MONDAY, MAY 8, 2017 SPORTS FIFA gathers in Bahrain under a fresh cloud DOHA: Two years on from the corrup- Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, who is facing World Cup. Under current rules, the breach of FIFA statutes, which forbids Qatar Football Association’s vice-presi- tion crisis which consumed FIFA, foot- corruption allegations in the US. Kuwaiti event cannot be staged in the same another member association playing dent, was stopped at the very last ball’s governing body meets for its lat- Sheikh Ahmad has been named as a co- region more than once every 12 years. on another territory without permis- minute from standing for election for est annual Congress in Bahrain this conspirator of disgraced Guam football However, any change to this policy sion. Israel argues that FIFA rules are the FIFA council. week still far from free of suspicion. It chief Richard Lai, who recently pleaded could allow football’s emerging power, unenforceable as there is no perma- He was then banned from football was May 2015 in Switzerland, as dele- guilty to receiving nearly $1 million in China, to make a bid for the 2030 tour- nent border. for a year after being accused of not co- gates prepared for that year’s Congress, bribes from football officials wanting his nament, just eight years after its AFC operating with a FIFA corruption when plain-clothes officers pounced help to influence FIFA. Sabah’s promi- colleague, Qatar, controversially hosts AFC FINALLY VOTES enquiry. However, last month, in a rare and arrested scores of FIFA officials. The nence across sport cannot be underesti- the 2022 World Cup. But even before the FIFA Congress reversal, Mohannadi won his appeal ramifications of that are still being felt- mated, as he also heads the Association Any such move is likely to be chal- convenes, there could be controversy against the ban handed down by a FIFA with ongoing investigations in the US of National Olympic Committees, the lenged by Argentina and Uruguay in Manama.BRN On May 8, in the same ethics committee. This exoneration and Switzerland-and 24 months later Olympic Council of Asia and has other which wants to jointly host the tourna- venue, the AFC will hold its resched- though was too late for him to apply to fresh problems are emerging for the still senior sport administration posts, ment in 17 years’ time to mark the cen- uled congress to finally elect its FIFA stand for the council again. Mohannadi relatively new leadership of president including with the Asian Football tenary of the very first World Cup, Council members. This vote has been though has said he will be in Bahrain Gianni Infantino. Confederation (AFC). played in Montevideo. Another con- delayed since last September when and has been “examining” ways to run The run-up to this year’s event in Issues on FIFA’s agenda this week tentious issue is that of Israel and the AFC took just 27 minutes to aban- again for election. Another item for the Manama, on May 11, has been over- could also prove contentious. Item 16 is Palestine. The Palestine Football don their extraordinary congress in AFC to decide is whether or not to agree shadowed by the resignation from the a proposal to look at how FIFA allocates Association argues that the presence Goa. The meeting was abruptly can- to Iraq’s request to end the international FIFA council of powerbroker Sheikh its most prestigious tournament, the of six Israeli clubs on its territory is in celled after Saoud Al-Mohannadi, ban on hosting football matches.—AFP GERMAN ROUNDUP Hamburg, Mainz in relegation danger BERLIN: Hamburger SV and Mainz played placed Darmstadt have already been rele- out a scoreless draw yesterday, leaving gated. Freiburg was hosting Schalke in the both teams in danger of relegation with late game.—AP two rounds of the Bundesliga to go. Hamburg’s Christian Mathenia was the busiest of the two ‘keepers in a scrappy game of few clear-cut chances. Mathenia Matches on TV produced a good save to deny Jhon (Local Timings) Cordoba and then Yoshinori Muto from the rebound early on. A long ball put Bobby ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Wood in a good position at the other end but Mainz captain Stefan Bell cleared for a Chelsea v Middlesbrough 22:00 corner. Hamburg is the only founding beIN SPORTS HD 2 member of the league never to have been relegated. It remained in the relegation SPANISH LEAGUE PRIMERA playoff spot, while Mainz was immediately above Hamburg on goal difference. Leganes v Real Betis 21:45 Augsburg and Wolfsburg are both two beIN SPORTS HD 3 points clear, while Ingolstadt and last- French Roundup ROME: Lazio’s midfielder (from Brazil) Felipe Anderson