Jos Buttler guides England to easy T20I win over India PAGE 14 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2021 Al Wakrah extend winning run with 2-0 win over Al Gharafa TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK DONE MUCH to their coach’s con- fidence and predictiom, Al Wakrah continued their good run on Tuesday as they up- staged Al Gharafa 2-0 in their Week 21 clash of QNB Stars League 2020-21 at the Al Du- Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane. hail Stadium on Tuesday. Mohamed Benyettou (46th minute) and Abdulrahman Sane gaining in Mohammed (62nd minute) scored the goals as Al Wakrah improved their points tally to confidence with 22 with their sixth victory. The win saw Al Wakrah stretch their unbeaten run to Bayern; Neuer a four matches, having drawn with Qatar SC goalless, beaten Al Sailiya 1-0 and held newly- doubt for Lazio crowned champions Al Sadd to a 1-1 draw in Weeks 17, 18 DPA and have good players. We’re and 19 respectively. MUNICH all highly motivated and want to pick up where we left off after BAYERN Munich winger Leroy the first leg.” Sane feels he is beginning to Sane scored in that match Mohamed Benyettou (46th minute) and Abdulrahman Mohammed (62nd minute) scored for the Cheetahas against Al Gharafa in their QNB show his best form for the Eu- earlier this month and several Stars League match at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Tuesday. ropean champions as the sea- recent Bundesliga assists con- son enters its decisive phase. firm his belief he is “picking “I’m feeling better and bet- up” his form. ter, and have had time to get “For me at the beginning it to know the team and how we was generally a tick harder be- play,” the 25-year-old said on cause I didn’t have the match Tuesday. rhythm from before,” he said. “We get along very well off Coach Hansi Flick mean- the pitch as well. Everyone is while is anxious for victory to prepared to work hard, which extend Bayern’s four-game benefits us all.” winning streak with Bundes- Al Gharafa remained on Sane joined Bayern last liga title rivals RB Leipzig 30 points and missed another summer and needed time to waiting in their next but one chance to return to the top four. adapt following both his move domestic fixture on April 3. It was The Cheetahs’ from Manchester City and a “We want to win this game eighth defeat. They had lost torn cruciate ligament from as well,” said Flick. “We’re in 1-3 to Al Ahli in Week 19. August 2019. the midst of a good run and The match was originally Bayern host Lazio in the want to continue it. Especially scheduled for 6th April along second leg of the Champions since we’re at home, we really with other Week 21 games, League last 16 on Wednesday want to win to further build but was rescheduled in view of with progress seemingly inevi- our self-confidence.” Al Gharafa’s play-off with Uz- table after a crushing 4-1 vic- Goalkeeper captain Ma- bekistan’s FC AGMK in Doha tory in Rome. nuel Neuer trained indoors on April 7, 2021, for a berth Al Wakrah improved their points tally in the QNB Stars Should Bayern secure their on Friday due to a slight cold in the 2021 AFC Champions place in Friday’s quarter-final while winger Kinsley Coman League group stage. League to 22 with their sixth victory being placed 9th. draw, they will take sole pos- also did not train with the The first real chanceof session of the record number squad due to “some muscle is- the match came Al Gharafa’s ond-half play by fielding Omar played a one-two with him be- of last eight appearances in sues,” according to Flick. way in the 18th minute, but Ali and Mohammed Emad, fore findingthe target after out- the Champions League with “We will have to wait and a shot by Ahmed Al Janehi, and the move immediately playing rival defenders Homam 19. They currently share the see, but are hoping that both after he was put through by paid off as the former assisted and Yousef Muftah. record of 18 with already- will be able to feature tomor- SofianeH anni, was saved by Benyettou for the first goal Al Gharafa then effected eliminated Barcelona. row.” Should Neuer be pro- Al Wakrah goalkeeper Saoud with a cross from the right. a few substitutions, including Germany international tected, it would likely mean a Al Khater who exhibited good Al Wakrah were on the that of their spearhead Jona- Sane insisted despite holding third appearance for Bayern reflex. Homam was at it again in For Al Wakrah, Benyettou, surge and Benyettou headed than Kodjia, but failed to find a comfortable advantage, Bay- back-up keeper