Kohli's Bangalore Suffer Record Sixth Straight Loss
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NNBABA | Page 5 Nets topple top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks Monday, April 8, 2019 FOOTBALL Sha’baan 3, 1440 AH Arsenal suff er GULF TIMES shock defeat at Everton SPORT Page 3 ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Duhail aim to bounce back aft er surrendering QSL title The contest between Duhail and Al Ain will be a repeat of last year’s last-16 clash By Sports Reporter group will not be easy. But we have Doha a strong desire to win at home,” the defensive midfi elder said. “There is a diff erence between l Duhail will look to get the league and the AFC Champi- back to winning ways ons League. I think that the loss of when they take on UAE’s the league will not aff ect us in this Al Ain in the AFC Cham- tournament. Now the task is dif- Apions League Group C at the Ab- ferent and the tournament is dif- dullah Bin Khalifa Stadium today. ferent,” he added. The match will start at 6.30pm. In another Group C match, Al Al Duhail started their 2019 Hilal will look to extend their win- campaign with a 3-0 win over ning run to three games when they Esteghlal, but lost their second face Iran’s Esteghlal. The Saudi match away at Al Hilal 3-1. They team are one of just two sides who will be boosted by the return of have collected two points in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup MVP and top competition, alongside South Ko- scorer Almoez Ali, who had missed rea’s Daegu FC. the fi rst two games through injury. Coach Zoran Mamic’s men are The contest between Duhail eyeing a fi rst continental title, and Al Ain will be a repeat of last having reached the fi nal in 2014 year’s last 16 clash. Duhail had and 2017. They started in a per- overpowered Al Ain over the two fect manner, defeating Al Ain 1-0 legs 11 months ago, recording an and Al Duhail 3-1. Esteghlal, on aggregate 8-3 victory, with the the other side, have not been in second leg in Doha ending 4-1. good form under coach Winfriend Both sides have since changed Schäfer this season. They dropped managers; Al Duhail swapped to fourth in the Iranian Pro League Djamel Belmadi for Nabil Maaloul table and are bottom of their group who led them to the semi-fi nals with just one point. last year, before making way for The two giants of Asian foot- Rui Faria, who took over earlier ball have met on fi ve occasions in this season. Al Ain, on the other the competition, with Esteghlal side, lost Zoran Mamic who joined winning three times, and Al Hilal Al Hilal and was replaced by Juan winning on two occasions. Their Carlos Garrido. most recent encounter last year Al Ain have struggled since hit- ended with a 1-0 Iranian victory in ting the highs of 2018 FIFA Club Kuwait City. World Cup fi nal, fi nding them- Meanwhile, QNB Stars League selves in third spot on the UAE Pro champions Al Sadd focus will now League table. They are yet to win turn their focus to the AFC Cham- in the continental tournament, pions League when they resume having suff ered a 1-0 home defeat their Group D campaign against to Al Hilal followed by a 1-1 draw Al Duhail’s Mohamed Mousa and Karim Boudiaf sprint during a training session yesterday. Inset: Al Duhail coach Rui Faria. Uzbekistan’s Pahkator tomorrow against Esteghlal. in Tashkent. Duhail coach Faria stressed on are hopeful of putting up a strong Cup. But they are not in the best of “We must learn from the mis- Our last game against Kharaitiyat Meanwhile, captain Karim The 2018 semi-fi nalists are cur- the importance of today’s match show,” he said. form as they lost to Al Kharaitiyat takes and improve our perform- is not the true refl ection of the Boudiaf was confi dent Duhail rently third in the standings, hav- and the need for his team to top Having conceded the Qa- 0-1 last week. ance. The team is diff erent from team. would overcome Al Ain. “The ing opened their campaign with a the group. “We know that we will tar Stars League title to Al Sadd, “Our loss in the league will not last season. I am not a magician “There are new players in the team is ready for this match and 2-0 defeat against Al Ahli Saudi face a strong team but we have the focus for Duhail is to win the aff ect our performance in this to do miracles in a short time. The team who need time to settle in,” we know that the task will not be before beating Persepolis of Iran prepared well for this match and Champions League and the Amir match,” said Faria. team lost the league. This is true. the Portuguese manager added. easy and all our matches in this 1-0 on Matchday Two. SPOTLIGHT RALLYING Qatar says 48-team World Cup ‘not a done deal’ Al-Attiyah aims to AFP the World