OOLYMPICSLYMPICS | Page 2 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 6 ‘Tokyo 2020 England need preparing to to talk to Archer deliver Games aft er abuse, says with Covid-19’ Anderson Thursday, July 23, 2020 FOOTBALL Dhul-Hijjah 2, 1441 AH Ronaldo targets GULF TIMES more records as Juve close in on title SPORT Page 7 FOOTBALL QNB STARS LEAGUE Gharafa face Qatar’s Fab Six at Arabi to kick off top-four quest l Gharafa face Al Arabi Al Arabi are on a high as they in Week 18 of the 2019- are unbeaten in their last four Asian Champions A20 QNB Stars League, league matches, drawing against which will resume to- Umm Salal (1-1), Al Shahania (0- morrow after a long break forced 0) and Al Sadd (1-1), and beating by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Al Khor 1-0. kick-off is at 4:45pm at the Al The Dream Team, under Ice- AFC draws up a list of top players who have left Janoub Stadium. lander Heimir Hallgrimsson, are It is sure to be a keenly-fought fi fth in the table with 24 points. a mark on the tournament for a poll contest, given that both teams They have six wins, as many League are vying for a fourth-place fi n- draws and fi ve defeats against ish that will give them a chance their name, and a goal diff erence By Sports Reporter With eight goals in 25 appear- to play in the Qatar Cup and the of three. Doha ances so far, the 2019 AFC Player AFC Champions League. Both teams are well-prepared of the Year’s record with Al Sadd Al Gharafa, coached by Serb but for the absence of a key play- speaks for itself as he drove his Slavisa Jokanovic, are fourth in er on either side. he Asian Football Con- side to the semi-fi nal stage of the QNB Stars League standings, Al Gharafa will be without Al- federation has been last year’s edition, scoring fi ve behind Al Duhail, Al Rayyan and gerian midfi elder Adlene Guedi- Trunning a series looking goals and playing every single Al Sadd in that order, with 28 oura through an injury, while Al at top players who have minute of the campaign bar one points. Arabi’s Tunisian forward Hamdi left a mark on the AFC Champi- match. The Cheetahs have eight Harbaoui will sit out suspended. ons League from their respective Having also made a run to the wins, four draws and fi ve defeats Al Gharafa had beaten Al Arabi countries. semi-fi nals in 2018, his focus against their name, a positive 1-0 in the fi rst leg of 2019-20 While only one Qatari club has will be helping his club regain goal diff erence of fi ve. QNB Stars League. (QSL.qa) won the competition — Al Sadd the top continental title to add to — there have also been long runs his already impressive CV, which ending in the late knockout- includes an AFC Asian Cup with stages of the competition with a Qatar. number of Qatari stars excelling over the years. Khalfan Ibrahim Ibrahim was one of the infl uen- Hassan al-Haydos tial players in the Al Sadd side Part of the 2011 AFC Champions of 2011 in his attacking midfi eld League-winning Al Sadd side, role. the current club captain has Managing 11 appearances in racked up 58 appearances in the In this February 23, 2019, picture, Al Sadd’s Abdelkarim Hassan (left) celebrates with teammates Hassan the run up to the fi nal, he scored competition since 2010, scoring al-Haydos (right) and Akram Afif (top) after scoring against Al Rayyan during their QNB Stars League only one goal - controlling a nine goals in the process. match. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil heavy cross and tapping in to Al-Haydos guided Al Sadd to put his side on course to make a back-to-back semi-fi nal places, continental front culminating in comeback against IR Iran’s Es- Al Gharafa coach Slavisa Jokanovic of Serbia and Al Arabi coach losing out to Persepolis in 2018 him being named the 2018 AFC teghlal FC, who they eventually Heimir Hallgrimsson of Iceland (right). and being narrowly pipped by Player of the Year. drew 2-2 with. eventual champions Al Hi- The 26-year-old already has The 2006 AFC Asian Player of lal SFC last year after a valiant 44 appearances to his name; a the Year retired late in 2019, hav- SPOTLIGHT fi ghtback in the away leg that record he is likely to improve ing last appeared in the competi- saw them almost overturn a 4-1 signifi cantly should he remain tion donning Al Rayyan’s colours home loss. The Qatar national at the Qatari powerhouse. in March of the same year. team captain also reached the Hassan’s most remarkable QSL discusses third quarter-fi nal stage with his club contribution came at the other Sebastian Soria in 2014. end of the pitch against PFC Doesn’t need much of an in- Lokomotiv Tashkent in the troduction - the Qatari striker stage of