SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2015 Early exit beckons Kuwait in tough group KUWAIT: Kuwait has a history of the Asian Cup is very difficult, as we FACTBOX punching above its weight at the have Australia and Korea Republic who Asian Cup but will struggle to launch a played at the FIFA World Cup, and giant-killing run in Australia. Kuwait there also is Oman, who defeated Asian Cup record proudly hoisted the 1980 trophy in Kuwait at the Gulf Cup,” Maaloul said their third tournament when West on his appointment early in December. Previous appearances in finals: (9) 1972, 1976, area, was a reminder of the threat he poses. Asian sides ruled the roost, but have “However, we want to put in a good 1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2011. FIFA world ranking Dec 2014: 124. failed to advance beyond the group performance at the Asian Cup, as we Best performance: Winners 1980. Drawn in How they qualified: Second in Group B qualifying stage in their last two appearances in will not be there just to take part.” Group A with Australia, South Korea and Oman. behind Iran with two wins, one loss and three draws. 2004 and 2011. Getting out of a group Maaloul’s tenure began with a disap- Coach: Nabil Maaloul. Former Tunisian interna- Squad: Khaled Al-Rashidi (Salmia SC), Amer that includes hosts Australia, South pointing 1-1 draw against Iraq in tional Maaloul took on the Kuwait job scarcely a Almatoug Alfadhel (Qadsia SC), Fahad Awad Korea and Oman may also be beyond Sharjah on Dec. 22, his team conceding month out from the start of the tournament after his Shaheen (Kuwait SC), Ali Hussain Fadhel (Al Wahda, the world 124th-ranked Kuwaitis, a late penalty. The coach will hope predecessor, Brazilian Jorvan Vieira, was sacked in UAE), Fahad Alhajeri (Salmia SC), Khaled Alqahtani whose bosses sacked Brazilian coach long-serving forward Bader Al-Mutawa the wake of the team’s disappointing Gulf Cup of (Qadsia SC), Talal Alfadhel (Kazma SC), Saleh Sheikh Jorvan Vieira in November following a can fire in Australia after being one of Nations. Maaloul also coached Tunisia for less than a Alhendi (Qadsia SC), Abdullah Al-Buiraiki (Kuwait disappointing Gulf Cup of Nations the few Kuwaiti players to leave the year, quitting after the team suffered a shock loss to SC), Abdulaziz Alenezi (Qadsia SC), Fahed Al- campaign. Gulf Cup with his head held high. Cape Verde Islands last year to miss out on qualify- Ebrahim (Qadsia SC), Sultan Alenezi (Qadsia SC), Former Tunisian international Nabil The 29-year-old has made over 100 ing for the World Cup in Brazil. Mesaed Alenzi (Al Orouba, Saudi Arabia), Talal Al- Maaloul was hastily recruited and giv- appearances for Kuwait and his blis- Key player: Bader Al-Mutawa. Age: 29. Amer (Qadsia SC), Faisal Alenezi (Salmia SC), Faisal en a month to turn around their for- tering equaliser in the team’s 2-2 draw Midfielder. A member of the 2004 and 2011 Asian Zayed Alharbi (Jahra SC), Bader Al-Mutawa (Qadsia tunes. The ‘mission impossible’ nature against United Arab Emirates was a Cup teams, Mutawa has been a Kuwait stalwart SC), Khaled Ebrahim Hajiah (Qadsia SC), of the task was underlined by Kuwait’s reminder of his class. Kuwait play since his teen years, debuting in the 2003 Gulf Abdulrahman Alsammari (Naser SC), Yousef Naser demoralising 5-0 loss in their last Gulf Australia in the tournament opener at Nations Cup and earning over 100 caps since. His Alsulaiman (Kazma SC), Ali Maqseed (Arabi SC), Cup match against fellow Middle Melbourne’s Rectangular Stadium on stunning equaliser in the 2-2 draw against United Nawaf Al-Khadi (Qadsia SC), Hameed Youssef Eastern minnows Oman. “Our group at Jan 9. — Reuters Arab Emirates, a 25-metre rocket from outside the (Arabia SC) Rout leaves Chelsea, City neck-and-neck LONDON: Harry Kane starred as Tottenham momentum after drawing 1-1 with Stoke City at a Hotspur crushed Chelsea 5-3 in a New Year’s Day windy Britannia Stadium, where Radamel Falcao blockbuster to leave Jose Mourinho’s side dead- cancelled out Ryan Shawcross’s second-minute level with Manchester City at the Premier League opener. “We didn’t deserve any more than a summit. Kane, a 21-year-old Spurs youth-team draw,” said United manager Louis van Gaal, graduate, scored twice and had a hand in two whose side have drawn three of their last four other goals as Mourinho conceded five goals for games. “They were closer to a winning goal than only the second time in his managerial career. It us. We should have played better today.” left Chelsea and City with completely identical Southampton