Saturday, February 2, 2019 Jumada I 27, 1440 AH GULF TIMES SPORT Qatar rejoice in greatest win ‘Today we made history. I’m only thinking about today. It’s a great day for me and the players and the country’ AFP long time and we have good relation- Abu Dhabi ship,” the Spaniard said. “He’s very easy to coach because he’s a hard worker and he deserves atar coach Felix Sanchez everything that has happened to him shrugged off comparisons to in this tournament.” Pep Guardiola yesterday af- Qatar upset former champions ter masterminding a breath- Saudi Arabia, Iraq and South Korea Qtaking Asian Cup victory just three on their march to the fi nal, but those years before the 2022 World Cup on weren’t the only challenges they faced. home turf. The Qataris were pelted with shoes Almoez Ali scored a tournament- and plastic bottles by a hostile home record nine goals and the Maroons crowd as they beat the United Arab conceded only once as they swept to Emirates 4-0 in the semi-fi nals. the fi rst continental title in their his- “I’m very proud to be the Qatar na- tory, beating Japan 3-1 in the fi nal. tional team coach. Today we made his- Ali said he saw shades of Manches- tory. I’m only thinking about today. It’s ter City’s Guardiola in Sanchez, who a great day for me and the players and coached Barcelona’s youth players be- the country,” Sanchez said. fore joining Qatar’s Aspire Academy in Qatar’s Almoez Ali (right) celebrates “There’s always news about this 2006 and working his way through the with coach Felix Sanchez. (AFP) person and that person but we’re fo- ranks. cused on our work and we have the full “I’ve been working with him for But Sanchez told AFP that Ali only support of the QFA. nine years, he’s highly intelligent,” said made the comment “because I’m there “So no concerns about the World the 21-year-old striker. “I compare (listening) and he wants to keep play- Cup, it’s in 2022 and you don’t even him to Guardiola because he has the ing”. know what’s going to happen in two same ideas.” “I’ve worked with Almoez for a very weeks.” (From left) FIFA president Gianni Infantino, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, Qatar’s forward Almoez Ali, who was adjudged Most Valuable Player of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, QFA president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, and AFC and QFA vice-president Saud al-Mohannadi on the Qatar’s Saad al-Sheeb was adjudged podium in Abu Dhabi yesterday. (AFP) Best Goalkeeper of the tournament. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, February 2, 2019 AFC ASIAN CUP SPOTLIGHT Congratulations to the FOCUS people and the leadership in Qatar and all the Arab ‘ nations on the victory of Minister of Culture and Sports the Qatar National Team in Asian Football Confederation the AFC Asian Cup 2019 overcoming the Japanese says national team’s achievement Samurai. Qatar, who president praises Qatar’s honoured the Arabs with this achievement, the Arab down to the Amir’s support people and the people of the historic victory Middle East are also hon- QNA sports play in the progress of peo- and Qatari sports. oured to host the fi rst edition QNA strategies focused on building Doha ple. of FIFA World Cup in the Abu Dhabi a new football generation. HE the Minister of Culture and region in history. He noted the technical Sports congratulated Qatar Football level of the fi nal match was E the Minister of Cul- Association (QFA) and its president — HE Sheikh Joaan sian Football Con- fantastic all around and gave ture and Sports Salah bin HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin bin Hamad al-Thani federation (AFC) a clear picture of the level of Ghanem bin Nasser al- Ahmed al-Thani, as well as every QOC president president Sheikh Asian football, adding that it Ali praised yesterday the national team player who delighted Salman bin Ibra- was the perfect ending to the Hachievement of the Qatari national all Qatari football fans with their Qatar national team is himA al-Khalifa praised yes- tournament. He also high- team after they won the AFC Asian performances on and off the pitch champion of AFC Asian terday the achievement of the lighted that this edition was Cup for the fi rst time in their his- that refl ected the values of the Qa- Cup 2019. Many con- Qatari side after they won the particularly special as it was tory, following the defeat of Japan tari society. ‘ gratulations to Qatar AFC Asian Cup for the fi rst the largest in terms of the 3-1. HE the Minister said that the He stressed that the State of and its people for this his- time in their history, saying number of teams participat- achievement was thanks to the Qatar deserved