CRICKET | Page 6 TTENNISENNIS | Page 10 Openers, Nadal makes bowlers script commanding Delhi’s win start to Madrid over Lions Masters Wednesday, May 4, 2016 FOOTBALL Rajab 27, 1437 AH Ranieri proves nice GULF TIMES guys do not always come second SPORT Page 3 AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE / PREVIEW Lekhwiya’s Flores to return against Bunyodkor ‘We respect our opponents but we will be focusing on the next matches we have in the competition’ AFC injuries or other players who didn’t Doha have a lot of playing time this season. I hope that we will give a good perform- ance and get a positive result.” panish defender Chico Flores Lekhwiya are guaranteed to fi nish will return to Djamal Belmadi’s in second place behind Iran’s Zobahan squad as Lekhwiya prepare to with Al Nassr third and Bunyodkor in take on Uzbekistan’s Bunyod- fourth, with the Uzbeks incapable of Skor in the fi nal round of group matches surpassing the Saudi Arabian side due in the 2016 AFC Champions League to an inferior head-to-head record be- today. tween the two teams. The former Swansea City man was Despite their disappointing cam- suspended for Matchday Five but is paign, though, Bunyodkor coach Sergey now available, although Lekhwiya will Lushchan is hoping his team can sign off be without midfi elder Ahmed Maq- their involvement in the 2016 competi- soud, who is serving a one-game ban. tion with a fi rst win of the campaign. Lekhwiya, who have already booked “We want to have a positive end to their place in the next phase as run- the competition. We want to put in a ners-up in Group B, will be looking to good performance despite the fact we bounce back from the disappointment have failed to qualify for the knock- of losing in the fi nal of the Qatar Cup Lekhwiya coach Djamel Belmadi; out stage,” he said. “The match will be on Friday against fellow AFC Champi- (right) defender Chico Flores (left) important to gain experience against a ons League participants El Jaish. makes a return after a suspension. strong team. “We are playing against Bunyodkor “We lost in the previous round against in a match which will not aff ect our will be focusing on the next matches Lekhwiya at home and hopefully the standing in the group as we have al- we have in the competition. players will have a good reaction tomor- ready secured our place in the knock- “The importance of the match is row. If we get the three points then it will out stage,” said Belmadi. that it will be a chance to prepare the be a positive end for our campaign in this “We respect our opponents but we players who recently recovered from year’s competition.” REPORT Ahli’s win over Jaish not enough to reach Rd of 16 AFC Jeddah arquinho and Osama Haw- sawi scored to earn Al Ahli a 2-0 win over Qatar’s El Jaish yesterday, but it was Mnot enough to secure Christian Gross’ team a place in the Round of 16 of the 2016 AFC Champions League. Al Ahli needed all three points while hoping Al Ain slipped up against Uz- bekistan’s Nasaf to have any chance of progressing to the knockout phase of the competition. But with the Emiratis picking up a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan’s Nasaf in the other game played in the group, Al Ahli’s points total of nine from six games left them one adrift as El Jaish and Al Ain booked their places in the next phase. Al Ahli started impressively and, with 16 minutes on the clock, Moham- ed al-Fatil headed just over the bar while eight minutes before the interval Muhannad al-Asiri also saw his head- ed attempt sail just over the target. In between, Wagner Ribeiro twice tried his luck from outside the area, only for both to be just off target. Al Ahli’s introduction of Greece international midfi elder Giannis Fet- fatzidis at the start of the second half turned the game decisively in the home side’s favour. It was from Fetfatzidis’ cross that Ali al-Zubaidi should have scored, but the defender planting his downward header too fi rmly into the turf before the ball bounced over the Marquino (right) of Saudi club Al Ahli vies for the ball with El Jaish’s Yousef Muftah bar in the 52nd minute. during their AFC Champions League group D match in Jeddah yesterday. (AFP) Six minutes later Marquinho’s tight turn took him past the El Jaish de- Mansoor al-Harbi on the left side of when he stooped to head the ball home fence before hitting a shot that was the penalty area and his cut-back from in the 85th minute following Fetfatz- well saved by Saoud Mubarak. Taiseer the bye-line was parried into the path idis’ corner from the left side, but in al-Jassem’s header soon after was of Marquinho by Mubarak and the the end it was not enough to maintain straight at the goalkeeper. midfi elder made no mistake. the Jeddah-based club’s interest in the Al Ahli fi nally broke through in the Former Al Hilal defender Hawsawi 2016 edition of the continental club 62nd minute when Fetfatzidis released ensured Al Ahli took all three points championship. