FOOTBALL | Page 5 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 9 I have fi nal Pak gambles To Advertise here say on on T20 Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 transfers, league to says Klopp boost coff ers Wednesday, January 20, 2016 TENNIS Rabia II 10, 1437 AH Nadal, Halep make GULF TIMES early exits as shocks rock Aussie Open SPORT Page 11 SPOTLIGHT Saudi Arabia bow out, Qatar to take on North Korea in last eight Japan, who were already assured of a quarters meeting with Iran, beat Saudi 2-1 in their last Group B match yesterday AFC Doha audi Arabia missed out on a place in the quarter-fi nals of the AFC U23 Cham- pionship by the narrowest of margins as Group B winners Japan completed a S100% record with a 2-1 win at Suhaim Bin Ha- mad Stadium on yesterday, thanks to goals from Ryota Ohshima and Yosuke Ideguchi. Ohshima opened the scoring for Japan, who were already assured of a last eight meet- ing with Iran on Friday following earlier wins over North Korea and Thailand, with a superb solo eff ort midway through the fi rst half before Ideguchi increased the lead at the start of the second half. And despite Abdullah Madu’s penalty reduc- ing the defi cit just before the hour mark, North Korea’s 2-2 draw with Thailand meant North Korea claimed second place in Group B ahead of Saudi Arabia having scored one more goal after all three sides fi nished level on two points behind Japan. North Korea will now lock horns with Qatar in the quarter-fi nals, the buoyant hosts having cruised into the last eight stage af- ter winning all their Group A matches. “We played our game and also we had already qualifi ed for the fi nal stages, but we wanted to continue to win and continue to keep a clean- sheet without conceding goals. So in terms of winning we achieved this goal, so from this point it is good, but unfortunately we conceded one goal. But we are in a good mood in order to go to the fi nal stage,” said Japan coach Makoto Teguramori. “Before the game with Iran we need to fi rst make sure all the players are ready so I can choose any of the players, and we will also have to analyse Iran to see how they play and their style and their way of playing.” With a last eight meeting with Iran already secured as Group B winners, Japan coach Te- guramori made 10 changes to his side following Saturday’s 4-0 win over Thailand, while oppo- site number Adrie Koster brought in midfi elder Abdulfattah Asiri and striker Abdulrahman al- Ghamdi knowing a win would secure qualifi ca- tion. And both sides started the contest with plen- ty of attacking intent as Asiri fl ashed a free-kick just over the crossbar after 10 minutes before al-Ghamdi tested Japan goalkeeper Daichi Sug- Midfielder Shoya Nakajima of Japan heads the ball past Saudi Arabia defenders at the AFC U23 Championship at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha yesterday. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil imoto fi ve minutes later, while at the other end Shoya Nakajima saw his shot from the edge of as goalkeeper Ahmad al-Harbi had to be alert strike into the top corner from 30 yards. fender Naomichi Ueda had clashed with al- to win the game, but in the fi rst half the team the area defl ected just wide soon after. to kick away Naomichi Ueda’s header from a Japan then extended the advantage nine min- Ghamdi while attempting to clear the danger as was not bringing what we expected due to may- Chances continued to be created at both ends 27th minute corner before Saudi Aribia broke utes into the second half as Takumi Minamino Japan struggled to clear the ball out of the area. be the stress and it was not enough to qualify,” forward and Mustafa al-Bassas shot straight at rolled the ball across the edge of the penalty But with North Korea drawing with Thailand said Saudi Arabia coach Koster. Sugimoto. area for Ideguchi to dispatch a side-footed at Grand Hamad Stadium, Saudi Arabia missed “We have to be realistic, Japan are a good Quarter-fi nal line-up And the opening goal fi nally arrived 14 min- strike coolly into the bottom corner past the out by a single goal scored after all three teams team and we knew it would be a hard and tough utes before half-time courtesy of a superb in- outstretched dive of al-Harbi. fi nished level on two points from their three game and we could not make the equaliser