protocol Rodrigo Tabata group stage of the 2015 edition, holds the record for the fastest The Brazil-born former Qa- Sebastian Soria (left) and when he beat two players, then ever AFC Champions League tar international is the nation’s Rodrigo Tabata. Khalfan Ibrahim audaciously lobbed the opposi- goal: 7 seconds. with coaches most prolifi c scorer in the his- tion keeper from 50 yards out The goal came in a very typical tory of the AFC Champions The vast majority of the over Iran’s Persepolis. — a goal that was deservedly in fashion: A tap in from a right- League, with 13 goals in 41 ap- 39-year-old’s strikes came dur- the running for “Fans’ Best Ever wing cross straight after kick- pearances. ing his recently-ended decade- Abdelkarim Hassan ACL Goal”. off to put former club Lekhwiya Tabata managed the feat hav- long stay at Al Rayyan. Tabata’s Hassan was one of the younger (now Al Duhail) on the front foot ing only played in the knockout most memorable performance in players in Al Sadd’s AFC Cham- Akram Afi f away to Pakhtakor. stage of the competition once — the AFC Champions League came pions League winning squad of The left winger might be only 23, His exploits in Asian football in 2014 while at Al Sadd — when in the group stage of the 2017 edi- 2011, but the left-back has since but he’s left a mark after burst- saw him come in third place in he paired up with legendary tion, when his brace and assist led grown into a legend for club and ing onto the continental scene the 2008 AFC Asian Player of Spanish striker Raul Gonzalez. Al Rayyan to a 3-1 home triumph country, with his exploits on the in 2018. the Year shortlist. HORSE RACING Lehwaiyla, new winner for Al Shaqab Racing he Qatar Stars League league championship. He said Agencies (QSL) held a co-ordina- it would not have been possible Bath, United Kingdom Shrara sheds maiden status Ttion meeting, via video had it not been for the contin- conferencing technol- ued co-operation, co-ordination for Al Rabban Racing ogy, with club coaches yesterday and commitment for the sake of ehwaiyla, an Al Shaqab in the presence of Ahmed Khellil public interest, and stated that Racing homebred, posted Agencies filly travelled easily before Abbassi, Executive Director of the return of football and league Lher fi rst career win in The Chepstow, United Kingdom pulling clear of her rivals Competition and Football Devel- would give hope and optimism Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 in the final furlong to win opment at the QSL, and Miguel for the future. Median Auction Maiden Fillies’ by a length. Heitor, Director of Football De- The meeting discussed the Stakes over a mile at Bath in the UK he two-year-old Ridden by Rob Hornby, velopment Department. third stage, regarding the re- on just third time of asking yester- Tfilly Shrara, in the who just gave her gentle The meeting was held as part sumption of competitions, ac- day. colours of Al Rabban encouragement, Shrara of continuous arrangements cording to the precautionary Trained in Newmarket by Sir Racing, broke her maiden won the race comfortably. ahead of the resumption of 2019- measures stipulated for match- Michael Stoute, the three-year-old on second time of asking Richard Hannon-trained 20 QNB Stars League, as per the day operations, after reviewing fi lly sat in second position just be- in fine style winning the Genuflex was the runner-up general plan and protocol devel- the recommendations, general hind Arju, who set a steady pace. Toalsbet Phone Betting under Rossa Ryan, while oped by the Qatar Stars League guidelines and instructions re- Poised to pounce, David Probert let Available 7 Days EBF Shobiz, trained by Charles (QSL) and approved by Ministry lated to the coronavirus (Cov- Lehwaiyla come to join the leader in David Probert (right) rides Lehwaiyla to The Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Stallions Maiden Stakes at Hills and ridden by David of Public Health and Aspetar. id-19) protocol. the fi nal bend with three furlongs Median Auction Maiden Fillies’ Stakes victory yesterday. (JMP) Chepstow racecourse in Probert, finished third. At the beginning of the meet- All clarifi cations pertaining to left to run. the UK on Tuesday. By Dandy Man, Shrara was ing, Abbassi thanked and appre- the general plan for third stage A battle ensued between these Morris, one-and-a-half lengths 1) favourite Tactical, in the col- Running over six furlongs bought at Tattersalls Book ciated the clubs, players, admin- were given to clubs, with as- two in the home straight, with Le- in front of Populaire, trained by ours of the Queen of the United for trainer Ralph Beckett, 1 Yearling Sale.