NBA | Page 5 F1 | Page 6 Tatum scores Hamilton sees 39 as Celtics young rivals’ beat Clippers talk as sign in double OT of weakness Saturday, February 15, 2020 FOOTBALL Jumada II 21, 1441 AH Break brought GULF TIMES welcome respite for players: Klopp SPORT Page 3 SPOTLIGHT Moeen, Curran PSG replace Man City as most fi nancially powerful club dazzle as England edge SA in thriller Reuters fi nance available in their accounts, potential cash debt. ing left behind,” Philip Gegan, Soccerex man- Bengaluru, India owner investment and net debt. Europe’s elite sides accounted for 80 percent aging director, said. The study said PSG had reduced their debt of the top 30 but almost half of those clubs are “Despite Europe’s dominance, football is to level series by 70mn euros ($75.87mn) over the last year owned by non-European entities, including very much a global game with investment from rench champions Paris Saint-Germain while City’s debt levels had increased by more organisations and individuals from the Middle football’s emerging markets very much under- have overtaken Manchester City as than 90mn euros. East, North American and Southeast Asia, the pinning its continued growth.” the most fi nancially powerful club in Bayern Munich came third with Tottenham report said. The English Premier League is represented Fworld football, the annual Soccerex Hotspur and Real Madrid completing the top “This year’s report paints a positive picture by 18 clubs in the top 100, while the US Major Football Finance 100 report showed. fi ve. of football’s collective fi nancial health, but it League Soccer (MLS) was the next best with 17. PSG topped the 2020 edition with a football Manchester United fell eight places from also highlights the growing imbalance between Los Angeles Football Club were rated high- fi nance index score of 5.318, which is based on last year to 16th in the report, mainly due to the the power of Europe’s modern elite, with some est from the MLS in 18th spot ahead of local the value of the current squad, tangible assets, depreciation in squad value and an increase in of the game’s heritage brands in danger of be- rivals LA Galaxy at number 22. FOOTBALL Zamalek claim CAF Super Cup with 3-1 win England’s Moeen Ali belts the England For Esperance, it was another bitter pill to swallow as they lost a second consecutive Super bowling in Durban yesterday. Cup title clash, after having gone down to Moroccan side Raja Casablanca 12 months ago Durban: Tom Curran took wickets with the last two balls of the match as England By Sahan Bidappa turned the tables on South Africa in a Doha thrilling second Twenty20 international at Kingsmead yesterday. England’s win in a high-scoring match, amalek clinched their fourth punctuated by 30 sixes, levelled the CAF Super Cup in an im- three-match series, which will be decided pressive fashion after a 3-1 in the third and final match in Centurion win over Esperance Sportive tomorrow. Zde Tunis at the Al Gharafa stadium England made 204 for seven, with man of yesterday. The Egyptians giants were the match Moeen Ali hitting 39 off 11 balls playing their fi rst Super Cup match as the tourists slammed 79 runs off the — which pits the winners of the CAF last five overs. South Africa made 202 for Champions League and CAF Con- seven. federation Cup — since 2003, and South African captain Quinton de Kock they put on a relentless display in blazed to 65 off 22 balls, hitting eight front of a packed crowd to take home sixes, in an opening partnership of 92 with the title. Temba Bavuma. Mark Wood, bowling at Youssef Obama opened the scor- high pace, dismissed both openers and ing for Zamalek in just the second England seemed to have taken control. minute. Abdelraouf Benguit made But Rassie van der Dussen (43 not out) it 1-1 by converting a penalty in the and Dwaine Pretorius (25) got South Africa 54th minute but Zamalek were back agonisingly close. South Africa needed in front just four minutes later thanks 15 off the last over and Pretorius hit 12 of to Achraf Bencharki’s cool fi nish, and them before being trapped leg before by the forward once again struck in the a yorker. injury time to cap a memorable night “The performance and the level of inten- for the Cairo-based side. sity we operated at was a considerable For Esperance, it was another improvement on (the first match in) East bitter pill to swallow as they lost a London, both with the bat and the ball,” second consecutive Super Cup ti- said England captain Eoin Morgan. tle clash, after having gone down As in the first match, which South Africa to Moroccan side Raja Casablanca won by one run, the result hinged on the at the same venue 12 months ago. last few deliveries. And it was Patrice Carteron, who England needed three off the last two came back to haunt them again. The balls in East London but lost a wicket and French coach had led Casablanca to scored only one run. South Africa were in victory last year and he once again exactly the same situation yesterday but plotted Esperance’s downfall on the Zamalek players pose with the CAF Super Cup trophy after their win over Tunisia’s Esperance in Doha yesterday. