SPORT Wednesday 5 June 2019 PAGE | 18 PAGE | 18 India plan Pakistan keen to pace assault shed ‘unpredictable’ against tag after win South Africa over England Asian Champions Qatar take on global giants Brazil in friendly CHINTHANA WASALA THE PENINSULA “We“We hadh a d a Qatar will try to test their skills against greatgreat AsianAs an CupCCuup Dani Alves-led Brazil in their friendly andand it waswaass a bigb g meeting in Brasilia, today. The match achievement.a hii eeveemm e nntt.. will kick off at 3.30am Qatar time Hopefully,oppefulllyy, itit willwwiilll helpheelllpp tomorrow at the Estadio Nacional de us toto competecoommppeette butbbuut thistthhiiss isis a Brasilia, the second largest stadium differentdiffffferennt competitioncoommppeeettittiioon andaannd itit in Brazil. iss ourour firstfiirsstt timettimimme toto playppllalay The five-time world champions againstgainnst SouthSSouuutth AmericanAAmmeereririciccaann Brazil, ranked third in the FIFA com- teams.te ms. puter, have a 1-0 head-to-head record “We“We wantwwaant toto performppeerrffoorrmm atat thethehe against the Qatari men, having won highesthighest levelevvveel andannd seesseee howhhoow wewe canccaaann 6-1 in their previous meeting which competecompet againstagagagagainststs Argentina,Arrgrgegeennttintiinaa, Brazil,Brraazaziill,, took place way back in 1979. andand Uruguay;Uruguayayy; theythet ey arearare formerfof rmmmeere WorldWWororrldld During today’s friendly, all eyes CupCup champions.ch mppioionons.. ItIt iss goingggoioiingg toto bebe will be on the PSG star Neymar who toughtough butb t it willwwiwill bebe a goodgoododd testtetesestesst too seesseeeee was recently stripped of the howhow readyre dy wew areare fofor 2022.200222.. ThereThhehererrree captaincy. willwill be a lotlot ofof physicalphyp ysiciciicaal demandsdemmaaannndds butbbuut Brazil, managed by Tite, will be thethe playersplayers areree motivated,”motimotiivatevav t dd”d, SanchezSSaancaanncnchhehezezz led by the new skipper Dani Alves and said.said. and will miss the services of Allison “Our“Ou participationparticcipationn inin thetthe CopaCCooppaa and Roberto Firmino, who are fresh AmericaAmeric cancan be seenseen asa a significantsiigniffiiccannt off winning the Champions League stepstep in ourour journeyjournney towardstowowowards theth WorldWWoorlld with Liverpool, and rejoining the team Cup, a journeyj urney thatthath wee startedstartartedd somesoomomemee later this week. time ago.ag In Brazil,Brazil,il we’llwe’w lll playplaylalay againstagagaigaiinstst Qatar, meanwhile, will be trying experiencedexperie ced teamsteammsths thatthata arearee certainlycertertaiinlynlynllyy their best to prove that their Asian Cup ofof a higherhigher calicalibreibbrbre thanthaan whwhawhathah t wwee sassawawaw title win in February is no fluke. at thethe AsianAs an tournament,”touurnamamment,nt,” hehe toldtold FIFAFFIIFAFA Qatar’s Akram Afif in action during a training In the Asian Cup, Qatar went on in anan interviewin ervieww fewf daysdayda ago.agagogoo. session ahead of today’s friendly against Brazil. a rampage, winning all seven of their “Our“Ou groupgroupp includesincluuddedes Argentina,AArgegentntinna, matches with 19 goals, conceding just whosewhose abilitiesabilitiess are wellwwe known,knknowwnwn, anda d one. They defeated Saudi Arabia, Colombia,a, whowho areaare exceptionallyexcecepeptioonallyy gogoodd North Korea and Lebanon in the group The World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar Brazil are in Group A alongside performers,ers, whetherwhwhetherr ata WorldWorldo d CupsCCuCupps stage, before running through the are in Group B alongside Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru. or the Copaopa America.Ammerica.a. ParaguayPParragaguauaay alsoaalsso knockout stage with wins of South Colombia and Paraguay. They are one “We want to gain more experience boast a pedigreededigreeeed history.histostorory.y So,So,o I believebbelelieveievee Korea and Japan in the final. of two invitee teams to the South and see how close we are to the South these matchesatchees willwill serveserveve asa an The Brazil friendly will be the American tournament alongside American teams ahead of bigger importantt stagingstaginging postposttf forforor meme andannd thethhe perfect opportunity for coach Felix Japan, making their second opponents and competitions,” players. They’llThey’llll telltetell us wherewhwhehere wewe cur-cuc r- Qatar coach Felix Sanchez’s men, who are making their appearance. Sanchez said during a press con- rently standand and whatwhawhat wee neednneeneeeddto toto dodo Sanchez debut appearance in Copa America Qatar will open their campaign ference ahead of the team’s trip to in the nextxt phase,”phashase,”, thethh SpanSpaSSpanishpanananishishh tactac-acc- which kicks off in another 10 days. against Paraguay on June 