FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 SSHOOTINGHOOTING | Page 7 Hamburg Dablan and closer to al-Khalaf relegation with claim Qatar Frankfurt loss Cup trap titles Sunday, May 6, 2018 TENNIS Sha’baan 20, 1439 AH Kvitova battles past GULF TIMES Buzarnescu to win first Prague title SPORT Page 3 FOCUS SPOTLIGHT Neymar returns to PSG training ground, works out Al Sadd gear up for AFP appearances this season for PSG, who paid Paris 222mn euros ($263mn) for him last summer, AFC Champions seem slim. Neymar is expected to watch from the eymar returned to the Paris Saint- stands at the Stade de France on Tuesday Germain training centre yesterday when PSG take on third-division Les Her- League tie and the club tweeted photos of the biers in the French Cup fi nal. He should then Brazilian star working out in the gym. take part in the league title celebration next By Sports Reporter AFC Champions League match NThe pictures showed the world’s most ex- Saturday when PSG entertain Rennes at the to be played. Doha pensive player grimacing as he lifted weights Parc des Princes. “It was a good result against Al and working out on leg-strengthening After that, PSG have just one match, away Khor that gives us a psychologi- equipment. One photo showed him walk- to Caen on May 19. l Sadd’s squad trained cal boost ahead. Our focus now ing barefoot in a sand-covered area used by Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar, who yesterday at the club’s is on the AFC Champions League players returning from injury. operated on Neymar, told Folha, a Sao Paulo training facility, as game against Al Ahli. I am dis- Neymar fl ew back into France on Friday to newspaper, that the goal is to have the player they prepared for the appointed that some of our key rejoin the club after an operation on a broken “100 percent fi t for the start of training camp” Alast 16 AFC Champions League players will miss that game due foot bone in March. in Brazil on May 21. game against Saudi’s Al Ahli. to injury,” Ferreira said. He has made clear that his main target is PSG were held to a 2-2 draw at Amiens in Ligue The fi rst leg will be played at the “All of us are now thinking to be fi t to play for Brazil in the World Cup in 1 on Friday, dashing their hopes of reaching 100 Jassim bin Hamad Stadium to- about the game against Al Ahli. Russia, which kicks off in 40 days. points for the season, while Nimes won promo- morrow with the kickoff slated Nobody is thinking about the The chances of Neymar adding to his 30 tion back to the top fl ight after a 25-year wait. for 7:15pm. The return fi xture is Amir’s Cup semifi nal. We will be scheduled for May 14th in Jed- at our best going into the game,” dah. he added. The Al Ahli team arrived in Ferreira revealed Ali Asad, FOOTBALL / ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Doha yesterday evening. Al Sadd Jugurtha Hamroun and Pedro qualifi ed for the knockout stage will miss out for the AFC Cham- after fi nishing second in Group pions League home game. Bagh- C with 12 points, while Al Ahli dad Bounedjah, who did not play topped Group A. in the Amir Cup quarter-fi nal On Thursday, Al Sadd had de- after being handed two-match feated Al Khor 4-0 in the quar- suspension for showing dissent ter-fi nals of the Amir Cup, to set in the Qatar Cup fi nal loss to Al West Brom stave off up a semifi nal clash with Al-Du- Duhail, will return to the side hail next Friday. against Al Ahli. Al Sadd head coach Jesualdo Meanwhile, Duhail will be in Ferreira praised his players for an action in the AFC Champions excellent performance after the League on Tuesday. The QNB win over Al Khor and said he had Stars League champions will take asked his players not to exhaust on UAE’s Al Ain in the round of drop, Stoke relegated themselves, especially with the 16 tie. ‘Through hard work and commitment results are coming’ AFP London ake Livermore kept alive West Bromwich Albion’s slender hopes of avoiding relegation as his last- gasp strike clinched a dramatic 1-0 Jwin over Tottenham, while Stoke were relegated after a 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace yesterday. Albion knew only three points at the Hawthorns would be enough to stave off relegation for a few hours at least. With Darren Moore’s side just minutes away from dropping into the Champion- ship, Livermore sparked wild celebra- tions when the midfi elder prodded home after a goal-mouth scramble two minutes into stoppage time. Incredibly, Albion were on the brink of relegation again just