THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017 SPORTS Sporting Gijon part with coach after four straight defeats BARCELONA: Sporting Gijon parted with Abelardo Fernandez, that he will tion in signing the agreement to depart His first job in management was in flight status on the final day of the last company with coach Abelardo leave his role as coach of the first team,” the club, which will always be his home. charge of the club’s reserve side in 2008, campaign. His impact has waned in his Fernandez by mutual consent on the club said in a statement. The club wishes him every luck in the a role he reassumed in 2012 until taking third season in charge, however, with his Tuesday following a downward spiral of “The decision has been taken after future.” over the first team in 2014. side winning just three of 18 league results that has left them in the relega- analying the team’s situation and results. Fernandez, a native of Gijon, had Despite being subject to a transfer games. They have lost their last four tion zone. “Real Sporting wishes to show its grati- strong ties to the club, having come ban due to the club’s financial problems, league encounters to leave them 18th in “After a meeting between the club’s tude for the commitment, effort and through the academy and played as a Abelardo led Sporting back to La Liga the standings on 12 points, four below board of directors today Real Sporting professionalism of “Pitu” Abelardo while centre back for them for five years until after a three-year absence in his first full 17th-placed Valencia, who also have a have decided, by mutual agreement in charge of the team and for his disposi- joining Barcelona in 1994. season. They secured their status top game in hand. — Reuters Cameroon have not asked for ban on Liverpool’s Matip LIBREVILLE: Cameroon have not asked Andre Onana - one of the eight who decid- FIFA to stop defender Joel Matip playing for ed not to play for Cameroon at the tourna- Liverpool during the African Nations Cup ment - on Sunday in a 3-1 win at PEC but they have not given the Premier Zwolle in the Dutch championship. League club the green light to field the Cameroonian officials, speaking to player either, Cameroonian officials said Reuters on condition of anonymity, said it yesterday. would up to FIFA to decide if any action They are unlikely to give clearance should be taken but Cameroon had “moved because that would cause an outcry in on” from the matter. Cameroon where eight players turned Matip was called up for the finals down call ups for the finals in Gabon, despite having not played for the African soccer sources told Reuters. Indomitable Lions since last year’s World The Cameroon Football Federation Cup in Brazil. (FECAFOOT) has made no official comment “Liverpool have subsequently repeated- on the issue, while Liverpool are consulting ly sought, as a matter of urgency, clarity their lawyers before deciding whether to from FIFA in this regard,” the club said. play him. “It is Liverpool’s view that the player Soccer’s world governing body FIFA told should be available for club football during the Merseyside club to make up their own the period of the competition and (we)will minds on whether Matip could play, saying continue to work for a speedy and unam- on Monday it had directed Liverpool to “the biguous resolution.” applicable provisions” of the regulations. Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said Matip was left out of the squad for he would seek advice from the club’s Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw at lawyers before using Matip. Manchester United and yesterday’s FA Cup “As you can imagine, we are in a lot of third-round replay away to fourth-tier talks. We’ve done transfers quicker than Plymouth Argyle because world governing this. It’s already long term but now it’s get- body FIFA had not confirmed he was eligi- ting really tense on our side,” he told British ble. West Bromwich Albion took the same media. “We’ve tried everything but at the precaution with fullback Allan Nyom for end I have to make the decision. Of course I Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at Tottenham have to ask (Liverpool’s lawyers) but the Hotspur. decision is for me to make. I could put him However, Ajax Amsterdam used keeper in the lineup.” —Reuters PORT-GENTIL: Egypt’s goalkeeper Ahmed El-Shenawy punches the ball away from the goal during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group D foot- Egyptian football star ball match between Mali and Egypt in Port-Gentil yesterday. —AFP placed on ‘terror’ list Egypt held on Cup CAIRO: Egypt has added Mohamed notably the travel ban.” Aboutrika-one of the most successful