Cup, given the current im- defend title in Jordan Kuala Lumpur passe. “Under the current environment I By Sports Reporter Dead Sea - the lowest point on earth. don’t think it’s a possibility,” he said, Amman The ceremonial start will take place atar stressed that the 2022 adding that studies were underway at Abdali Boulevard in Amman from World Cup remains at 32 about the feasibility of Oman and Ku- 19.00hrs on Thursday, April 25. teams as FIFA chief Gianni wait hosting games. ordan Motorsport is putting the The super special stage has been Infantino piled on pressure “We’ve got to take into considera- fi nishing touches to the route and moved from Thursday evening and will Qto expand the tournament to 48 and tion the capabilities as they stand to- logistics for the 2019 Jordan Rally, now run for 2.51km on Friday after the share it with other Gulf countries. day but also what could be done over round two of the FIA Middle East day’s opening gravel stages and then for Speaking to AFP at the Asian Foot- the next three years,” he said. JRally Championship, which takes centre a second time as the penultimate stage ball Confederation Congress, CEO Despite the tight timeline, Infan- stage in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley of the rally on Saturday (April 27). of the 2022 World Cup, Nasser al- tino has made clear he wants 48 teams areas from April 25 to 27. Teams will tackle two passes through Khater, said Qatar was still planning in 2022 and he unsubtly hammered Jordan is one of the most popular the Mahes, Palms and Baptism specials for 32 and that studies about adding home the message in his address to the rallies in the Middle East and hosted a on Friday before the action moves to another 16 teams were just an “assess- Asian congress. round of the FIA World Rally Champi- two runs through the Suwayma, Rawda, ment”. The Swiss-Italian FIFA president, onship (WRC) on three occasions (2008, Amar and Ma’in specials on Saturday. “There’s a feasibility study on the who may put the matter to the world 2010 and 2011). The event continues to The ceremonial fi nish will then take countries that could possibly host. So body’s congress in June, said 90% use demanding gravel special stages that place at the Dead Sea from 17.00hrs. together with FIFA we’re looking into of football associations support the provide their own unique challenge to Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah is the those possibilities,” al-Khater said in move. the region’s leading rally drivers. defending regional champion and a 12- Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. “Sharing the games with a few This year’s rally will take place over 16 time winner of the Jordan Rally. Fresh “So that’s where we are now. It’s of the neighbouring countries is of special stages and 226.62 competitive from winning the Merzouga Rally in still open as an idea but it’s not a done course an option as well to make it a kilometres in a route of 636.64km. It Morocco last week in a Can-Am Maver- deal for it to be a 48-team World Cup.” true World Cup for the world and for marks the fi rst FIA event for Zaid Balqez ick X3, Al-Attiyah has already confi rmed Although Qatar has said it is open to the whole Gulf region,” he said. as chairman of the organising com- that we will tackle the MERC event in a expanding, al-Khater was at pains to “Something to discuss, something mittee working alongside Clerk of the Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 – the car mak- underline that “the status quo is that to think about, something that we are Course George Khoury, his deputy Omar ing its fi rst appearance in the Hashemite it’s still a 32-team World Cup, every- the Qataris are coming under sus- blockade from other Gulf neighbours. working on together with Qatar and Zarour and their experienced team. Kingdom. thing after that is an assessment”. tained pressure to switch to 48. Al-Khater said there was no chance together with all of you. The 2019 Jordan Rally will be based at The opening round of the champion- After winning the right to host a 32- Oman and Kuwait are being studied of UAE — who have signalled they “And of course it’s going to be a nice the Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Re- ship in Qatar last month attracted one of team World Cup in 2010, in a bidding as possible co-hosts as Qatar remains would like to hold games — or fellow achievement if the fi rst World Cup of sort and Spa with teams using the usual the largest fi elds seen in the MERC series process mired in bribery allegations, under a diplomatic and transport blockaders Saudi Arabia co-hosting 48 teams would be played in Asia.” asphalt service area overlooking the for several years.