Aspire Football Dreams Too Strong for Fenerbahce
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CCRICKETRICKET | Page 3 TTENNISENNIS | Page 4 South Africa Struggling take aim at Djokovic out series sweep but Federer against India into quarters Tuesday, January 23, 2018 FOOTBALL Jumada I 6, 1439 AH United sign GULF TIMES Sanchez from Arsenal in swap deal for Mkhitaryan SPORT Page 2 FOOTBALL Qatar stay focused as spot in Asian U23 fi nal beckons Felix Sanchez’s side are flying high in China and enter the game against Vietnam with four wins in as many games AFC Changzhou, China atar will have to ban- ish the memory of their semi-fi nal loss to South Korea in the Qsemi-fi nals of the Asian U23 Championship in Doha two years ago when they take on Vi- etnam for a spot in the fi nal of this year’s edition in China. Playing in front of their home crowd two years ago, Qatar fell to a 3-1 defeat against the Kore- ans and then failed to secure the third spot following a 2-1 loss to Iraq. The back-to-back defeats ended Qatar’s hopes of quali- fying for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, something that still rankles captain Ahmed Moein, who has been a star performer in the current tour- nament. Now with only 90 minutes separating Al Annabi from a place in the fi nal, Moein is un- derstandably eager to avoid a repeat of their Doha disap- Qatar coach Felix Sanchez and his Vietnam counterpart Park Hang-seo shake hands at their press pointment. conference yesterday. Picture on right shows Qatari players at a training session. “At the last AFC U23 Cham- Fit Uzbekistan take on South Korea pionship we fi nished fourth, feat of Palestine. game, the small details are go- them beat Iraq in the quarter- and we are in the semi-fi - Sanchez believes Qatar, ing to be very important, and fi nals. Kunshan, China: Ravshan Khay- condition because after four games physically and we will try to do our nals again,” said the talented whilst more than aware of the that you can pay a big price for With an appearance in the darov has given his squad a clean bill some players are tired or have some best against them.” 22-year-old midfi elder. threat posed by Vietnam, must small mistakes. tournament’s fi nal only 90 of health as Uzbekistan meet South problems, but our staff are working The Koreans, meanwhile, take on “This time we have to do bet- focus their own game, one that “Hopefully, we can be ef- minutes away, Park insists Korea in their AFC U23 Champion- on it now. We have the same condi- the Uzbeks after squeezing past ter than we did then, and qual- has seen them record four suc- fective in all the things that we that the tournament’s surprise ship semi-final clash today. tion at the moment.” Malaysia in their quarter-final, with ify for the fi nal and hopefully cessive wins on their way to the know that we have to do well, package now have just as much Khaydarov’s team go into the last Uzbekistan’s performance in the 4-0 Han Seung-gyu scoring a late winner become champions. We are semi-fi nals. and be organised enough not to to lose as their more experi- four meeting with Kim Bong-gil’s win over the defending champions against the Southeast Asian side to very motivated for this game “We have watched all the allow Vietnam to play to their enced opponents. side having demolished Japan in the was one of the high points of the advance to the semi-finals. (against Vietnam), and we hope games in the competition, and strengths.” “After our opening (group quarter-finals and the coach is confi- tournament so far, and Khaydarov Kim’s team have hit their stride only to keep doing as well as we have we know how Vietnam have Vietnam head coach Park stage) game against Korea Re- dent his team will be ready for their believes his team will face off against occasionally, labouring in their open- already done in the four games been playing,” explained the Hang-seo meanwhile said that public, we immediately felt the test along the road to the title. the Koreans with their spirits lifted as ing win over Vietnam before drawing we have played so far.” Spaniard, who guided Qatar the pressure is continuing to pressure,” he said. “We don’t have any problems in the a result. “After the last game, when with Syria and impressing during the Felix Sanchez’s side are, to the 2014 AFC U-19 Cham- mount on his team when they “We know Qatar are a very squad,” he said. “All the players are my team defeated Japan it will help opening 65 minutes of their 