African footballers of his generation-to ASSET FREEZE its terror watch list on suspicions he The freeze on Aboutrika’s assets is still of Nations return financed the banned Muslim in force, despite two court orders that it Brotherhood, his lawyer said Tuesday. be lifted, Osman added. The Brotherhood was outlawed in In an interview with state-run Al- PORT-GENTIL: Essam El Hadary became the This was always going to be a big test for left was met by a flying header from Marwan 2013, months after the army overthrew Ahram newspaper in May 2015, oldest player ever to appear at the Africa Cup of them against a Malian side who may as well Mohsen, but Mali’s goalkeeper Oumar Sissoko Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, who Aboutrika denied that his company-or Nations as Egypt drew 0-0 with Mali on their have been playing at home. produced a superb reaction stop to turn the ball hailed from the movement. any of his partners-had ever funded the return to the tournament on Tuesday. The 44- The large Malian community in Port-Gentil-an over. —AFP A court official said Tuesday that Islamist movement. Aboutrika is current- year-old goalkeeper came off the bench in the oil-rich seaport perched on Gabon’s western tip- Aboutrika was one of more than 1,500 ly in Qatar working as a commentator for first half to replace the injured Ahmed El turned out to give their side colourful and vocif- people, including Morsi and other BeIN sports channel, Osman told AFP Shennawy and beat the old mark set by compa- erous backing and made up most of the crowd Muslim Brotherhood members behind yesterday. The footballer’s fans took to triot Hossam Hassan, who was 39 when he of 12,600. Mali might have won an early penalty Matches on TV bars, who were added to the watch list social media to express their anger at the played at the 2006 Cup of Nations. Otherwise, when Moussa Marega was bundled over by Ali (Local Timings) last week. ruling, tweeting with the Arabic hashtag the Pharaohs’ return to Africa’s biggest stage Gabr in the box but South African referee Daniel after a seven-year absence proved to be some- Bennett waved play on. El Shennawy then In 2015 a government committee #Aboutrika_is_not_a_terrorist. SPAIN COPA DEL REY froze the assets of the former player for Former Egypt international and thing of an anti-climax with neither side creating touched a Lassana Coulibaly header around the many chances on a terrible playing surface in post before having to be replaced in the 25th Atletico de Madrid v Eibar 21:15 Cairo-based club Al Ahly and Egypt’s Tottenham Hotspur striker Ahmed Port-Gentil. The result means Ghana are in con- minute by El Hadary, who celebrated his 44th beIN SPORTS 1 HD national team, two years after he retired. Hossam, “Mido”, called on authorities to trol of Group D following their 1-0 win against birthday on Sunday. Real Sociedad v Barcelona 23:15 According to an anti-terror law clarify if they had evidence Aboutrika Uganda earlier in the day at the same venue. The veteran did not have much to do and it beIN SPORTS 3 HD imposed in 2015 by President Abdel was linked to terrorism. Ghana meet Mali next on Saturday while Egypt was Egypt who had the best opportunities from Fattah al-Sisi, anyone on the country’s “Until that time we will all keep face Uganda later the same day. “It was a very then on, Tarek Hamed setting up Arsenal mid- ITALIAN CUP terror list is subject to a travel ban, with defending him and I will continue to sup- difficult game. In the second half we played bet- fielder Mohamed Elneny for a first-time effort AS Roma v UC Sampdoria 23:00 their passport and assets liable to be port him,” he tweeted. “I doubt a man of ter but our players were very tired towards the that went narrowly over. Some Malian fans per- beIN SPORTS frozen. Aboutrika helped deliver repeat- his character could do anything against end,” said Egypt’s Argentine coach Hector Cuper. formed their evening prayer in the stadium con- ed victories for Egypt in the African Cup Egypt.” Television presenter Wael al- “We would be much happier of course if we course at half time before returning to witness a AFRICAN NATIONS CUP and played on winning Al Ahly teams in Ibrashy said that “instead of being put on had won but this will not really change too stodgy second period. Egypt could have Algeria v Tunisia 19:00 the African Champions League. He pub- a list of glory, of champions, he has been much what we need to do in our coming games.” opened the scoring on the counterattack in the licly endorsed Morsi’s presidential bid in put on a list of terrorists.” Egypt had not been seen at a Cup of Nations 54th minute, pouncing on a fresh-air swipe by beIN SPORTS 2012.