FOOTBALL | Page 4 NFL | Page 5 Maradona to Eagles hold coach second off Falcons division team to begin in Mexico title defence Saturday, September 8, 2018 TENNIS Dhul-Hijja 28, 1439 AH Serena storms into GULF TIMES US Open fi nal to face Japan’s Osaka SPORT Page 2 QATAR STUN CHINA IN DOHA FRIENDLY Almoez Ali’s 24th-minute strike gives Felix Sanchez’s side confidence-boosting victory at Khalifa Stadium By Sports Reporter Doha lmoez Ali’s strike in the fi rst half gave Qatar a 1-0 win over China in an international friendly atA the Khalifa International Sta- dium in Doha yesterday. It was a dominating performance from the hosts and they should have won by a bigger margin, but for poor fi nishing for their forwards. Marcelo Lippi’s China looked vulnerable at the back as Al An- nabi wasted three clear chances on goal. Almoez was the cul- prit twice. He missed a glori- ous chance in the 15th minute, crashing the ball on to the bar from close range with only the goalkeeper to beat. However, he Qatar coach Felix Sanchez made amends in the 24th minute, reacts during the match.0 when he slotted home from close range after a delicious pass from serve the players well during the Al Sadd’s Pedro Miguel Correia. Asian Cup,” he added. Almoez missed a chance to Qatar will play another friend- double the lead in the second half ly against Palestine on Tuesday when he shot wide, before Ab- as Sanchez looks to get his strat- Young Qatari fans pictured during the match. delaziz Hatim was denied by the egy and combinations right as he post after having totally beaten prepare them for the 2019 Asian go. China currently languish at Paulo Bento a victory in his debut powered to a 2-0 win over Malay- Chinese goalkeeper Yan Junling. Cup, which will be held in the 75th in the FIFA rankings. before a sellout home crowd. sia at the Taipei Municipal Sta- Despite that, Qatar sealed a UAE in January. Meanwhile, Mirahmetjan Midfi elder Lee Jae-sung dium. Wu Chun-ching gave the comfortable win on the night but The team will also play two Muzepper came on as a substitute knocked home a rebound after East Asians a 13th minute lead, Qatar coach Felix Sanchez would friendly matches against Ecua- in the second half against Qatar Son Heung-min’s penalty at- before Chun En-le’s 53rd minute have liked more goals from his dor and Uzbekistan in October. to make history by becoming the tempt rang off the post in the 35th goal sealed their victory. men. Yesterday, Qatar enjoyed the The fi rst will be against Ecuador fi rst Chinese international player minute at the Goyang Stadium, Singapore fought back in the majority of possession and creat- on October 12 in Doha, while the from the Uighur minority. while fellow midfi elder Nam Tae- second half to settle for a 1-1 ed plenty of chances, with Akram second against Uzbekistan in Muzepper featured at the 2010 hee of Al Duhail scored his fi rst draw with Mauritius at the Bis- Afi f and Almoez constantly trou- Tashkent on October 16. Asian Games for China’s un- international goal in nearly two han Stadium in Singapore. Mau- bling the Chinese defence with Qatar’s Almoez Ali is about to head the ball during yesterday’s For China, it was back to draw- der-23 team and was included years for second-half insurance. ritius secured an early lead when their pace and trickery. friendly against China. PICTURE: Noushad Thakkayil ing board after another poor show. in the senior training squad the Bento, the former Portugal Jonathan Justin found the back “I am happy to score the winning The Italian World Cup winner same year, but he did not make boss that was named as South of the net in the fi fth minute. goal against China,” Almoez said. Qatar coach Felix Sanchez was ger margin but a win is still a Marcello Lippi has been in charge the team on that occasion. Korea Republic head coach on However, Singapore’s persist- “The victory will give us con- also pleased with his team’s per- win,” said the Spaniard. of the senior side since 2016 and Meanwhile, South Korea de- August 17, enjoyed a convincing ence was rewarded in the second fi dence as the season progresses,” formance. “We have a few more friendlies overseen a steady improvement, feated Costa Rica 2-0 in a friend- victory over the world ranked half through Ikhsan Fandi’s 75th he added. “We could have won by a big- coming up. All the exposure will but they still have a long way to ly match, giving their new coach No. 32 Costa Rica Chinese Taipei minute