WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019 It wasn’t an easy situation. The players managed their emotions PREMIER LEAGUE quite well. I’m very proud of them – Qatar coach Felix Sanchez LIVERPOOL VS LEICESTER CITY NATION QATAR’S GREAT SHOW OF APPLAUDS “WITH a co- ordinated and manly play, Qatar entered the AFC Cup finals at the STRENGTH & CHARACTER expense of the hosts UAE team in front of their fans. Qatar imposed the same superior- ity and style in this match as they did in all the five previ- ous games, winning with clean slate. God willing, the Asian Cup 2019 will come to Qatar.” – Qatar Olympic Committee President His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al Thani “CONGRATU- LATIONS to our national team - Qatar 4 - UAE 0 <<<< #Asian- Cup2019 # – Triple Dakar Rally cham- pion Nasser bin Saleh al Attiyah “OH God thousand of thanks to you (for the win) and thousand of thanks to the Qatari team. You have written new history in the capital of the Emirates and qualified for the final.” – World high jump champion Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar in his tweet “THOUSANDS of con- gratulation to the Qatar team....God is with you (in the final of the Asian Cup against Japan).” – World 400m hurdles sensation Abderrahman Samba on his Twitter account “CONGRATU- LATIONS to our young team for the superb job. They played a cool game. As I had said be- fore that they have already made history. And the slick performances Scoreline they are producing, my gut feeling says Qatar is going Qatar 4 (Khouki 22, to win the Asian Cup and Ali 37, Haydos 80, we’ll all go to the airport to Ismaeil 90+3) UAE 0 welcome our young heroes.” – Qatar’s former basketball captain Yaseen Musa Qatar players celebrate their captain Hassan al Haydos’ goal against the UAE during their AFC Asian Cup 2019 semi-final in Abu habiD on Tuesday. “THANKS... For rational AFP leadership ABU DHABI on limitless Qatar’s qualification to Asian Cup final, a heroic victory: Minister of Culture & Sports support. QATAR punished unwelcom- THANKS... For ing hosts United Arab Emir- QNA determination of the Qatari team. It the national team. professional ates 4-0 in a politically charged DOHA has honoured Qatar’s football lovers HE the Minister praised the ef- and adminis- clash marred by disgraceful and demonstrated a lesson in dedi- forts of the players who exerted ex- trative staff behaviour from shoe-throwing HE Salah bin Ghanem al Ali – Min- cation and teamwork. traordinary effort, as well as the tech- on professional work. fans Tuesday to reach their ister of Culture and Sports termed On the occasion, the Minister con- nical and administrative staff. THANKS... To players for their first Asian Cup final. Qatar’s qualification to the Asian Cup gratulated the wise leadership of the He wished Al Annabi all success performance and fighting The Qataris, whose na- 2019 final on Tuesday a natural re- country, the Qatari people and resi- against Japan in the final to be played qualities. tional anthem was drowned sult of their performances and firm dents of Qatar. on Friday, noting that the match A thousand congratulations by boos before the game, face He noted that the Qatari football will be difficult, but the confidence to the people of Qatar on this Japan in Friday’s final after has begun to reap fruits of the efforts that the Qatari team has shown is achievement and Inshallah, goals from Boualem Khoukhi, Minister of Culture and Sports of Aspire Academy for sports excel- great and would help them achieve the Cup will come to Qatar.” Almoez Ali, Hasan al Haydos HE Salah bin Ghanem al Ali lence and the potential it offers to greater results. – QOC Secretary-General and Hamid Ismaeil sealed vic- Jassim Rashid al Buenain tory for the 2022 World Cup hosts amid ugly scenes in Abu there was going to be a lot of der UAE goalkeeper Khalid goals in a single Asian Cup. a goal back after the interval was then shown a red card in “FANTASTIC victory for Dhabi. As they celebrated a pressure but they managed Eisa, to the horror of a hostile As Almoez celebrated, when Ali Mabkhout forced stoppage time for an elbow on Qatar. Congratulations to famous win and record sixth their emotions quite well – I’m crowd of 38,000. more bottles and even shoes Saad al Sheeb into a fingertip Hajri, before Ismaeil added the players, the coach and clean sheet at a single Asian very proud of them.” Afif was then targeted by were flung at the players. save