FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 3 GOLF | Page 6 Belgium seal Lewis windfall World Cup spells good place, France fortune for held goalless Harvey victims Tuesday, September 5, 2017 CRICKET Dhul-Hijja 14, 1438 AH Lyon scalps five GULF TIMES but Bangladesh resist in Chittagong Test SPORT Page 4 FOOTBALL/ QATAR VS CHINA, 6PM, KHALIFA INTERNATIONAL STADIUM SPOTLIGHT South Korea coach promises victory Qatar to play for over Uzbekistan AFP failed to create a single shot on target Seoul against Iran despite the visitors play- ing the last 40 minutes with 10 men. “It is not that we didn’t want pride as China nder-fi re coach Shin Tae- to score,” Shin told reporters in Yong has promised South Tashkent. Korea will “beef up their “The players worked hard... and Umental strength” and go all while I know it is not an excuse the out for the victory against Uzbekistan pitch was not in a good condition. All today that would secure World Cup the coaching staff and players will do qualifi cation for a ninth successive all they can to ensure we can the goals time. to win.” look for a miracle “We’ll return home with victory no Stand-in captain Kim Yong-Gwon matter what,” vowed Shin ahead of sparked anger and ridicule when he the fi nal Asian zone Group A encoun- complained that teammates could “We hope to play a good competitive game and present a positive ter in Tashkent. not hear each other against Iran be- The Taeguk Warriors, with just one cause of the noise made by 63,000 image of our team and country,” says Qatar coach Felix Sanchez win in their last fi ve qualifi ers, could screaming fans in Seoul’s World Cup only manage a goalless draw at home stadium. Agencies to 10-man Iran last week to leave their Social media users hit back that Doha qualifi cation hopes in the balance. the Korea Football Association had Defeat in Uzbekistan could see the advertised tickets for weeks and had 2002 semi-fi nalists fail to make it to called on fans to get behind the team ar-torn Syria as well as the global showpiece for the fi rst time by cheering. China, the ultimate sleep- since 1982 if third-placed Syria man- It brought an emotional apology ing giants, are both aiming age to pull off a massive shock and from Kim as the team departed for to pull off a near-miracle as win in Tehran Tuesday. Tashkent. WAsian qualifying for the 2018 World Cup Unbeaten Iran have already quali- “I didn’t have any malicious in- heads into a fi nal showdown today. fi ed atop Group A with 21 points and tention when I said it,” said Kim. “I Among Asia’s heavyweights, Aus- are yet to concede a goal. was only talking about the diffi cul- tralia’s progress is far from assured and South Korea are second on 14 ties of the match. If anyone felt upset South Korea are in danger of missing points but Syria and Uzbekistan both and off ended by what I said I’d like to out on their fi rst World Cup since 1982 have 12 points. apologise.” in what will be a nail-biting last round A third-place fi nish would mean He and his teammates can expect of group games. having to come through extended more of the same today as the game in Perhaps indicating rising standards playoff s for a place in Russia next year. Tashkent is a 34,000 sell-out with a in the region, competition for Asia’s 4.5 “We’re in a diffi cult situation, but frenzied home support hoping to see places at next year’s Russia World Cup we’ll beef up our mental strength Uzbekistan win and qualify for the has been unusually intense, with only and will win,” said Shin, whose side World Cup for the fi rst time. Japan and Iran qualifi ed so far. Group A is particularly unpredictable as South Korea, Syria, Uzbekistan and Marcello Lippi’s China remain in the Brief joy for Iran female football running for either the second automatic fans quickly extinguished TABLES AND FIXTURES Tehran: For a brief moment, Iran’s Having never been inside the sta- Tables and fixtures ahead of Asia’s final female football fans thought they dium, some worried about which round of group games in qualifying for the were finally allowed to attend seat to choose. 