Alexander Three minutes later, Al the 24th minute, but this time, Abdulrahman Mohammed over a Murad Naji corner kick a breakthrough. ern would not ease up. Nuebel, who has so far only Gharafa’s young star Homam he hit wide of the far post from and Khalid Muneer made un- in the 50th minute. Al Gharafa had beaten Al “It’s a Champions League played in the first round of the Al Ameen came up with a the left. successful attempts at the goal Benyettou played a signifi- Wakrah 1-0 in the first leg of game,” he said. “Everyone German Cup and a dead rub- long-range grounder and Al Al Gharafa attacked mostly in the first half. cant role in the second goal too, 2020-21 season QNB Stars knows that anything can hap- ber in the Champions League Khater pouched it. through the wings. Al Wakrah came on for sec- as Abdulrahman Mohammed League. pen. “Lazio are a strong side group phase. He’s back: Sweden comeback for veteran Ibrahimovic DPA Ibrahimovic - Sweden’s STOCKHOLM First and foremost, he is a very good football all-time top goalscorer - stepped down from the na- VETERAN FORWARD Zla- player, the best we have had in Sweden. Of course tional squad after Euro 2016, tan Ibrahimovic has been re- it’s great that he wanted to return. having chalked up a record 62 called to the Sweden squad goals in 116 appearances. for the first time since retiring Sweden’s coach Janne Andersson “It’s great that Zlatan is from international football in back. He is a leader who will 2016. lift us all. After months of specula- Andersson said Sweden check his status: “He gave the Fantastic for Swedish tion, Sweden coach Janne An- will “focus on each upcoming go-ahead to be selected. I am football, in my eyes he is still dersson on Tuesday called up match, one at a time.” Ibrahi- happy about that.” Ibrahimov- one of the world’s best strik- the 39-year-old Ibrahimovic After months of movic could also be involved ic currently plays for AC Milan ers,” RB Leipzig midfielder for upcoming World Cup speculation, Sweden in Euro 2020, delayed to this in Italy’s Serie A, where he is Emil Forsberg told SVT. qualifiers against Georgia and coach Janne summer due to the coronavi- the club’s top scorer. Familiar names in the Kosovo, and a friendly against Andersson on Tuesday rus pandemic, where Sweden A return for Ibrahimovic Sweden squad include Ever- Estonia. called up the 39-year- meet Spain, Poland and Slo- has been on the cards, and ton goalkeeper Robin Olsen, “First and foremost, he is a old Ibrahimovic for vakia. speculation was fuelled after defender Mikael Lustig and very good football player, the Broadcaster SVT quoted he in November said that he midfielder Sebastian Lars- best we have had in Sweden,” upcoming World Andersson warning the Eu- missed playing for the nation- son of Swedish top-flight side Andersson told the Swedish Cup qualifiers against ros “are some months off. But al team in a newspaper inter- AIK, Manchester United de- Football Association’s website. Georgia and Kosovo, since he has said yes, that also view. fender Victor Lindelof, Ju- “Of course it’s great that he and a friendly against means the Euros.” However, Andersson met Ibrahi- ventus’s Dejan Kulusevski, wanted to return,” the coach Estonia. Sweden’s run to the quarter- movic in November in Milan and forwards Marcus Berg of added, noting that “in addi- finals of the 2018 World Cup a few days after the interview, Krasnodar and Real Socie- tion to what he can contribute in Russia - without their tal- and apparently cleared the air. dad’s Alexander Isak. on the pitch he has an incred- A file photo of Sweden’s forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic in action during the Euro 2016 group E match against isman - was their best perfor- “He will play forward in Andersson said compe- ible lot of experience.” Belgium at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice, France. (AFP) mance since they reached the our national team. In recent tition was fierce among the In a post on Twitter, Ibra- last eight of Euro 2004 with years, he has adapted his players, which would make it himovic posted a photo of low wall of Swedish specta- Andersson announced his cation at home on March 25, Ibrahimovic on board. game to be higher up in the “even harder to select a team. himself in the national jersey tors, with the words “The re- 26-strong squad as Sweden hosting Georgia, and three Andersson said he talked pitch, taking his age into con- I’m glad we have so many against the backdrop of a yel- turn of the God.” open their World Cup qualifi- days later play Kosovo away.