CRICKET | Page 7 Pakistan seek change of fortune against South Africa Friday, January 18, 2019 TENNIS Jumada I 12, 1440 AH Graf backs GULF TIMES Serena to surpass Margaret Court SPORT Page 8 SPOTLIGHT Al-Attiyah rules Dakar for third time ‘The rally is not easy and if you push every day, sure, you will have a problem with the car. I’m really happy to win this race with Toyota’ AFP Lima atar’s Nasser al-Attiyah cruised to his third Dakar Rally title yesterday with a 46-minute cushion over sec- Qond-placed Nani Roma at the end of the world’s toughest rally in Lima. An Olympic medallist in shooting at the 2012 London Games, al-Attiyah had enough in hand to avoid taking any risks in his Toyota on the 10th and fi nal stage from Pisco to the Peruvian capital, crossing the line a sedate 12th behind Carlos Sainz, the 2018 champion. “Everybody wants to win the Dakar. But we felt when we came that in Peru, a 100-percent Peru rally, with no other country, there would be a lot of sand dunes, so we could do what we know we’re good at,” said al-Attiyah. France’s former nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb took third in the overall standings, almost two hours behind the Qatari whose previous wins came in 2011 and 2015. three and, yeah, I’m really quite happy. and-a-half minute advantage over Chil- Al-Attiyah laid down his marker for The rally is not easy and if you push ean rider Jose Cornejo. 2019 honours when rising to the top of every day, sure, you will have a problem Victory was achieved despite Price the time sheets after the fi rst stage. with the car. I’m really happy to win this having suff ered a broken bone in his And after winning his third stage of race with Toyota”. wrist. this year’s event on Wednesday for his Stephane Peterhansel, a 13-time “I’m so damned stoked. It’s been a 34th career stage win the title was his, Dakar Rally champion, had to quit the long 10 days. Now I’ll just wait and see barring fi nal-day disaster. race early on Wednesday’s penultimate what damage I’ve done to my wrist,” said “It’s fantastic,” added the 48-year- stage when sitting fourth overall. 31-year-old Price. old Qatari. “No mistakes during the en- Toby Price clinched his second Dakar “The pain and torture has been worth tire rally. It was a very, very diffi cult rally bikes title, the Australian following up it. I thought I would only be able to do for everybody. his 2016 crown with success in the 10th two stages and then pull out and that “The good thing was that from day and fi nal stage. The KTM rider seized would have been me done, but the sup- three we were leading and we built on overall command of the bikes category port from everyone back home in Aus- our time everyday until we came to the on Tuesday and after crossing the fi n- tralia and then having some things go last day with a big, big lead.” ish line in Lima he took the 2019 honours my way and a bit of luck, it just worked “I’m happy for Toyota because it’s the by over nine minutes from his team- out in the end. fi rst time in the history of Toyota that mate and defending champion Matthias “Pretty much all I can say is that it they won the Dakar, this is fantastic. It’s Walkner. feels like there are about fi ve people like what I always say, we respect all the Price wrapped up his second title in driving a knife in my wrist now.” other drivers. All the drivers are really style, taking the closing stage from Pisco This was an 18th consecutive bikes ti- very strong. We we’re leading from day to the Peruvian capital with a near two- tle for Austrian bike manufacturer KTM. Toyota driver Nasser al-Attiyah (C) of Qatar and his co-driver Matthieu Baumel (L) of France celebrate after winning the Dakar Rally 2019 after the last stage between Pisco and Lima yesterday. They finished ahead of Mini driver Nani Roma of Spain and co-driver Alexandre Haro Bravo, also of Spain. At bottom, the winning duo react to fans’ applause. Australian biker Toby Price (L) celebrates with Ktm’s Austrian biker Matthias Walkner, after winning the Dakar Rally 2019, at the end of the last stage between Pisco and Lima yesterday. Price won the title ahead of Ktm’s Austrian biker Matthias Walkner. Gulf Times 2 Friday, January 18, 2019 FOOTBALL QATAR SWAT ASIDE SAUDIS Qatar’s Akram Afif (R) fights for the ball with Saudi