Sharapova to meet Serena in first round of US Open PAGE 12 FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 India-Pakistan Davis Cup tie QNB STARS LEAGUE postponed over security fears PAGE 12 Al Rayyan vs Umm Salal (7.30pm) Al Gharafa provide coach Jokanovic a perfect start Cheetahs thump Al Shahania 3-0 AYENI OLUSEGUN DOHA Al Rayyan players in training ahead of their match against Umm Salal. AHMED Alaaeldin bagged a brace as Al Gharafa overcame a resilient Al Shahania 3-0 in Diego Aguirre seeks their QNB Stars League open- er at the Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday while Al Sailiya winning mentality for were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Al Khor. A perfect start for the rebuilding Al Rayyan Cheetahs saw their new sign- ing Sofiane Hanni cap his opening 90 minutes in Qatari The Lions take on football with a lovely goal, Umm Salal; Al Arabi putting in a man-of-the-match performance. play Al Ahli today After an eventful goalless first half, Al Gharafa lay down TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK the marker in the second half DOHA but there’s still more to be done by coach Slavisa Jo- AL Rayyan coach Diego Agu- kanovic if his side are to com- irre has said the club’s winning Al Rayyan coach Diego Aguirre. pete for the title. mentality will see them com- The Cheetahs created Al Shahania coach Pepe Murcia (left) and Al Gharafa manager Slavisa Jokanovic look on as players Elias Ahmed and Jean-Paul Kesse battle for pete for the league title against about the past. We must focus chances early on but Hanni the ball during their QNB Stars League match at the Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday. Al Sadd and Al Duhail. on the current situation,” the and Alaaeldin were both de- The Lions will host Umm Uruguayan added. nied by the hardworking latched on to Sofiane’s pass to 10 minutes later, doubled Alganehi missed a glorious tactical ineptness late in the Salal at the Jassim Bin hamad Meanwhile, Raul Caneda Khalifa al Dosari in goal for drill the ball home. their lead spectacularly when chance when Koo Ja-Cheol game as Alaaeldin grabbed Stadium on Friday. Aguirre said Umm Salal cannot afford Shahania. Less than 10 minutes later, Sofiane beat the onrushing found the 18-year-old in space his second. last managed Al Rayyan from a slip up this season as the Al Gharafa brought the Sofianne got his QSL account goalkeeper with a lovely flick but he smashed his effort The Qatari striker beat 2011 to 2013, where he won level of competition is higher same intensity in the second rolling when he doubled the into the bottom left corner. against the bar. the offside trap to latch on to the Amir Cup in his last sea- than last year. half and finally found the Cheetahs’ lead in the 72nd Al Gharafa had more However, Al Shahania who Sofiane’s pass over the top be- son. After stints at Brazilian “I agree with those who breakthrough just past the minute. chances to extend their had just one shot on target all fore coolly slotting home past side Atletico Mineiro and Sao say the competition will be hour mark when Alaaeldin The Algerian, fewer than lead and substitiute Ahmed game were made to rue their Dosari. Paulo, the Uruguayan is back stronger this season in light of to with a mission to guide the the changes made in a number club back to the top four. of teams. Last season, Umm “I’m happy to be back at Al Salal were ranked ninth, so we Al Sailiya, Rayyan’s helm after a gap. I’ll want to finish the season in a Results try to equip the team to play better position,” said Caneda. Al Khor settle games strongly in the league. “We’ve signed many new Al Gharafa 3 (Ahmed Alaaeldin 64’ & “Al Rayyan are always Al players this season and we’ll for a 1-1 draw 94’, Sofiane Hanni 72’) bt Al Shahania 0 Rayyan. This club have a men- try to find the right combina- Al Sailiya 1 (Karim Ansarifard 19’ (pen)) tality to win. I know it very well, tion to face Al Rayyan. We’ve TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK vs Al Khor 1 (Tiago Bezerra 39’ (pen). I’ve worked with the players and completed our preparations DOHA I’ve felt a great response from for the first match of the new them. I think that the players season, against Al Rayyan. A penalty each for both Al Sail- also have this mentality. We’re We’re excited about the start of iya and Al Khor was the decid- preparing the team to compete yet another season,” he added. er as Sami Trabelsi’s men were for the title and there are strong held to a frustrating draw in sides in the league. Al Sadd are Al Arabi vs Al Ahli their QNB Stars League clash always a competitive team. So Also on Friday, manager late on Thursday. are Al Duhail,” Aguirre noted Heimir Hallgrimsson’s Al With the help of VAR, Al ahead of his second debut. Arabi will take on Al Ahli at Sailiya won a penalty inside Al Rayyan have failed to the Al Janoub Stadium. 