that achievement, toric achievement. Well done. that the win refl ects the conti- ing. He also highlighted the support of His Highness the Amir adding that the national side was a Great job. nental status of Qatari football. big prize money allocated for Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani clear winner after some outstand- — Mutaz Barshim Sheikh Salman stressed the competition, the superb and his commitment to developing ing performances and record num- world champion high jumper that the Qatari team’s vic- organisation, and the enthu- Qatari sports, and belief in the role bers worthy of the State of Qatar tory is the result of ambitious siastic fan support. COMMENT SUPPORT Qatar celebrate title victory with THE HATERS HAVE Omanis, wait for Doha party Reuters NO PLACE TO HIDE Abu Dhabi It’s only poetic justice that Qatar defeated blockading nations Saudi Arabia and UAE atar’s Abdelkarim Hassan celebrated his coun- try’s maiden Asian Cup title with an Oman fl ag before beating continental giants Japan in the final. It’s a conquest of telling proportions draped over his shoulders yesterday, a graphic recognition of the support the Omanis have givenQ the team throughout a diffi cult tournament. A deep political rift in the Gulf means Qataris, who used to travel freely to the United Arab Emirates, are banned from entering the country without a special per- mit and that resulted in almost none travelling to sup- port their team. They will get their chance to show what the victory means to them in Doha today but in their absence at Za- yed Sport City, thousands of Omanis turned out to cheer them to a 3-1 win over Japan. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June 2017, while Oman has taken a neutral position in the row. “We were here in the UAE and there were no fans and then the Omani fans started coming out to support us and were are very grateful,” Player of the Tournament Almoez Ali told reporters. “We thank them.” Midfi elder Assim Omer Madibo said, “Tomorrow is going to be the offi cial celebration with everybody. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. I’m very happy we made the Qatari people proud of this team.” Qatar enjoyed the support of a few dozen Omanis during their 4-0 semi-fi nal thrashing of the UAE, when sandals and plastic bottles were thrown at Qatar players by Emirati supporters. At the fi nal, they turned out in huge numbers with maroon scarves emblazoned with the world ‘Qatar’ in Arabic over their heads. Others held joint Qatar and Oman fl ags. A group of Omanis, some wearing the maroon scarves, told Reuters before the match they estimated six thou- sand Omanis were coming to the game. “We should support Qatar because we are all Arabs,” said another Omani, Nasir, who did not give his last name. Qatar players pose with the trophy after winning the Asian Cup in Abu Dhabi yesterday. (Reuters) By Anil John Middle East, its people, its politics of which were unheard of before, the tournament was not factored had a population of only 120,000. Sports Editor and the fact that Qatar was a geo- were put in place. in when the country began draw- Aside from the regional Gulf graphically small country where Apart from stadiums and other ing its ambitious plans. Cup, Qatar has since also won the the world’s greatest sporting event sporting infrastructure, highways, But the momentum Qatar had Asian Games gold medal in foot- hen Qatar won the bid would be hosted. hotels, museums, a rail network all built by the time the bid was made ball in 2006 and are also the reign- to host the 2022 FIFA Some of the stuff that people began taking shape, changing the benefi ted the country, and when ing West Asian champions. World Cup in 2010, it said and wrote for years after Qa- landscape of the country. the the bid was fi nally won it had In 2014, however, Qatar’s foun- sent strong tremors tar won that historic bid bordered On the footballing front, mean- gathered so much steam that dation for 2022 was laid when Wsweeping across the established on racism. They questioned Qa- while, serious strategic ground- nothing could have stopped it. Sanchez guided the country to bastions of football. tar’s sporting pedigree, they raised work was already on inside the One major grouse Qatar’s con- victory in the AFC U19 Champi- From Brazil to Japan and from doubts about the validity of its bowels of the Aspire Academy, descending critics still latch on to onship in Myanmar with Akram England to Australia there was a winning bid and raked up issues purpose-built to fuel Qatar’s is that the 2022 FIFA World Cup is Afi f, Almoez Ali, Bassam al-Rawi, kind of shock and awe rarely seen outside the realm of sport.