Arabia’s Fahad al-Muwallad during their Asian Cup Group E match in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Qatar won 2-0 to top the group and will now clash with Iraq in the last 16. Qatar’s Almoez Ali reacts after scoring against Saudi Arabia. The victorious Qataris celebrate after beating Saudi Arabia. Qatar captain Hassan al-Haydos greets Saudi Arabia’s Fahad al-Muwallad before the match. SPOTLIGHT FOCUS Son boosts Korea’s Asian Cup hopes Shiotani screamer as Spurs sweat AFP Abu Dhabi as new-look Japan purs manager Mauricio Pochettino will be like a nervous parent for the next two weeks as Son SHeung-min tries to help South Korea end 59 years of Asian Cup hurt. The mercurial Tottenham for- “It’s an honour to wear this red pip Uzbekistan 2-1 ward, who played in the Lon- shirt and play for the national don club’s defeat by Manchester team,” he said. United three days earlier, had a “Not everyone gets the chance, ‘We now have some tough games waiting for us so I think it was good hand in both goals as the Koreans and if it’s possible I try my best beat China 2-0 on Wednesday to on the pitch always.” that I could use these players and get them match-fit’ reach the last 16 as Group C win- South Korea, who have failed ners. to win the Asian Cup since 1960, AFP minutes before defender Sei Muroya’s But Pochettino will be more beat the Philippines and Kyr- Al Ain cross from the byline was met by a solid concerned that Son not only gyzstan 1-0 in their opening header from Newcastle’s Muto, arriving started the game in Abu Dhabi, two matches in the United Arab at the back post. but completed 87 minutes — Emirates. sukasa Shiotani thumped home A spell of Japanese pressure early in long enough for China’s rugged But the addition of Son has a sizzling second-half winner the second half resulted in a thunderous defenders to leave their mark on energised the 2015 runners-up, as Japan changed 10 players but goal from Shiotani, who plays his club South Korea’s talismanic cap- who suddenly look a very diff er- Tstill beat Uzbekistan 2-1 to fi n- football with Al Ain and unfurled a rip- tain. ent proposition. ish top of Group F at the Asian Cup yes- pling strike just before the hour-mark. “Of course I didn’t expect to It will not have done Pochet- terday. It knocked the stuffi ng out of Uz- play for so long,” Son told AFP. tino’s blood pressure any good, The unfamiliar line-up briefl y trailed bekistan and when they fi nally started to “I’m a bit tired, but that’s however, to see some of the in- after Eldor Shomurodov’s opener, but press forward again in the fi nal 15 min- normal. It was my dream to play dustrial tackles dished out on his Newcastle United forward Yoshinori utes, Japan nearly caught them on the football when I was a kid and still Korean star. Muto’s header and Shiotani’s thunder- break when Kitagawa blazed over. it’s my dream. I love to play for Son went down clutching his bolt gave Japan their third win in the With four minutes to go, Davronbek my country.” ankle after a particularly meaty group. Khashimov caught a shot fl ush from The 26-year-old has just come challenge late on, which earned Elsewhere in the group, Oman scored outside the area and the ball was rock- off a punishing run of fi xtures tattooed China defender Zhang two late goals to down Turkmenistan 3-1 eting towards the top corner before the with Spurs, playing in 13 matches Linpeng a yellow card. and scramble into the knockouts as one diving Daniel Schmidt gloved it away. since the beginning of December. Title-chasing Spurs can ill af- of the best-performing third-placed “It was an incredible save,” shrugged But there were few signs of fa- ford another injury blow, having teams, behind Japan and the Uzbeks. Uzbekistan coach Hector Cuper. “But tigue against China, as Son won just lost England striker Harry In the round of 16, Japan will take on the game was really equal in terms of the fi rst-half penalty converted Kane until March with ankle lig- Saudi Arabia, while Uzbekistan take on performance and attitude.” by Hwang Ui-jo and whipped in ament damage. defending champions Australia. Muhsen al-Ghassani and Mohamed the corner for Kim Min-jae to “I feel OK,” insisted Son, a “The players achieved one of our al-Musallami were on target in the dying head home just after the break.