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Salman Mohamed al-Emadi won the feature event at the His Highness The Amir’s Sword Showjumping Championship yesterday. The Qatari rider piloted his 15-year-old gelding The Toymaker to victory in the Big Tour and received the Amir’s Sword from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s outdoor arena. Al-Emadi’s victory also rewarded him with a Lexus car. The Big Tour class was held over two rounds. Al-Emadi, who was placed sixth after the first round on Friday, put on a clinical show with The Toymaker in the second as the duo galloped the course in 60.12 seconds to trump the 145cm class. Mubarak Yousuf al-Rumaihi finished runner-up with Casal Des Forets after clocking a time of 44.81 secs, while last year’s winner Faleh Suwead al-Ajami led Carport to third place in 46.38 secs. Both al-Rumaihi and al-Ajami registered quicker timings than al-Emadi but were undone by eight penalties they accumulated. On the other hand, al-Emadi reaped benefits for making just one mistake. The Qatari rider said this was his most important accomplishment of his career. “My joy is indescribable. After years of attempts, I am finally able to gain the great honour of winning the sword of His Highness the Amir. This is my biggest achievement, even though I have won various championships, including at the Asian Games,” al-Emadi said. “I was determined to win the precious sword. The competition was stronger than last year. There were many riders with the new horses so it wasn’t easy out there. I had to be at my best today and I could win only because I did conceded fewer penalties than others. In the end it was just a matter of small margins,” he added. Al-Emadi also paid credit to his participation in the annual Longines Hathab series, which is held over 12 legs, for his improvements. “Hathab is a very rewarding series. Not just me, it has benefited all the riders as it’s held over 12 legs. This victory will only make me perform better in the future Hathab legs,” he said.  Meanwhile, al-Rumaihi wasn’t too disappointed with runner-up finish as he was riding an inexperienced eight-year-old gelding Casal Des Forets. “I didn’t expect to win honestly as my horse is still very young and was competing in his first major championship. I was lying in seventh position after the first round, so to finish second overall is a great effort,” he added. Defending champion al-Ajami was also happy with his third-place finish, after coming into the second round in eighth place. “It was a tough competition as there were many strong performances from the elite riders. I have been doing well on the circuit and I hope I can make it to the Qatar’s Olympic team,” he said Results Big Tour | Table A, Two rounds against the clock, Art. 273.3.3.1 | 135/145cm | 1. Salman Mohamed al-Emadi. Horse: The Toymaker, Rd I: Faults: 0; 0; Time:79.70secs; Rd II: Faults: 1; Time: 60.12 Prize: Lexus Car 2. Mubarak Yousuf al-Rumaihi. Casal Des Forets, Rd I: Faults: 4;0; Time: 74.40secs; Rd II: Faults: 4; Time: 44.81secs; QR11,200 3. Faleh Suwead al-Ajami. Carport, Rd I: Faults: 4; 0; Time: 77.04secs; rd II: Faults: 4; Time: 46.38secs; QR9,000. Future Riders | Table A, One round against the clock, Art. 238.2.1 | 85/100cm 1. Majed Abdulrahman al-Awadh. Horse: Ubor; Faults: 0; Time: 41.05secs 2. Lolwa Ali Atat. Animo’s Boy Van De Dennehoeve Tat; 0; 43.57secs 3. Mohammed Ibrahim al Hor. Zaragossa; 0; 43.58secs. Future Riders | Table A, One round against the clock, Art. 238.2.1 |70/85cm 1. Jassim Adel al-Saegh. Joly’s Arno; 0; 40.59secs 2. Fahad Abdulkarim Abed. Leslie Ann 2; 0; 41.27secs 3. Haya Khalid al-Hitmi. SITA; 0; 44.91secs

Zamalek clinched their fourth CAF Super Cup in an impressive fashion after a 3-1 win over Esperance Sportive de Tunis at the Al Gharafa stadium yesterday. The Egyptians giants were playing their first Super Cup match — which pits the winners of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup — since 2003, and they put on a relentless display in front of a packed crowd to take home the title.  Youssef Obama opened the scoring for Zamalek in just the second minute. Abdelraouf Benguit made it 1-1 by converting a penalty in the 54th minute but Zamalek were back in front just four minutes later thanks to Achraf Bencharki’s cool finish, and the forward once again struck in the injury time to cap a memorable night for the Cairo-based side.  For Esperance, it was another bitter pill to swallow as they lost a second consecutive Super Cup title clash, after having gone down to Moroccan side Raja Casablanca at the same venue 12 months ago. And it was Patrice Carteron, who came back to haunt them again. The French coach had led Casablanca to victory last year and he once again plotted Esperance’s downfall on the night.  The Tunisians – back-to-back winners of the CAF Champions League – have now gone without a Super Cup title since 1995, the only time they have won the title in five appearances. Zamalek’s Confederation Cup victory was their first continental silverware since winning the CAF Champions League 18 years ago, and looked like they are keen to make up for the lost time.  