3-2 win however, fl ying high once again pionship. They are an organ- take the fi eld against Qatar. strong team and that Tues- ready for tomorrow’s match. Physi- the team mentally,” he said. “But we over Australia. in China, and enter the game ised team, and they have very Park’s young charges have day’s match is obviously key to cally, tactically and mentally we are know how strong the Korean team “Thanks to our players we have against their Southeast Asian talented players. But we are made headlines around the reaching the fi nal. Because of ready and I hope tomorrow we will are and I hope my team will show been able to reach the semi-finals,” opponents with four wins to going to try to play in our way world following a creditable that, the game has equal im- show our best football in the game. the football that they showed against said Kim. “From what I have seen, their name following a perfect and stop them doing what they second-place fi nish in Group D, portance for both teams, and “Uzbekistan and Korea have Japan in the last game. Uzbekistan have a good balance be- group stage campaign, and a usually do so well. and then a nail-biting penalty the pressure is as much on us as already played four games in this “Now we are preparing mentally and tween attack and defence and they dramatic 3-2 quarter-fi nal de- “In this type of (knockout) shootout success which saw it Qatar.” tournament and we have the same physical. We know Korea are strong are a very good team.” ASIAN HANDBALL Spanish union slams Saudi link-up Qatar surge past Japan in main round Madrid: Spain’s footballers’ union (AFE) hit out yesterday at an By Our Correspondent Qatar with four goals, while agreement signed by the Spanish Suwon, South Korea Houssem Romane scored three, League that has seen a number all from penalty throws. of Saudi Arabian players arrive in Qatar Handball Federation Spain on loan. atar began their cam- President Ahmed al-Shaabi was “This new business model priori- paign in the main delighted with the performance tises the economic aspect over round of the Asian of the team. the sporting one, sacrificing the QHandball Champion- “It was a great show by the essence of this sport and favour- ship with a clinical 40-23 win team. They deserved to win and ing business over the promotion over Japan here yesterday. it will surely boost their confi - and development of our football- The defending champions, dence when they meet Bahrain ers,” said AFE in a statement. who stormed through the pre- today,” said al-Shaabi. On Sunday, six Spanish clubs liminary rounds unbeaten, once “Our eventual goal is to qual- simultaneously announced they again didn’t encounter much of a ify for the World Cup but of had each signed a Saudi player challenge from their opponents course we will be also happy to on loan following an agreement by virtue of their supremacy in win the Asian Championship Qatar coach Valero Rivera in a mid-match conference with his between the Spanish League and both off ence and defence. for the third straight time. That players yesterday. Saudi federation. As is the case usually, both would be some achievement.” “This agreement impedes the teams had an equal share of the Qatar player Youssef Ben Ali but once we found our groove our focus,” he added. development of young footballers initial exchanges but once the Qatar goalkeeper Aljosa Cudic receives his MVP award. added that beating Japan was a there was no stopping us.” Qatar coach Valero Rivera also and represents an obstacle to game was a few minutes old, Qa- great achievement. But Youssef also warned his echoed Youssef’s view. the opportunities for the youth tar simply scythed through the pote, Anis Zawawi, Frankis In fact, Cudic put on such a “We played a tactical match. team that they cannot aff ord to Bahrain are a strong team, academy, which isn’t always ac- Japanese defence, taking a 14-8 Marzo and Abdulrazzaq Murad splendid show that he was ad- Everyone played their part. This be complacent against Bahrain one of the favourites along with corded this type of opportunity,” lead and then closing the fi rst who excelled for Qatar, while judged the Most Valuable Player was a team performance,” said today. Qatar. They won’t be easy to added AFE. Nine Saudi players in half with a massive 19-9 advan- goalkeeper Aljosa Cudic kept the of the match despite being sub- Youssef. “We have to play with con- beat and we will have to put in total have joined Spanish first and tage.