TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2016 Japan vows to cooperate Jason Day wins Championship Japan has vowed to help a French probe Australian Jason Day dominates best field to PREMIER LEAGUE into securing of 2020 Olympics PAGE 35 claim Players Championship in Florida PAGE 30 MAN UNITED VS BOURNEMOUTH Lekhwiya looking for a repeat of Emir Cup win against Jaish The El Jaish team (left) goes through the paces during their training session. (Right) Lekhwiya Sports Club practice ahead of the AFC Champions League match at the Lekhwiya Stadium on Monday. The game, on Tuesday, will be played at the same venue. The two Qatar Stars League teams to meet in AFC Champions League Round of 16 clash in Doha tonight TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK and the 2013 AFC Champions “We have had a tight sched- AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCHES TODAY welcome defender Yasir Isa ferent in the match tomorrow. DOHA League quarter-finalists will ule recently as we played several and midfielder Khaled Abdul- We have a lot of motivation to welcome back Ahmed Maq- important matches in a short Last 16 First Leg raaof back to the team after avenge our defeat in the cup and LEKHWIYA will be hoping for soud, who missed the club’s fi- period of time,” said Belmadi. Melbourne Victory (Australia) v Chonbuk (Korea) (9:45am) both were ruled out of the final we have prepared well. a repeat of last week’s Emir’s nal group stage match against “The match tomorrow match in the group stage due “We had a good run in the Cup win over El Jaish when the Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor due won’t be any different as it is FC Tokyo (Japan) v Shanghai SIPG (China) (10.30am) to suspension. group stage of the competi- Qatar Stars League (QSL) duo to suspension. important we get a good re- Lekhwiya (Qatar) v Al Jaish (Qatar) (7.15pm) “This is the fifth match that tion and our ambition is to meet in the first leg of the Round Defender Khaled Muftah sult, especially ahead of the we played against Lekhwiya continue with the same spirit of 16 of the 2016 AFC Champi- will also be available after re- final of the cup. Al-Nasr (UAE) v Teraktor-Sazi (Iran) (7.45pm) this season and we recently met and have a better result. The ons League on Tuesday. covering from a recent injury, “We have to show our fight- Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) v Lokomotiv Tashkent (Uzbekistan) 6.05pm) them in the Emir’s Cup,” said team that qualifies will only be Djamal Belmadi’s side ad- but young Qatar international ing spirit tomorrow because coach Sabri Lamouchi, who led known by the end of the sec- vanced to the final of the lo- striker Mohammed Muntari the match against El Jaish will and hopefully we will get the ing their second appearance El Jaish to a runners-up finish in ond match and therefore we cal cup competition on Friday is ruled out after picking up a not be easy. Our concentration result that we are looking for.” in the knockout stage of the the QSL this season. should get the best possible with a 2-1 win over El Jaish knock against El Jaish last week. will be on the match tomorrow El Jaish, who are mak- AFC Champions League, will “However, things will be dif- result tomorrow.” ACL experience a ‘huge benefit’ for World Cup 2022: Karim Boudiaf & Nam Tae-hee SC.QA World Cup, just as South Korea DOHA did in 2002.” That fairytale run to the LEKHWIYA SC teammates semi-final by Guus Hiddink’s Karim Boudiaf and Nam Tae- side is still fresh in Nam’s hee believe that the continued memory and he wishes to em- positive performances of Qa- ulate it in 2022 in Qatar, which tar Stars League (QSL) clubs he calls his second home. in the AFC Champions League “I was just 10 then but I will be important for the coun- vividly remember Ahn Jung- try’s national team to emerge hwan’s golden goal against Italy among Asia’s elite in time for in the round of 16. Also Park the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Ji-sung’s winner in the group The 2014-15 QSL champi- game against Portugal’s golden ons are set for a double header generation. Those moments this week with Friday’s Emir made me dream of wanting to Cup final against Al Sadd play a World Cup at home. I will preceded by Tuesday’s AFC be very close to realising this if I Champions League round of play in Qatar in 2022.” 