Carteron’s men were right on the money from the whistle, as Obama put Zamalek ahead in the second minute, the midfielder heading in a lovely cross from Mohamed Abdel-Shafy, with Esperance goalkeeper Ben Cherifia unable to do much.  It was a dream start for Zamalek as they were all over the Esperance side in the first ten minutes. The Tunisians had got first look at the rival goal in the 12th minute when Ilyes Chetti struck a fierce shot but Abdul Shafi was alert to the danger.  Four minutes later, however, Moustafa Mohamed went close to doubling Zamalek’s lead, but the forward’s dipping shot from close range went over the bar. Mohamed was in the thick of action again with a rasping curling attempt flying narrowly over the top of Cherifa’s goal.  Zamalek had another golden opportunity in the 39th minute with Zizo having acres of space at the back post to control and shoot – but Chetti got his body in the way to make a spectacular save.  While Zamalek were constant a threat on the counter-attack, Esperance found it difficult to break their opponents’ defence. Zamalek came to Qatar with a 12-match unbeaten streak, a run that stretched back to mid-December and included eight clean sheets.  But Esperance were let back into the game three minutes into the second half after Mahmoud Hamdi handled the ball in the box. Referee Victor Gomes initially waved to play on but changed his decision after a lengthy VAR review, where he went to the pitchside monitor to have a look.  Benguit thumped his spot-kick into the top corner, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. But their joy lasted barely four minutes. With the Esperance defence wide open, Bencharki had an easy run to the box, and the forward curled a low shot across Cherifia and into the bottom corner.  Esperance introduced striker Yassine Khenissi four minutes thereafter in place of Ghanaian Kwame Bonsu in pursuit of a comeback. But Mooine Chaabani’s could not get past the Egyptian team’s defence. Bencharki then completed his brace in added time with another cool finish to send Zamalek fans into raptures.

Sir Geoff Hurst is a bundle of energy. The scorer of the only hat-trick in a World Cup final, which helped England win the tournament in 1966 with a 4-2 victory over West Germany, his enthusiasm for the game is infectious.  The former England striker – who also won FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup medals with West Ham in his illustrious career – was in Qatar for a short visit. Hurst was part of the National Sport Day celebrations yesterday as he refereed a tournament for international property and construction consultancy Gleeds. Hurst is 78, but looks much younger and can dazzle the room with his witty anecdotes. In a wide-ranging interview with Gulf Times, the English legend spoke about Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup, memories of his magical night at Wembley and much more. Excerpts:    Q. You have been coming to Qatar since 2005, what are your impressions of the country?  A: It’s my third visit to Qatar. Last year I came here and my first was in 2005.  I enjoyed my visit last year. It’s very different from what it was in 2005. I have been to one or two Arab countries before; it’s a different culture and I enjoy being here. I spent two years coaching in Kuwait from 1982-84. It’s nice going to different countries and cultures.   Qatar has changed dramatically over the years. I can see many changes in a short time since my visit last year. I can see so much construction going on. It’s just enormous and amazing. You are going to need that when hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world come to Qatar for the World Cup. I think that was an issue they spoke about. Like when the fans come, where they going to stay? Someone was speaking about housing fans on cruise ships here. I think that is fascinating and that will be fun.     Q:  Qatar will make history in 2022, when it will become the first Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup. How important is it to host the tournament in new countries and regions? A: I think every country is different. And of course, every country is different when it comes to hosting the World Cup. It’s very different and unusual and because of that it makes interesting for a different culture to host the World Cup. I firmly believe every country should have an opportunity to host the World Cup. It’s fantastic what they are doing here and I am convinced it will be a successful World Cup.   There will always be negatives. When any World Cup comes around there has always been negativity – Russia was a good example. But after the World Cup in Russia every single English person I spoke to said the tournament and hospitality of the Russians was fantastic. I don’t go around with negativity. As a person I am positive, as a player I was very positive. It’s going to be a great World Cup in Qatar.     Q: Qatar’s World Cup will be played in November and December. Do you thinking holding the tournament in the middle of the traditional European season will have any negative impact? A: I think the Premier League and other leagues will adjust for one year.  I don’t think that is an issue. They have had plenty of time to plan for it. That cannot be a problem. It’s great that they have moved the World Cup to winter. When it was first announced, they said it will be held in summer and naturally there was some criticism because it was going to be too hot for the players.  