16, while South America. tician said.d. Qatar’s Al Ansari China to host ‘launchpad’ 2023 Asian Cup elected Deputy AFP football in Asia and beyond,” said launchpad for the great Chinese Jinping has stated his aim for the Chairperson of AFC PARIS Sheikh Salman, FIFA’s second-in- football teams of the future and more country to stage the showpiece World command, who was reelected to a importantly can place football as the Cup one day, with 2030 and 2034 Appeal Committee Asia’s football chief Sheikh Salman fresh four-year term as AFC president number one sport in the country.” often mentioned as possibilities, and bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said yesterday in April. Last month South Korea aban- wants the country to become a major that China’s staging of the 2023 Asian “Football has the chance to unlock doned their bid to stage the tour- force in the sport. QNA Cup would serve as a “launchpad” for the potential that exists in the world’s nament, leaving China as the sole can- It will mark the second time China PARIS the country’s teams of the future. most populous country. didates with a free run to become hosts. has hosted the quadrennial conti- China was confirmed earlier “We have seen the rise of the Thailand and Indonesia had also nental tournament, after the 2004 Qatar’s Salman A Al Ansari has been elected as Tuesday as host at the AFC’s Extraor- game under the direction and previously expressed interest in edition when they finished runners- Deputy Chairperson of the Asian Football dinary Congress in Paris after all the investment of the Chinese hosting the 2023 event, but had up to Japan. Confederation (AFC) Appeal Committee at the other countries in the running government. dropped out earlier. The bid proposed 12 candidate AFC Extraordinary Congress in Paris, France. dropped their bids, giving the Chinese “Now, we have the chance with This year’s Asian Cup in the UAE cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, The AFC Member Associations have elected a possible dry-run for organising a this Asian Cup to develop a sure was expanded to 24 nations for the Guangzhou and Xian, and there are today the chairpersons, deputy chairpersons future World Cup. legacy for the global game. first time with Qatar winning the final. plans to construct nine new football- and members of the AFCs judicial bodies - AFC “This is an important moment for “The Asian Cup can provide a China’s football fan President Xi only stadiums by the end of 2021. Disciplinary and Ethics Committee, AFC Entry Control Body and the AFC Appeal Committee. All members will now serve for a period of four years based on the recommendation of the Toulon Tournament: Qatar’s Olympic side meets Guatemala AFC Executive Committee. The full list of the AFC’s judicial bodies are as follows: Qatar U23 team players take part in a training AFC APPEAL COMMITTEE: session yesterday, Chairperson: Jahangir Baglari (Iran); Deputy ahead of their second Chairperson: Salman A. Al Ansari (Qatar); match of the Toulon Dong-Ho Lim (Korea Republic); Saaran Nad- Tournament against arajah (Malaysia); Syed Nayyar Hasnain Guatemala which will Haider (Pakistan); and Nguyen Thi My Dzung be played at the Stade (Vietnam) Marcel Roustan Stadium AFC DISCIPLINARY AND ETHIC in Salon-de-Provence, COMMITTEE Southern France, today. Chairperson: Lim Kia Tong (Singapore); Deputy Chairperson: Shen Rui (China); Tim This is the sixth time that Holden (Australia); Yusuf Mohamed Yaqoob Qatar is featuring in the Yaqoobi (Bahrain); Kengo Harima (Japan); tournament. Qatar squad Khaled J Al Zamel (Kuwait); Ismail Zumayl is using the Toulon Rasheed (Maldives); Atty. Guillermo B. Iroy Jr. Tournament to get (Philippines); Yaseer H. Al Misehal (Saudi match practice before Arabia) feature in the AFC Asian AFC ENTRY CONTROL BODY U-23 Cup to be played in Chairperson: Liu Chi (China PR); First Thailand next year. The Deputy: Judge Rauf Soulio (Australia); Second event in Thailand will Deputy: Ahmadreza Barati (Iran); Third act as the qualifier for Deputy: Sheikh Mohd Nasir bin Sheikh Mohd Olympic Games in Tokyo Sharif (Malaysia); and Fourth Deputy: Dr. 2020. Khaled Hassan S. Banaser (Saudi Arabia). WEDNESDAY 5 JUNE 2019 SPORT 17 It’s a great satisfaction to be in TODAY TOMORROW another semi-final, there are lots of emotions. My level has been very Rafael Nadal South Africa vs India Australia vs West Indies 12:30pm (Qatar time) 12:30pm (Qatar time) good throughout the tournament and After beating Nishikori to Bangladesh vs New Zealand Match No: 10 I am happy to be able to come back reach his 31st Slam 3:30pm (Qatar time) At Trent Bridge, West Bridgford and play another day. semi-final yesterday. Warriors Federer, Nadal set up French battered and bruised in Open semi-final blockbuster NBA Finals AFP AFP FRENCH OPEN OAKLAND, UNITED