16 home game against fellow However, there is the small QSL side El Jaish. matter of featuring in Russia be- And the midfield duo told fore that. And both Boudiaf and www.sc.qa that QSL clubs can Nam, who call each other broth- challenge the best of Asia reg- ers, have two special dates pen- ularly over the next few years ciled in their diaries – 6 October to follow on from the last con- in September. will help Qatar in the World side have improved from the 2016 and 13 June 2017 when tinental triumph by Al Sadd “Lekhwiya could well end Cup qualifiers,” said South time ‘Al Annabi’ lost both their their countries face each other Sports Club in 2011. up facing an Iranian club in Korea's 24-year-old attacking 2014 qualifiers to the ‘Taeguk in the third round qualifiers. “This year a Qatari club is the Champions League quar- midfielder. Warriors’. “Those matches will be like definitely going to be in the ter-final in late August. Our “Lekhwiya reached the “I played in the game in a homecoming for me as there quarter-final,” said Boudiaf, club has many Qatar national quarter-final in 2013 after de- Doha and there is no doubt that are many Lekhwiya players in who started in all but one of team players and a potential feating Al Hilal in the round of Qatar is a much better side now Qatar including my friend Ka- Qatar’s 2018 second round match-up against Zob Ahan or 16 but lost to eventual cham- technically and physically,” he rim,” smiled Nam. qualifiers. Tractor Sazi would give us val- pions Guangzhou Evergrande. said. “It will be a tough fight for Boudiaf echoed his team- “If Qatar is represented uable experience ahead of the “Qatar had a few of our the top two places between Qa- mate and friend’s sentiments, in at least the quarter-final 2011. Al Arabi were also run- pen. After the 2018 World challenging first qualifier at players then and they really tar, us and Iran.” but said that will go out the or the semi-final of the AFC ners-up in 1995 – and Boudiaf Cup, the Asian Champions the Azadi Stadium in Tehran tested us in Seoul in the 2014 Nam, who started the AFC window the whistle blows in Champions League every believes the nation’s club sides League will provide the main on 1 September,” said Boudiaf. World Cup Qualifier. We Asian Cup final of 2015 in which the qualifiers. year from now till 2022, it are heading in the right direc- competitive test for our na- Boudiaf’s midfield partner scored the winner deep into his country lost to host nation “I will enjoy marking would have a positive impact tion as journey as 2022 draws tional team as we will not be Nam Tae-hee, who joined Le- injury time. This year we will Australia, also said the trend of Nam,” he said. on the national team for the ever nearer. playing the 2022 qualifiers.” khwiya in 2012, also recognises target a spot in the Champions QSL clubs doing well in Asia is “Though I know his moves home World Cup.” “Winning a few World The 25-year-old midfielder that form in the elite continental League final.” likely to continue. “QSL clubs’ well from the training ground Al Sadd are the only QSL Cup matches in 2022 will be added that there is a short- club competition can be repli- Nam, who is admiringly focus on the Asian Champions he is very quick and has great team to have lifted the AFC unbelievable,” he continued. term relevance to the elite con- cated on the international stage. referred to by Boudiaf as one League is a very positive sign for vision in his passing and it will Champions League trophy – “Focusing on the Champions tinental club competition with “The level in the AFC of the most technically gifted the Qatar national team looking be a great challenge. I will not and have done so on two oc- League is one of the many the third round of the 2018 Champions League is very playmakers in Asian club foot- to create a lasting impression in be averse to giving him an odd casions, in 1989 and again in ways we can make this hap- World Cup Qualifiers looming high and Lekhwiya’s good run ball, said the Qatar national front of home fans at the 2022 kick if need be.” 30 Tuesday, May 17, 2016 Sports TENNIS SWIMMING Berdych splits with coach Detti sets meet record SPORTS ROUNDUP days after Goffin mauling with 400m win at Euros Tomas Berdych has split with coach Daniel Vallverdu days after Gabriele Detti of Italy swims to the gold medal in the Men’s a humiliating 6-0 6-0 defeat at the Italian Open. The 30-year-old 400m freestyle final during the European Aquatics Czech world number eight has suffered a lean year so far.