before Ahmed Khalil also a breakaway fourth to com- the support staff. It was a Cup, plastic bottles rained A match bristling with sim- bottle-throwing Emirati fans as A half-time entertainer tested Al Sheeb’s reflexes. pound UAE’s misery. very composed and clini- down from angry local fans mering regional tension over he tried to take a corner, appeal- sang “Let’s bring Asia togeth- But Qatar never looked se- “I apologise to the leader- cal performance. Inshallah, – as they had for each Qatari the long-standing Gulf blockade ing desperately to the referee as er” but there was little har- riously troubled and captain ship of the country,” said Al- Qatar will have the positive goal, with midfielder Salem al of Qatar quickly burst into life he stepped away from the kick. mony in evidence as the crowd Haydos coolly chipped in a berto Zaccheroni after his last result against Japan in the Hajri even hit on the head af- as a meaty tackle from Bandar Qatar exacted swift retribu- – boosted by mass give-aways third to spark further chaos as game as Emirates coach. final too. Not only in football, ter their third. al Ahbabi on Akram Afif put the tion eight minutes before the exclusively to locals – contin- the atmosphere began to turn “I don’t think the sensitiv- Qatar will be No. 1 in every “It wasn’t an easy situa- Qatari midfielder up in the air. break, however, Ali smashing ued to hurl abuse. sinister, Al Hajri knocked to ity of the fixture had any impact sport. tion,” admitted Qatar coach But Qatar drew first home a right-footed shot from Runners-up the last time the ground as more missiles on the result. We simply failed – Adel Hussain, the former Felix Sanchez. blood after 21 minutes when the edge of the box to equal they hosted the Asian Cup streamed onto the pitch. in our objective and I assume T2 world champion “The players were aware Khoukhi’s shot squirted un- Ali Daei’s 1996 record of eight in 1996, UAE almost pulled Defender Ismail Ahmed full responsibility.” 16 Wednesday, January 30, 2019 Sports ASIAN CUP 2019: QATAR 4 UAE 0 AWESOME ALMOEZ ON PAR WITH IRAN GREAT ALI DAEI IKOLI VICTOR the Qatari’s right-footed shot from the edge DOHA of the box gave goalkeeper Khalid Eisa no chance, collecting a pass 35-yard from the AL Duhail superstar Almoez Ali scored a opponents’ box before racing to the vital stunning goal in Qatar’s 4-0 semi-final area to curl the ball into the far right of the Telling strike VICTORY against the United Arab Emirates Emirati’s post. at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium on “I would like to congratulate the Qa- Almoez Ali’s Tuesday and equalled a 22-year-old Asian tari people back home who supported Cup record jointly held by Iranian legend Ali us since the start of the tournament. 37th-minute strike Daei along the way. Also, thanks to my teammates who was his eighth in six Much has been talked and written about gave their all. They proved their the 22-year-old who has been suffering a worth on the pitch. We achieved matches in the UAE mini dip in form, not scoring in two knock- a dream of all Qataris and hope- and meant that the out stage matches. fully, we’ll do better in the future,” After scoring seven goals, having seven Almoez said. Aspire Academy shots on target and 10 shots in total in the “I wasn’t really thinking of equal- product became only Asian Cup group stages, Almoez had re- ing Ali Daei’s record. I just left it to corded just three shots with one on target in fate and thankfully I managed to score a the second man to the Round of 16 and quarter-final ties. How- goal and bring joy to my parents, the Qatari score eight goals in a ever, Almoez once again silenced his critics people and my teammates,” the 22-year-old and proved he can rise to the big occasion by added. single AFC Asian Cup scoring a peach of a goal. It was also a crucial moment in the semi- and and equal a Almoez’s 37th-minute strike was his final, giving Felix Sanchez’s side a 2-0 lead eighth in six matches in the UAE and meant on the verge of half-time, a lead they never 22-year-old record that the Aspire Academy product became looked likely to relinquish on the way to their jointly held by Iranian only the second man to score eight goals in first ever AFC Asian Cup final. a single AFC Asian Cup. While the record is shared between stars legend Ali Daei Coincidentally, Daei’s record was also set of two generations, for now, Ali will have in the 1996 Asian Cup in the UAE.