and JAPAN VS IRAN dividual eff ort from Ohshima as the midfi elder The two-goal cushion, though, lasted just games. that is a pity. We also tried to make changes in QATAR VS NORTH KOREA charged forward and eff ortlessly skipped past a three minutes as Madu calmly sent Sugimoto “We knew from the beginning what we had to the team with the substitutes, but that also did challenge before sending a sweetly struck rising the wrong way from the penalty spot after de- do and we had to win the game and we prepared not give us the success we wanted.” LANDMARK ATTENDANCE AT AFC U23 CHAMPIONSHIP Doha: Attendance figures at the AFC U23 Cham- pionship Qatar 2016 have already surpassed the final figure recorded at the competition’s 2013 edition, held in Oman. After the completion of Monday’s final Group A games, 43,139 spectators have attended the 18 matches played thus far, a landmark statistic which easily outstrips the previous total of 34,712. “We strive in every competition to improve on the last edition,” said AFC Tournament Director Shin Man Gil, “Again, just like in the Asian Cup in 2015, the AFC U23 Championship has recorded attendance figures that have built on the previous corre- sponding event. I am delighted to see that the organisation in Qatar for the U23 Championship has also achieved the world class standards to which we aspire in all our tournaments.” Host nation Qatar, who are through to the quarter-finals, have attracted the highest attend- ances, with their clash against Iran topping the lot thanks to the 11,026 attendance figure recorded at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, January 20, 2016 AFC U23 SPOTLIGHT North Korea enter quarters aft er 2-2 draw with Thailand Three teams were still in with a chance of joining Japan in the last eight on a thrilling final day of Group B action AFC rea were in front, and it was no sur- Doha prise that it was Kim who claimed it as he rose fractionally ahead of Som- pron to meet Ri Un-chol’s centre to orth Korea squeezed into head the ball into the top corner. the quarter-fi nals of the The Thais had been second-best AFC U23 Championship throughout the fi rst half hour, with on Tuesday as a 2-2 draw only Perapat Notechaiya’s scuff ed Nwith Thailand was just enough to se- eff ort in the 23rd minute going any- cure second place in Group B behind where near troubling North Korea, winners Japan. North Korea will now but in the 30th minute Kiatisuk’s side lock horns with Qatar in the quar- were level. ter-fi nals, the buoyant hosts having Perapat bundled his way through cruised into the last eight-stage after the North Korea defence before his winning all their Group A matches. attempted shot was defl ected off the Three teams were still in with a back of Kang Il-nam’s leg and into chance of joining the East Asians in the path of Narubadin, who slid in to the last eight on a thrilling fi nal day score. of Group B action, and with Japan With seconds remaining in the maintaining their 100% record wit a half, however, North Korea made sure 2-1 defeat of Saudi Arabia, North Ko- they went into the break with their rea’s draw with Thailand at the Grand lead restored when Yun Il-gwang’s Hamad Stadium saw Yun Jong-su’s close-range eff ort was helped over side secure second place ahead of the line by Thossawat Limwanasa the Saudis and Thais courtesy of the after Pak Myong-song had headed greater number of goals scored in the Ri Un-chol’s free kick into Yun Il- group matches between the teams gwang’s path. concerned as all three sides ended North Korea came out for the sec- their group stage campaign with two ond half looking to kill off the game, points. and Yun’s side were to rue a series of Kim Yong-il opened the scoring missed chances. for the North Koreans before Naru- Jang Ok-chol and So Kyong-jin badin Weerawatnodom levelled, only both forced fi ne saves out of Som- for Yun Il-gwang (pictured) to give porn in the fi rst 10 minutes of the Yun Jong-su’s side the lead at the second period, the second seeing the half-time break. Chanathip Song- goalkeeper acrobatically tip the ball krasin claimed a second equaliser for over the bar. the Thais 12 minutes from time, but Adison Promrak then did just it was not enough to take Kiatisuk enough to block Kim Yong-il as he Senamuang’s side into the quarter- raced in on goal in the 66th minute, fi nals.