SPORTS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2014 Honda-powered Japan hammer Honduras 6-0 TOYOTA: Talisman Keisuke Honda provided the thrust as Japan overpowered Honduras 6-0 yesterday to relieve some of the pressure on coach Javier Aguirre. Honda scored once, set up three more and was by far Japan’s most dangerous player in a lopsided game between two teams who flopped badly at the World Cup in Brazil earlier this year. “We played a complete game today,” Aguirre told Japan’s TV Asahi. “We’re building for the Asian Cup in January and obviously we will be going there to win it. We showed excellent bal- ance tonight and brought joy to the fans.” Aguirre abandoned the tinkering that contributed to an alarming run of form in the Mexican’s first four matches in charge, naming 10 of Japan’s World Cup squad among his starting eleven in Toyota. And it took the Asian champions just nine minutes to open their account, defender Maya Yoshida stoop- ing to head into an empty net after a wicked corner from dead-ball specialist Yasuhito Endo. Endo, discard- ed by Aguirre since the former Espanyol manager took over from Italian Alberto Zaccheroni following the World Cup, marked his return with a superb goal as he extended his record number of Japan caps to 147. RIYADH: Yemeni footballer Ahmed Al Hifi (right) and Bahrain’s Husain Ali Baba fight for the ball during the 22nd Gulf Cup football match at King Fahad stadium in Riyadh. — AFP Honda had made it 2-0 moments earlier with a cool finish, before neatly teeing up Endo to smash home a right-foot shot from the edge of the box on Qatar hold Saudi the stroke of halftime. Takashi Inui clinically netted Japan’s fourth moments the second half after being picked out by Honda and grabbed his second of the game in the in Gulf Cup opener 74th minute after fellow substitute Yohei Toyoda had added a fifth as the floodgates burst open. The Blue Samurai had won just once under Aguirre before Friday’s friendly a fortuitous 1-0 victory over Bahrain and Yemen draw blank Jamaica-and were humiliated by Brazil in their last outing last month when Neymar scored all four goals RIYADH: Three-time winners Saudi Arabia scraped to a 1-1 draw in a 4-0 mauling. Japan, who will bid to defend their with Qatar in the opening game of the Gulf Cup on Thursday in a Asian Cup title in Australia, take on the tournament virtually deserted King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh. With seven of the host Socceroos in Osaka on Tuesday in their final eight sides also qualified for next year’s Asian Cup in Australia, the match of the year. — AFP Saudis had an opportunity to stamp their authority early on the regional tournament but wasted at least two golden opportuni- ties and were dominated by Qatar. Fahd Al Muwalid opened the Equatorial Guinea scoring for the hosts in the 37th minute, capitalizing on one of the few times they had the ball in the first half. steps in to host Qatar, buoyed by FIFA’s earlier decision to keep them as hosts of the 2022 World Cup, gained control after halftime with central African Nations Cup defender Ibrahim Majid taking advantage of some sloppy defend- ing to head home a corner in the 53rd minute. Despite the Qatari domination, the hosts’ substitute Karim Boudiaf and Khoukhi CAIRO: Equatorial Guinea will host the 2015 African Boualem wasted two golden opportunities to put the game Nations Cup after Morocco was stripped of the event hav- beyond doubt. Saudi Arabia coach Juan Roman Lopez Caro, who ing asked for it to be postponed over fears of the spread of took over from Frank Rijkaard last year after the Saudi team went the Ebola virus, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) out of the first round in 2013 tournament in Bahrain, criticized his said yesterday. Oil-rich Spanish-speaking Equatorial defense for the result. “We trained a lot on the crosses, but again Guinea, one of Africa’s smallest countries with a popula- we paid the price for the same mistake,” Lopez Caro said in a tion of just over 600,000, hosted the 2012 finals with press conference. Yemen, the only side not qualified for the Jan 9- neighbors Gabon but will take on the 16-team tournament 31 Asian Cup in Australia, received massive support from their on its own from Jan 17-Feb 8. fans at the ground to secure a 0-0 draw with Bahrain and give Morocco was on Tuesday stripped of the right to host coach Miroslav Soukup a welcome 49th birthday present. It was the finals with the north African country also disqualified the Yemenis first point in the competition since 2007, having lost from taking part in the tournament after its request for a their last 11 games in the tournament. They have not won a game postponement was rejected by CAF. CAF said the decision in their six previous appearances. “The fans were fantastic, the on the new hosts was made after a meeting in Malabo on player put in 100 percent (effort) from the first minute,” the Czech Friday between Equatorial Guinea’s president Teodoro coach said. “Before the game I asked them for the three points as Obiang and CAF president Issa Hayatou. my birthday present, but I am also happy with one.” Holders UAE play Oman while Kuwait, who have won 10 of the 21 titles, take RIYADH: An Emirati fan cheers for his team prior to the “The head of state of Equatorial Guinea agreed to host on Iraq in Group B matches on Friday. start of the Gulf Cup of Nations Group B football match the competition. As a result, the CAF executive committee between United Arab Emirates and Oman yesterday, at confirm that the tournament will go ahead and Equatorial Unique sports legacy the Prince Faisal bin Fahd stadium in Riyadh. — AFP Guinea will compete as the host nation,” a statement from Meanwhile, Asian football governing body (AFC) chief Sheikh hosting major sports events and producing skilled organizers and African soccer’s governing body said. Equatorial Guinea Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa said that the Gulf Cup forms a match officials, he added. He paid homage to Saudi Arabia as a had been disqualified from the preliminaries in August for “unique sports legacy” throughout the years since its inception, nation able to host events of this magnitude, expressing confi- fielding an illegible player. and has aided the development of football in the region. His dence that the Kingdom would make a good impression that Matches will be held at four venues in Bata, Ebebiyin, remarks came in a press statement, after having attended the matches the aspirations of the spectators. Seven of the eight Mongomo and the capital Malabo. In 2012, the tourna- opening ceremony of the regional competition on Thursday, dur- teams contending for the title have already qualified for the AFC ment was hosted in Malabo and Bata. The draw for the ing which he referred to the event’s role in preparing internation- Asian Cup, and he said that this illustrates the competition’s abili- finals will be in Malabo on Dec 3, CAF added. “CAF wishes ally-capped footballers for competitions on the wider global scale ty to provide suspense and excitement to fans. Kuwait form one to express its sincere thanks to the Equatorial Guinean - such as the AFC Asian Cup and the FIFA World Cup. of the sides that have qualified to the illustrious continental foot- people, its government and particularly president Obiang,” It has also given national football associations experience in ball event due to be held in Australia in 2015. —Agencies the statement concluded. — Reuters.