I have experienced that. I have played In Mexico World Cup in 1970 and we played there in the summer there and it was hot. We played in a city called Guadalajara which is at 5,000 feet, so we were playing at an altitude. There were a couple of games in which I played and I was getting a dizzy spell and had to rest more than I would normally do.   Now they have quite rightly decided to move the Qatar World Cup to winter. If it’s that hot, not only it’s not good for the players but also for the fans, who will be walking around. That would spoil their enjoyment.    Q: What advice would you give to the Qatari players before the World Cup?  A: My advice for them is to be 100% focused and dedicated on their performance and fitness. One important thing to be successful is for the team spirit to be good. I think it’s a fundamental requirement for a successful national team. The manager needs his players to commit that. Alf Ramsey (England’s 1966 World Cup winning coach) for me was good in a way, because when a player didn’t want to be part of the team, then it was a goodbye. Ramsey was left with a very good bunch of players and hard-nosed, dedicated players and that for me has always been a fundamental reason for success. I have talked to other international players who have won the World Cup and they say they were successful because the team they played in had great team spirit.      Q:  Do you think England can be strong contenders for the 2022 World Cup?  A: I think they will. I am very positive about the England team at the moment. I think under Gareth Southgate we have improved and done well. The English fans prior to Southgate’s tenure were getting very disappointed and disillusioned with the English team. We were not having a full house at Wembley. But since Southgate has taken over, we have seen 80-9000 people packed at the stadium. At the Brazil World Cup in 2014, we played two group games and we were out. That’s the World Cup and in the Euros we lost against Iceland. That was the worst game I have seen. The fans want their team to play well so there was a bit of disillusionment during that period. But now the situation has changed dramatically. Now there is lot more interest back home.      Q: Do you think that Southgate can lead England to Euro Championships success this summer?  A: I do fancy England’s chances of winning the Euros. The last 16, semis and final will be played in London, which I see as a big advantage for the home team. I can certainly see us winning. We are a young side. It’s different now to my times, because there is a smaller percentage of English players playing the league. Southgate now is selecting players very unusually, for, they have hardly played for their clubs.  I think Callum Hudson-Odoi for example was picked for England having hardly played a game for Chelsea. In my time that was unthinkable. I had to play for three years, my club West Ham was doing very well and I was scoring goals. Still it was three years before I was picked for England. I made the West Ham first team in the 1962-63 season. Nowadays it’s different. Having said that, Southgate is harnessing raw talent who are without experience into a good unit. Overall, Southgate’s managerial style and what he’s doing, and the way they’re playing, is just fantastic. There is a team spirit and camaraderie, which I think was missing for a long time.    Q: Is the memory of scoring a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany at Wembley still fresh in your mind? A: The memories are still fresh and it’s also fresh in fans’ mind. I still get people of my generation talk about the memories of that final, where they were and what they were doing at that time. That’s one of the most enjoyable things when you win the World Cup in your country. Those memories last forever for people and I always enjoy when people talk about it.      Q: Do u think your feat of scoring a hat-trick in the final of a World Cup will ever be matched?  A: No! I sometimes say yes because nothing is impossible in football. You can never tell. Who would have thought Liverpool will win the championship this year so easily? They are 22 points ahead at the moment. And also, who would have thought Liverpool, one of the greatest clubs, will take 30 years to win another title? Manchester United under Alex Ferguson achieved so much, but currently they are languishing in seventh spot. So anything can happen in football and that’s the beauty of sport. It’s very unpredictable. What is true is scoring has become lot harder. Teams that are winning the World Cup are not some of them who are scoring many goals. We scored 11 goals when we won. In 1956, Jules Fonte scored 13 on his own. It’s statically a lot tougher, so on that basis you can say it’s a lot harder to equal my record. Q:  According to you who will be favourites for the title in Qatar?    