CCRICKETRICKET | Page 4 GGOLFOLF | Page 6 Sri Lanka Spieth ‘in a make steady better place’ progress aft er ahead of Windies’ 354 Masters Thursday, April 1, 2021 FOOTBALL Sha’aban 19, 1442 AH Belgium, Netherlands GULF TIMES notch big wins as Portugal survive scare SPORT Page 2 QOC Secretary-General meets Vice-President of Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee HE Jassim bin Rashid al-Buenain, Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), met at his off ice yesterday with Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdul Aziz bin Musaid, Vice-President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, who is visiting Doha to attend HH the Amir Sword Hejen Festival. During the meeting, HE QOC Secretary-General welcomed Prince Fahd bin Jalawi and wished him a pleasant stay in Doha. They reviewed the sport co-operation between the two countries and the means for further enhancements in the future. Prince Fahd, who also visited the Qatar Olympic Academy, thanked the off icials of the Olympic Movement in Qatar, stressing the strength of the relationship between the Saudi and Qatari Olympic committees. FOOTBALL COMMENT Qatar’s Coach Sanchez ‘proud’ ambassador to France affi rms Al Annabi hold Republic progress of of Qatar players of Ireland to a 1-1 draw work at Qatar By Sports Reporter I can say that we played to win Doha especially in the second half and 2022 facilities put pressure on Ireland, who have many players playing in the English atar’s coach Felix Sanchez Premier League,” the Spaniard said. said he was proud of his Sanchez did not single out any team, which won two single players for praise but lauded matches and drew one in the team spirit. “All the players put Qtheir European Zone Qualifi ers for on a good performance. The team FIFA World Cup 2022. as a whole made us proud. Playing Qatar are playing in the tour- against these teams in these condi- nament as a guest nation as they tions is never easy and this is pre- prepare for next year’s World Cup cisely why I am delighted. These at home, with their matches con- three matches have helped us im- sidered friendly. On Tuesday night mensely,” the Qatar coach said. they came back from a goal down to Meanwhile, Al Sadd goalkeeper hold higher-ranked Republic of Ire- Saad al-Sheeb said Qatar played a land 1-1 at the Nagyerdei Stadium in good match against a strong Ireland Debrecen, Hungary. side but felt the team could have In their earlier two matches, the won the match. “We came out with Asian champions had beaten Lux- a draw but we could have won the embourg 1-0 and Azerbaijan 2-1. match after creating many oppor- Qatar will return in September to tunities. We have achieved many take on European champions Por- benefi ts from our historic partici- tugal and Serbia – the two other pation in the European qualifi ers teams in Group A. and played very well in the three matches,” he said. We were behind a goal “In earlier times, Qatar would aft er just three minutes not recover well after going a goal but our players kept their behind. But at the moment our spirits high and were mentality is strong and we proved ‘determined to come back into this in the European qualifi ers. the match. We also beat Azerbaijan after they scored fi rst,” he added. — Felix Sanchez, QNA “I can say that Qatar has reached a Doha Qatar coach very good stage of preparation for the World Cup. We want to prove to eve- Qatar players were put under ryone that we are properly prepared E the Ambassador of Qatar to France Sheikh stern test by Ireland, but passed out for the World Cup and are a team that Ali bin Jassim al-Thani has affi rmed that with fl ying colours and could have competes with full strength against work in the construction sites of FIFA World won the game with a bit of luck. all teams,” al-Sheeb said. Cup Qatar 2022 is progressing at a rapid pace, Ireland took the lead in the fourth Qatar defender Tariq Salman Hand that the construction of facilities is almost com- minute through James McClean’s said: “We performed beautifully plete. The Ambassador expressed Qatar’s aspiration to defl ected strike but Mohamed against a strong team that includes host a historic and unprecedented World Cup, consid- Muntari levelled for a lively Qatar many good players. We made a few ering that it would be a carbon-neutral and environ- side with a fi ne fi nish early in the mistakes in the beginning but set- mentally friendly tournament. second half. Muntari and Ireland tled into the game thereafter. We This came in his speech at the inauguration of a vir- substitutes Callum Robinson and controlled the game and created tual symposium organised by the Qatari-French Eco- Josh Cullen all spurned chances to many opportunities.” nomic League (Cadran) on the last