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, May 4, 2016 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT IN SHORT Celebratory lunch for Leicester City’s Leicester City win title winning heroes the EPL title aft er Leicester City’s captain Wes Morgan (C) is mobbed by fans as he a fairytale season leaves an Italian restaurant after having lunch with teammates. Leicester City’s triumphant “It was an amazing achieve- ‘I’m so proud. I’m happy for my players... and the Leicester community. It’s an amazing Premier League title-winners ment. We wanted to do were applauded by well-wish- something special, but no one feeling and I’m so happy for everyone. I never expected this when I arrived’ ers as they arrived at an Italian could have believed we would restaurant in the city for a do this. I was at home with my celebratory lunch yesterday. wife. Nothing more. I celebrate Italian manager Claudio Rani- with my wife and family.” eri, star striker Jamie Vardy Leicester’s 5,000-1 triumph and Thai chairman Vichai sent fans spilling into the Srivaddhanaprabha were all streets of the east Midlands in attendance at the San Carlo city, with around 1,000 assem- restaurant to celebrate the bling at the club’s King Power first title in the club’s 132-year Stadium. history. Captain Wes Morgan will be Vardy invited his teammates presented with the trophy round to his house to watch after Saturday’s final home Monday’s 2-2 draw between game against Everton. Chelsea and second-place “I am going to try to hold back Tottenham Hotspur, which the tears,” said Morgan, a handed Leicester the title. Jamaica international. “It is go- Ranieri, who watched the ing to be very emotional. match at home with his wife, “It hasn’t sunk in yet. It was a told Sky Sports: “I believed long night celebrating and I last night. Of course you feel am feeling a bit drained at the something, but I am a prag- moment. After the initial eu- matic man and I know football phoria a lot of people couldn’t well. Something strange could believe what had happened. happen. There were a few tears.” Infantino hails Leicester’s ‘beautiful football story’ FIFA president Gianni Infan- fans because this is the magic tino yesterday hailed Leicester of football. City’s unlikely English Premier “So big, big, big congratula- League triumph as a “fairy- tions to the club, to (Claudio) tale” come true. Ranieri, to the players. They “It’s a fairytale. It’s one of have their place in the Cham- these beautiful football pions League on sporting stories that only football can merit.” write and no one would have Ranieri’s side, considered one of believed possible at the begin- the candidates for relegation at ning of the season,” Infantino the start of the season, clinched told reporters in Budapest. the English title on Monday “Not only does it make the when second-placed Totten- Leicester fans very happy and ham Hotspur failed to beat very proud but all football Chelsea to stay in the race. Leicester City fans celebrate with flags after their team won the Premier League title. The Guardian his 96-year-old mother, Ranieri said: sacked yet, in keeping with his image, the “It’s the best feeling of my career ‘Phenomenal’ Leicester deserving London “I’m so proud. I’m happy for my players, Italian never returned fi re on his critics. and I couldn’t be prouder that it’s champions - Zidane for the chairman, for the staff at Leicester Instead, he quietly went about the job as part of this team. Everyone’s City, all our fans and the Leicester com- of transforming Leicester into title chal- worked so hard for this, nobody Real Madrid coach Zinedine one of the Premier League’s eicester City have completed one munity. It’s an amazing feeling and I’m so lengers, only admitting that they were in believed we could do it, but here Zidane hailed Leicester City’s elite left embarrassed as 5,000- of the most remarkable stories in happy for everyone. I never expected this the race four matches before the end of we are, Premier League champions remarkable Premier League 1 longshots Leicester sealed the the history of English football by when I arrived.” the season.