al ensured the 2016 champions vie for the ball against a Japanese player during their AFC U23 Group Al Duhail at the Al Sadd Sta- Nam Tae-Hee. Duhail’s attack, so we’ll focus salvaged a draw. B match on Wednesday. dium on Friday, 17th Janu- more on tightening up our The Japanese went into the ary, spoke about a wide range defence. Overall, we must be final Group B match looking to he again threatened to unlock Referee. of topics. Excerpts: at our very best whenever we reclaim some pride having been the Qatar defence as he found Despite their numerical play Al Duhail. Small details eliminated from contention for Daiki Sugioka eight yards from advantage, Qatar struggled. What’s so special about will make big difference. a place in the next phase fol- goal. The Shonan Bellmare Nasser Alahrak ballooned his the Qatar Cup? lowing back-to-back defeats in wing-back, however, steered shot over the bar 10 minutes I’ve played in the Qatar and I want to win this match. Champions League Round of What’re your targets for their opening games against his effort harmlessly across the into the half while Ahmed Al- Cup many times and won the 16 stage and beat them in the this season? Saudi Arabia and Syria. target. hamawende sent a free-kick trophy twice. It’s a very special What’re Al Sadd’s chances second to progress to the quar- We want to win the league Moriyasu’s side looked the The chances kept coming high over the bar. feeling. No doubt, it’s a pres- against Al Duhail? terfinals. Then, we beat them championship and the re- more likely to take the lead, for Japan, with Hatate mis- Instead it was Japan who tigious tournament and, natu- In all aspects, both teams in the season-opening Sheikh maining cup competitions.