preparations for the score a late winner. The Group A game was originally FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and creating long-term Sanchez was pleased with his scheduled to take place in Ireland, growth levers for French companies in Qatar. players’ performance and believed but the two teams agreed to reverse In his opening speech, Sheikh Ali welcomed the the matches against European the order of their fi xtures because participants in the symposium that brought together teams will benefi t Qatar ahead of the of the Irish government’s Covid-19 high-level French and Qatari economic representatives, home World Cup next year. “Against quarantine rules. expressing hope to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic Ireland, we faced a very strong team, For Ireland they have now failed before the end of next summer. especially physically. We were be- to win in 11 games since Stephen He said that major French companies supported the hind a goal after just three minutes Kenny took charge, drawing fi ve and implementation of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the but our players kept their spirits losing six. It is the worst start by an World Cup that will be held in Doha in 2022, in terms of high and were determined to come Ireland manager since Mick Meagan infrastructure, sports accommodation, equipment, se- back into the match. We played at a failed to win any of his 12 games in Qatar’s Mohamed Muntari (left) leaps for the ball during the match against Republic of Ireland at the Nagyerdei curity, and housing services. He also expressed hope for good level throughout. charge between 1969 and 1971. Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary, on Tuesday. (Inset) Qatar coach Felix Sanchez. (AFP/Reuters) continued co-operation with French companies. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, April 1, 2021 FOOTBALL WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS ROUND-UP ‘I don’t know anything’ — Bayern CEO Belgium, Netherlands on Haaland rumours ayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said yes- terday that the Euro- notch big victories as Bpean champions had no interest in signing Borussia Dortmund’s highly-coveted forward Erling Braut Haaland. The Bavarians and a host of other European clubs including Real Madrid have been linked with a move for the 20-year-old. Haaland’s Portugal survive scare departure could be hastened if Dortmund miss out on next There were also victories for Croatia, Serbia and Norway while Slovakia shocked Russia season’s Champions League. Dortmund are four points Reuters behind Eintracht Frankfurt in Paris the fi nal qualifying spot for the competition with eight games left of the Bundesliga campaign. op-ranked Belgium slammed “Where do these rumours come eight goals against Belarus and from? I don’t know anything the Netherlands crashed seven about them,” Rummenigge told past Gibraltar but Portugal newspaper Bild when asked if Tsuff ered a scare before beating Lux- Haaland was a target for Bayern. embourg as the World Cup qualifying “I can say just one thing: we matches continued on Tuesday night. have the best footballer in the There were also victories for Croatia, world in that position. Robert Serbia and Norway while Slovakia Lewandowski has a contract shocked Russia and Wales got their until 2023,” he added. campaign up and running with a late Rummenigge said the winner against the Czech Republic. Bel- 32-year-old Poland forward, gium had been held 1-1 by the Czechs at voted FIFA’s best male player of the weekend but claimed their second 2020, was far from retirement. Group E win in emphatic fashion. “I’m convinced. With his pro- Coach Roberto Martinez gave chanc- fessionalism, they way he trains es to several of his fringe players and and looks after himself, the end was rewarded with a rampant display is very far away,” he said. as Hans Vanaken and Leandro Trossard Bayern will however have to scored twice while Michy Batshuayi, do without Lewandowski in next Jeremy Doku, Denis Praet and Christian month’s Champions League Benteke were also on target. quarter-fi nal with Paris Saint- Belgium top the group with seven Germain after he was ruled out points from three games, three points with a knee injury. ahead of the Czech Republic who fell to a 1-0 defeat in Wales after Daniel James RENARD RELIEVED headed a late winner from a cross by Ga- AS SAUDI ARABIA reth Bale. The Welsh have three points. REMAIN UNBEATEN Both sides ended with 10 men after Herve Renard was relieved his Patrik Schick saw red for the Czechs Saudi Arabia side were able to just after halftime, while Connor Rob- overcome an unconvincing start erts was sent off for the hosts shortly to secure a 5-0 win over Pales- before the winning goal.