tightened their grip on fourth records, after former Chelsea midfielder Frank place and closed to within a point of United by Lampard had scored the decisive goal in the winning 2-0 at home to Arsenal, who fell three champions’ 3-2 win over Sunderland. points off the Champions League places as a “It shows how good we are,” said Kane, whose result. Sadio Mane curled home from a narrow side leapfrogged Arsenal into fifth place. “To angle on the right after Arsenal goalkeeper score five against one of the best defences in the Wojciech Szczesny went walkabout in the 34th world shows how we’re coming together as a minute, with Dusan Tadic adding a second in the team.” Diego Costa put Chelsea ahead in the 18th 56th minute after a defensive mix-up. minute at White Hart Lane by tapping in Oscar’s shot after Eden Hazard had hit the post, but Kane Pardew Watches Palace drilled in from the edge of the box on the half “We have a good team and can beat the big hour. Danny Rose put Spurs ahead in the 44th ones if we show the spirit we did today,” said minute and Andros Townsend extended the Southampton manager Ronald Koeman. hosts’ lead from the penalty spot in first-half stop- “Everything is possible.” Freshly appointed West page time after Kane had been felled by Gary Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis watched Cahill. Nacer Chadli teed up Kane to make it 4-1 from the stands as his new club drew 1-1 at West early in the second half and Kane returned the Ham United, with Saido Berahino cancelling out favour after Hazard had reduced the arrears, with Diafra Sakho’s neatly constructed 10th-minute Chelsea captain John Terry netting a further con- opener. The result kept West Brom a point above solation in the 87th minute. “I think we made the relegation zone. Second-bottom Burnley some defensive mistakes, some individual defen- showed extraordinary spirit to come from behind sive mistakes,” Mourinho told BT Sport. “The play- three times and force a 3-3 draw at Newcastle ers tried a lot, but the fifth goal killed a bit our fan- LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s English midfielder Andros Townsend (left) vies with United, whose manager, Alan Pardew, is on the tastic reaction.” Chelsea’s Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta during the English Premier League football verge of joining Crystal Palace. match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Thursday. — AFP Steven Taylor, Jack Colback and Moussa Lampard Rescues City Sissoko scored for Newcastle, but Burnley, who Earlier, Lampard had celebrated the extension lost three players to injury in the first half, hit back of his loan move from City’s sister club New York EPL results/standings each time through a Paul Dummett own goal and City FC by coming off the bench to score the win- goals from Danny Ings and George Boyd. Pardew ner against Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium. was in the stands to watch Palace draw 0-0 at City, who left goalkeeper Joe Hart on the bench, Results and standings from the English premier league matches on Thursday. Aston Villa, ahead of his expected appointment as went 2-0 up through a sensational 22-yard shot Aston Villa 0, Crystal Palace 0; Hull City 2, Everton 0; Liverpool 2, Leicester City 2; Manchester the successor to the sacked Neil Warnock. from Yaya Toure and a neat finish by Stevan City 3, Sunderland 2; Newcastle United 3, Burnley 3; Queens Park Rangers 1, Swansea City 1; Liverpool’s recent momentum was curbed as they Jovetic. But just as they had done in Sunday’s 2-2 Southampton 2, Arsenal 0; Stoke City 1, Manchester United 1; Tottenham Hotspur 5, Chelsea threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at home to bot- draw with Burnley, City allowed Sunderland back 3; West Ham United 1, West Bromwich Albion 1. tom club Leicester City, which left them seven into the game, with City old boys Jack Rodwell points below the top four in eighth place. A pair and Adam Johnson, with a penalty, drawing the P W D L F A Pts Newcastle 20 7 6 7 25 31 27 of first-half Steven Gerrard penalties put Liverpool visitors level. However, just three minutes after Chelsea 20 14 4 2 44 19 46 Stoke City 20 7 5 8 22 24 26 in control, but two goals in two minutes by David replacing Jovetic, Lampard headed home a cross Man City 20 14 4 2 44 19 46 Aston Villa 20 5 7 8 11 22 22 Nugent and Jeffrey Schlupp prevented Brendan from Gael Clichy to claim his seventh goal of the Man United 20 10 7 3 34 20 37 Everton 20 5 6 9 29 33 21 Rodgers’s side from registering a third successive campaign.