hours later when fel- Captain Xavi Hernandez and his Al Sadd teammates train in Doha low strugglers Southampton took a sec- yesterday. PICTURE: Othman Iraqi ond-half lead through Nathan Redmond at Everton. But, with just seconds left in stop- page time, Tom Davies’s defl ected strike Japan, Qatar get invites to 2019 rescued a 1-1 draw for Everton and saved West Brom from being relegated for now. Copa America in Brazil West Brom, owned by Chinese entre- preneur are two points from safety with The 2019 Copa America in Bra- Cup, is new. one game left as they fi ght to extend their zil will feature 10 teams from CONMEBOL said the presence eight-season stay in the Premier League. South America plus invited of the two non-Latin nations Albion’s last game of the season is at guests Japan and Qatar, the is due to the “great interest of Palace next Sunday, but they will go down South American Football Con- the Asian Football Confedera- if there is a winner between third-bottom federation (CONMEBOL) said tion in participating in CON- Swansea and fourth-bottom Southamp- on Friday. Several nations have MEBOL tournaments and to ton at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday. had special invitations since the South American Football A draw would take the relegation battle 1993, including Japan who Confederation’s commitment down to the last weekend. played at the 1999 tournament to developing football around “We have been on this road for four, West Brom’s James McClean (left) and teammate Jake Livermore (right) vie for the ball with Tottenham’s Erik Lamela during their in Paraguay. the world.” nearly fi ve weeks. We wanted to get some English Premier League match at The Hawthorns in West Bromwich yesterday. (Reuters) The guests usually come The Copa America, which pride and commitment back,” Moore the neighbouring North and started in 1916, is world’s said. and that will probably determine who Paul Lambert’s side are bottom, three fourth-tier Coventry. Central America and the oldest international soccer “Through hard work and commitment goes up and who goes down,” Hughes points from safety, with only one game Hughes could suff er the indignity of Caribbean confederation so tournament. Next year’s hosts results are coming.” said. remaining. having a role in two relegations in one the inclusion of Qatar, the Gulf Brazil have not won the trophy Since replacing the sacked Alan “We will be ready. Swansea will know Stoke have spent 10 seasons in the season as his Southampton side are in nation hosting the 2022 World since 2007. Pardew in early April, Moore has mas- they are in a game.” Premier League, but a run of 13 games trouble themselves. terminded a signifi cant improvement in Huddersfi eld, two points above the without a victory ensured that streak will “My emotions are up and down. It is a Ferguson recovering in hospital Albion’s form. bottom three, are also in trouble as they come to an end. tough afternoon. I am feeling for every- Wins over Manchester United, New- prepare to face champions Manchester Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland was in one connected with the club,” Lambert following brain surgery castle and Tottenham, as well as a draw City today. tears at the fi nal whistle and City fans said. “When teams don’t get results you against Champions League fi nalists Liv- Fourth-placed Tottenham’s defeat were just as emotional as the realisation can be sleep-walking into positions you Alex Ferguson, the most suc- Ferguson’s son Darren, the erpool, have kept them dreaming of an leaves them fi ve points ahead of fi fth- of their team’s relegation sank in. don’t want to be in.” cessful manager in Manches- manager of Doncaster Rovers, epic escape act. placed Chelsea, who can close the gap Swansea missed a chance to boost their ter United’s history, underwent was reported to have missed Southampton, who had Japanese de- in the race to qualify for the Champions ‘TOUGH AFTERNOON’ survival bid as Bournemouth won 1-0 at emergency surgery yesterday his team’s match on Saturday fender Maya Yoshida sent off in the 86th League if they beat Liverpool today. Hundreds left in the closing minutes be- Dean Court. for a brain haemorrhage, the for family reasons. minute, were crushed by Davies’s late in- At the bet365 Stadium, Stoke had fore those that remained sang “City til I Ryan Fraser blasted home with a quick club said. “The procedure has The 76-year-old was United tervention. hope of staying up when Xherdan Shaqiri die” in a defi ant rallying cry.