kicks and scores a penalty during the Italian Serie A football match Lazio vs Sampdoria at the Olympic Stadium yesterday. — AFP Lyon beat Nantes 3-2 Lazio demolish Sampdoria PARIS: With top scorer Alexandre Lacazette inside. With penalty-taker Lacazette going off the pitch, promising forward Maxwell off moments earlier, Fekir stepped up and Cornet showed what he could do with two shot confidently beyond goalkeeper Maxime goals as Lyon beat Nantes 3-2 in the French Dupe’s reach. Cornet nodded in from Immobile sparks rout as Lazio pile pressure on Roma league yesterday. The 20-year-old Cornet put Memphis Depay’s corner from the right to Lyon 2-1 up in the 70th minute with a pow- make it 2-1. Neither team could defend set MILAN: Ciro Immobile hit a brace as Lazio thrashed erful header and volleyed in the winner 10 pieces and - after Gillet leveled in the 75th - Sampdoria 7-3 to cut the gap on third-placed minutes later, shortly after captain Guillaume Depay headed on from another corner and Roma to five points in Serie A yesterday. A week Gillet had equalized for Nantes. The win all Cornet beat Dupe with a firm strike. Lyon after a 3-1 romp secured the bragging rights in the Ten-man Torino end but guaranteed Lyon will finish in fourth needs more goals on Thursday, when it faces Rome derby, Lazio extended their impressive end- place, but the result was harsh on a Nantes Ajax in the return leg of their Europa League of-season run of form to lead 5-1 by half-time. side that played attacking football through- semifinal. The Dutch club won 4-1 in Simone Inzaghi’s men made sure there was little Juve winning streak out. After scoring with a bullet header from a Amsterdam last week. Later, third-placed chance of a comeback from the Genoa side with corner, Gillet pointed to the team bench and Nice was away to Marseille. Nice is still hop- Senad Lulic hitting their sixth just after the hour MILAN: Juventus’ record winning streak at did not elbow Dybala. Juventus continued to raced over to slide into the arms of coach ing to finish second and ensure direct qualifi- before Immobile completed his double 20 minutes home was ended by 10-man Torino 1-1 in an waste chances, forcing coach Massimiliano Sergio Conceicao. cation for the Champions League, while from time. enthralling Derby della Mole on Saturday. Adem Allegri to send on Higuain, whom he was rest- What a difference Conceicao has made Marseille is engaged in a close battle with Lazio’s 21st win of the campaign left the capital Ljajic’s sublime 52nd-minute free kick looked to ing for the Champions League semifinal against since taking charge in early December, with Bordeaux for fifth and a spot in the Europa side in fourth but Roma, and a possible Champions have given Torino a rare derby victory but Monaco on Tuesday. Higuain rescued Juve by Nantes languishing in 19th place and League. Monaco took a big step toward the League qualifying place, remain in sight with three Juventus escaped thanks to substitute Gonzalo controlling Miralem Pjanic’s pass with one morale at rock-bottom. The team is now in league title with a 3-0 win away to Nancy on games left to play. Now 11 points ahead of sixth- Higuain’s stoppage-time strike. Four minutes touch on the edge of the box and drilling into eighth place and everyone playing for each Saturday, while defending champion Paris placed AC Milan, Lazio are guaranteed at least after Torino scored, midfielder Afriyie Acquah the bottom left corner. other. The straight-talking Conceicao, a for- Saint-Germain maintained an outside Europa League football next season. “We played was sent off for a second booking. Torino coach mer Portugal winger, has instilled great chance with a 5-0 home win against Bastia. great,” said Lazio left-back Jordan Lukaku. “It wasn’t Sinisa Mihajlovic was so incensed that he NAPOLI 3, CAGLIARI 1 confidence in players who were clearly easy to produce a repeat of our derby win, but aggressively approached the fourth official and Dries Mertens marked his 30th birthday with lacking motivation. Midfielder Valentin RENNES 1, MONTPELLIER 0 every one of us put everything into this game.” referee and was dismissed as well. two goals and an assist to help Napoli move Rongier put Nantes 1-0 up in the 19th When Montpellier defender half Daniel Roma, 10 points behind leaders Juventus and “Just as I could see that he took the ball into second in Serie A, two points above Roma. minute when he beat goalkeeper Anthony Congre slipped near the halfway line, two behind Napoli, visit the San Siro later where cleanly, the fourth official should have seen it “I’ve run out of adjectives for Dries,” Napoli Lopes from the edge of the penalty area.