2018 World Cup today China’s coach Marcello Lippi (L) with his Qatar counterpart Felix Sanchez in Doha yesterday. a match, but their hopes were “My friend’s mother told me to get Group A dashed yesterday when authori- a seat where the ball wouldn’t hit berth, or a place in the play-off s by fi n- is still a theoretical chance, we have no vourites against Uzbekistan but they ties said their tickets were sold by my head,” said Negin Bagheri. P W D L GF GA Pts ishing third. reason to give up. We should make every are playing in Tashkent and against a mistake. But it did not take long for real- Iran (Q) 9 6 3 0 8 0 21 Syria, despite playing their home eff ort to achieve it,” Lippi said. team still smarting from their defeat to Women have been barred from ity to reimpose itself, as Iran’s South Korea 9 4 2 3 11 10 14 games in Malaysia to avoid their coun- Qatar, meanwhile, have only their China. attending football matches, and football federation said it was all a -------------------------------------------------------------------------- try’s bitter civil war, occupy the play- pride at stake as they aim to notch up Uzbekistan have a torrid history some other sporting events mistake. “There is no plan to allow Syria 9 3 3 3 7 6 12 off spot after a win and a draw against their third win in the fi nal round of against the Koreans, who beat them to such as wrestling, since the 1979 the presence of women in Azadi -------------------------------------------------------------------------- China, wins over Uzbekistan and Qatar, qualifying. an automatic qualifying spot for both Islamic revolution, with officials stadium for the Iran-Syria match,” Uzbekistan 9 4 0 5 6 7 12 and draws with South Korea and Iran. Their only two wins have been against the 2006 and 2014 World Cups. The saying they must be protected it said in a statement, blaming a China 9 2 3 4 6 9 9 They play arguably the night’s tough- Syria and South Korea but a 3-2 defeat Uzbeks lost in the play-off s each time. from the vulgar atmosphere. “technical glitch”. Qatar 9 2 1 6 7 13 7 est fi xture — away to Iran, who are yet last week against the Syrians last week “This is our last chance. Either we But when seats for today’s quali- Tickets held by women would all to concede a goal — as they look to stay in the return leg put paid to their al- beat South Korea or we should end foot- fying match against Syria at Te- be cancelled and refunded, it said. Group B ahead of Uzbekistan and China, and ready thin hopes of qualifying through ball in our country,” said Uzbek captain hran’s Azadi stadium went on sale “Maybe we all knew that we P W D L GF GA Pts perhaps even leap-frog South Korea the playoff s. Odil Ahmedov, according to the FIFA on Saturday, many were shocked would not be allowed to enter the Japan (Q) 9 6 2 1 17 6 20 into second place. “We hope to play a good competi- website. to see an option for women’s stadium despite buying the ticket,” Saudi Arabia 9 5 1 3 16 10 16 Chinese success would be just as eye- tive game and present a positive image “They’re our bogey team, it’s a fact,” tickets on the website. Elyasi said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ catching if they manage to rise from of our team and country,” Qatar coach Ahmedov added. “But we’re playing at Some shared their surprise and “But we wanted to make our voice Australia 9 4 4 1 14 10 16 fi fth in the group to snatch a play-off Felx Sanchez said yesterday at his pre- home and we have a duty to our fans.” joy on Twitter with a Farsi hashtag heard by the off icials.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------- spot and stay in the hunt for just their match press conference. Australia’s campaign is also in the meaning “I_have_ticket”. Iran was among the first teams to UAE 9 4 1 4 10 12 13 second World Cup appearance. “We have no other option,” he added. balance after last week’s 2-0 defeat to “I was extremely excited... it qualify for the 2018 World Cup fi- Iraq 9 2 2 5 10 12 8 China were largely written off after Sanchez said that the focus now is on Japan left them third in Group B, behind was unbelievable,” football fan nals in Russia, and celebrations are Thailand 9 0 2 7 5 22 2 defeats to South Korea, Syria and Uz- the future building up to the 2022 World Saudi Arabia on goal diff erence. Arefeh Elyasi told the reform- planned for after the Syria game. Today’s fixtures: bekistan, but they are reborn since Lip- Cup which will be hosted by Qatar. The Asian champions will expect to ist Shahrvand newspaper on Women are allowed to watch Group A: pi’s arrival last October, winning twice “We have both long-term and short- beat bottom-placed Thailand in Mel- Monday.