20 minutes after Khalid Rad- live up to their illustrious his- Hallgrimsson will start his wan was ruled to have fouled tory after a history making first full season with the club Abdulqadir Ilyas. Karim An- 2015/16 season when they last but says his team still needs to sari made no mistake from the won the league title. Several find their identity. “I think all spot despite Rajeb Hamza’s managers from Michael La- players are now in full readiness. best effort. udrup, Rodolfo Arruabarrena We mainly prepared for the en- Just before half time, Al and Bulent Uygun have failed tire season, not just this match. Khor were given a lifeline back to inspire the side. “Now I’ve experience in the into the game from the spot. “It’s difficult to compare the Qatar League and we’re looking Ahmed al Minhali clumsily present team with that I coached for an identity for Al Arabi. We brought down Ahmed Ham- because we’re in a completely won’t try to compare ourselves moudan in the box and Thiago different period and in differ- with other teams. We recruited Bezerra did enough to power ent circumstances with different players according to our needs,” his effort past Khalifa Abubakr players. We don’t want to think the former Iceland coach said. who got his hand to the ball. Al Sailiya’s Karim Ansari celebrates after scoring against Al Khor during their QNB Stars League match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Thursday. Brazil-born history-maker vows to take China to World Cup Galloping on Jockey Dettori in tears as Enable racks AFP start a trend of Brazilians 150 games in the Chinese Su- up 10th Group One victory SHANGHAI playing for China, has divided per League, qualifies for China football fans in the world’s because he has played in the LONDON: Frankie Dettori was in BRAZILIAN-BORN striker most populous country. country since 2013. floods of tears after he guided Elkeson said he wants to fire But the Guangzhou Ever- Calling it “a gamble”, the equine superstar Enable to her China to the World Cup after grande striker vowed to win forward nevertheless said that 10th Group One victory in the York- he became the first footballer over the doubters, saying in an he wants to “leave my mark” shire Oaks on Thursday. It was the without Chinese ancestry to be open letter: “Having Chinese on Chinese football. ideal tune-up for the five-year-old named in the national squad. nationality allows me to contrib- “I want a new challenge, mare as she attempts to become The recently naturalised ute to the national team once I want to see where my limits the first horse to win Europe’s 30-year-old will make more again playing in the World Cup. are,” he wrote. most prestigious race, the Prix history when – as widely ex- “I want to tell the world: “I want to repay the love de l’Arc de Triomphe, for a third time at Longchamp on October 6. pected – he lines up for Mar- I have officially begun a new of the Chinese people in these Dettori, who eased Enable away to win from her main rival, Magical, cello Lippi’s side in a 2022 journey, I am Chinese, I want to seven years. in the four-horse race, paraded her up the finishing straight and back World Cup qualifier away at return all the love and care you “I accepted this challenge down again to the acclaim of the crowd. Her appearance at York is the Maldives on September 10. have given me over the years. without hesitation,” he added. widely expected to be her last on an English racetrack, although Teddy Lippi has long complained “I hope to get your sup- Brazilian-born striker Elkeson became the first footballer without China, currently ranked a Grimthorpe, racing manager, said before the race that those plans about a dearth of attackers and port, as always.” Chinese ancestry to be named in the national squad. lowly 71st in the FIFA rank- could change. Dettori, though, was taking no chances on that score. on Wednesday moved to plug China similarly gave a ings, have reached the World “It is her last race in England so I wanted them to have a final look at the gap with Elkeson, who will passport to London-born mid- serve is half-Chinese.