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil lost two wickets. night. “Both teams are playing really good The Tunisians – back-to-back ance found it diffi cult to break their cricket,” said De Kock. “They (England) winners of the CAF Champions opponents’ defence. Zamalek came bowled really well at the death.” League – have now gone without a to Qatar with a 12-match unbeaten England’s total looked unlikely when Ali Super Cup title since 1995, the only streak, a run that stretched back to walked in with his side on 125 for five after time they have won the title in fi ve mid-December and included eight 15.1 overs. appearances. Zamalek’s Confedera- clean sheets. The left-handed Ali hit his second ball from tion Cup victory was their fi rst con- But Esperance were let back into Andile Phehlukwayo for six and launched a tinental silverware since winning the the game three minutes into the stunning assault in which he hit three more CAF Champions League 18 years ago, second half after Mahmoud Hamdi sixes and three fours in his short innings and looked like they are keen to make handled the ball in the box. Referee before being caught at long-on. up for the lost time. Victor Gomes initially waved to play Ali dominated a sixth wicket stand of 51 off Carteron’s men were right on the on but changed his decision after a 18 balls with Ben Stokes, who finished on money from the whistle, as Obama lengthy VAR review, where he went 47 not out. put Zamalek ahead in the second to the pitchside monitor to have a “I went on my instincts to try and put pres- minute, the midfi elder heading in a look. sure back on the bowlers,” said Ali. lovely cross from Mohamed Abdel- Benguit thumped his spot-kick Shafy, with Esperance goalkeeper into the top corner, sending the goal- Ben Cherifi a unable to do much. keeper the wrong way. But their joy It was a dream start for Zamalek lasted barely four minutes. With the as they were all over the Esperance Esperance defence wide open, Ben- side in the fi rst ten minutes. The Tu- charki had an easy run to the box, and nisians had got fi rst look at the rival the forward curled a low shot across goal in the 12th minute when Ilyes Cherifi a and into the bottom corner. Chetti struck a fi erce shot but Abdul Esperance introduced striker Yas- Shafi was alert to the danger. sine Khenissi four minutes thereafter Four minutes later, however, in place of Ghanaian Kwame Bonsu Moustafa Mohamed went close to in pursuit of a comeback. But Moo- doubling Zamalek’s lead, but the for- Zamalek’s Achraf Bencharki celebrates with teammates after winning the African Super Cup yesterday. ine Chaabani’s could not get past the ward’s dipping shot from close range Egyptian team’s defence. Bencharki England’s Tom Curran celebrates went over the bar. Mohamed was in over the top of Cherifa’s goal. Zizo having acres of space at the back spectacular save. then completed his brace in added taking the wicket of South Africa’s the thick of action again with a rasp- Zamalek had another golden op- post to control and shoot – but Chet- While Zamalek were constant a time with another cool fi nish to send Dwaine Pretorius. ing curling attempt fl ying narrowly portunity in the 39th minute with ti got his body in the way to make a threat on the counter-attack, Esper- Zamalek fans into raptures. Gulf Times Saturday, February 15, 2020 3 FOOTBALL FOCUS SPOTLIGHT China coach lauds team’s bravery amid Break brought coronavirus chaos Reuters nonetheless full of praise for his Melbourne, Australia players and how they had re- sponded to the challenges. “The performance of these he coach of the Chinese games proves that the team welcome respite women’s soccer team members have strong hearts,” he has praised the “strong told Chinese media. hearts” of his players “They are a new generation of Tafter they emerged undefeated Chinese women’s football.