equaliser. ATHLETICS/IAAF CONTINENTAL CUP Samba, Haroun out to conquer new horizons By Sports Reporter Doha fter his exploits at the Asian Games in Jakarta where he won the 400m hurdles gold Aand also helped Qatar claim the 4x400m relay title, Abderrahman Samba will look to conquer new ho- rizons today when he lines up for the Asia-Pacifi c team in the IAAF Conti- nental Cup in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The two-day event sees four teams – Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacifi c and Europe – compete for honours in 40 competitions (20 each for men and women) in this Czech city, just nine miles from the country’s border with but I think that is why I enjoy it,” said the 2018 world list thanks to his win- Poland. Samba. ning time of 44.07 at the IAAF Dia- Each team is allowed to enter two “I like being able to learn some- mond League meeting in London. athletes in each event, except for relays thing from every race, and I also have But the 21-year-old cannot afford where one team competes, with a max- the extra bonus of being able to travel to take anything for granted given imum of one athlete from each country to other countries around the world. the presence of his highly talented per event. No athlete shall be allowed I am lucky to make money from my contemporary, Botswana’s Baboloki to double in the 3000m and 5000m. passion, but I’ve also met many kind Thebe, who has run 44.54 this season Samba, who is unbeaten in eight fi - Abderrahman Samba and Abdalelah Haroun (R) will be representing the Asia-Pacific team in the IAAF Continental Cup people and made many great friends and won the African title last month. nals this season, became the second beginning in Ostrava today. from my time in the sport and, God Nathan Strother of the Ameri- fastest man ever with his 46.98 in the willing, I could also meet my future cas has run 44.34 this season, and Paris Diamond League meet. 400m The challenge to Samba’s domi- gin Islands has run even faster than off another major win in the IAAF wife!” his teammate Luguelin Santos of the fl at specialist Abdalelah Haroun and nance today may come from world Warholm with 47.54 in Paris and Diamond League final, where he fin- This is one of the most open events Dominican Republic, despite hav- hammer-thrower Ashraf Elseify, who champion Karsten Warholm, who has has three international titles to his ished just ahead of Warholm. “There of the IAAF Continental Cup, given ing only clocked 44.59 this season, also won gold medals in Jakarta, and set four Norwegian records this year, name this year: the Commonwealth is no doubt the 400m hurdles is a the presence in each team of at least has huge experience of top-level 800m runner Jamal al-Hayrani are improving to 47.64 in winning the Games, Central American and Car- very challenging event. It tests many one proven top-level performer. events, having won silver at the 2012 the other Qataris in the Asia-Pacifi c European Championships final. ibbean Games and NACAC Champi- things like endurance, speed, good Qatar’s world bronze medallist Ab- Olympics as an 18-year-old and world squad. Kyron McMaster from British Vir- onships. He comes to Ostrava fresh technique and a good stride pattern dalelah Haroun is currently fourth on bronze a year later. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, September 8, 2018 TENNIS SPOTLIGHT Serena storms into US Open fi nal to face Japan history-maker Osaka With six titles in New York she needs just one more to surpass Chris Evert for most all-time — and she needs just one more Grand Slam title to equal Australian Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 AFP New York ix-time champion Serena Williams swept aside Anas- tasija Sevastova to reach a Sninth US Open fi nal, where she’ll face Japanese trail blazer Naomi Osaka. Williams, seeded 17th as she seeks to add to her 23 Grand Slam titles for the fi rst time since the birth of her daughter Olympia last year, needed just 66 minutes to dispatch the 19th- seeded Sevastova 6-3, 6-0. Osaka, seeded 20th, became the fi rst Japanese woman to reach a Grand Slam fi nal with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over American Madison Keys — last year’s beaten fi nalist. Williams called her return to the US Open fi nal for a ninth time “in- credible” given that she was undergo- ing surgery for life threatening blood clots this time last year in the wake of giving birth.