A: I would say usual suspects are not far away. France are a very good team at the moment. The Germans have not done quite as well in recent years but they have been dominant for a long time. I think England is still in the mix, and in another two years if the players continue to develop we have a chance. Brazil and Argentina are always around. Portugal has a good young team, and I think they will do very well in Euros this year and if they can do then they can be a force at the World Cup. Having said that, you can sit and predict here of who will in Qatar in three years’ time but you can never be sure of what is going to happen.     Q: Your former team West Ham is languishing in 18th spot in the Premier League. What according to you is the reason for their decline?  A: We are in a very difficult position, in bottom three. It’s going to be a hard battle between now and the end of the season to get out of trouble. I think (manager) David Moyes has been a good acquisition. I was surprised that, when he got us out of trouble for the first time we didn’t keep him.  He is a very experienced manager who did well at Everton.  I think he is a good choice, but he has taken over at a very difficult time and now it’s a tough battle. And we have very difficult fixtures ahead, with most of the matches against top teams. The last game was very disappointing, because were 3-1 up against Brighton and we drew the game. We lost two points and that makes a huge difference at this time of the season.     Q: Who according to you is the best player – Messi or Ronaldo?  A: I lean towards Messi. Both are great players, even if they had played in any other era.  I just favour Messi a little bit. I have always felt that Ronaldo and Messi playing at two great clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain was great. Them playing in attacking teams meant they scored lots of goals.  But what’s good about Ronaldo going to Juventus is – even though they are a dominant club – he is still doing very well there at his age. I think his attitude is very good and he keeps himself fit. But I always felt Messi is the best player and it’s nice to choose between two of them.

Liverpool are finally the champions of the world and the Reds owe it to Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian forward struck another crucial winner to break the hearts of his countrymen as Liverpool edged past South American champions Flamengo 1-0 in the final to clinch the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar at the Khalifa International Stadium Saturday. Firmino, who had come in as substitute to stroke home a stoppage time winner in the semi-finals against Monterrey on Wednesday, was the hero for Liverpool again. With the game ending goalless after 90 minutes and going into extra time, Firmino broke the deadlock in the 99th minute after a classic Liverpool counter set it up for the forward. Captain Jordan Henderson found Sadio Mane with a long ball, with the Senegalese then drawing the Flamengo goalkeeper Diego Alves forward before slipping the ball to Firmino, who then cleverly slowed things down and smashed into the net. Liverpool's Alisson lifts the trophy as they celebrate after winning the Club World Cup   Liverpool's Jordan Henderson and teammates celebrate Liverpool's Naby Keita celebrates with the trophy and teammates  Flamengo did get a couple of chances to take the final to penalties, with Lincoln getting the best one of the night in the final seconds. But the substitute blazed it over as the Liverpool defence stood firm to seal a historic maiden title. This was after high drama in the stoppage time of regulation time, when Liverpool were awarded a penalty by Qatari referee Abdulrahman al-Jassim for a foul on Mane by Flamengo full-back Rafinha. Flamengo players protested furiously with al-Jassim, who then had a long look at the pitch-side monitor in a VAR review before overturning his decision. The replays showed Rafinha had clipped Mane just outside the box as the Liverpool midfielder was poised to shoot. Flamengo and Rafinha heaved a sigh of relief, with the defender’s yellow card also rescinded by the referee. Flamengo, however, ran out of legs in the extra time as Liverpool dug deep to come out triumphant. Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring their goal Liverpool's Joe Gomez in action with Flamengo's Bruno Henrique Flamengo's Pablo Mari in action with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold in action with Flamengo's Bruno Henrique It was also sweet revenge for Liverpool, who had lost to Flamengo in the 1981 Intercontinental Cup final, a precursor to the current tournament. Liverpool had also gone down to another Brazilian side, Sao Paulo, 0-1 in the final in 2005 in Yokohama, Japan. Victory in Doha meant Jurgen Klopp’s men became the second English side after Manchester United in 2008 to win the global club competition. Captain Henderson, who lifted the trophy as Jamie Webster’s Allez Allez Allez rang out at the Khalifa, said the mental strength of the side pulled them the through. "It was an interesting game. I am sure it was interesting to watch but we kept going, good performance and mentality shined through. We could have scored a couple more. Overall delighted with the result and performance in difficult conditions,” Henderson said. "We have found a way for a long time now. Some late goals, we just want to keep going, keep improving. Keep working hard and putting in performances like that," he added While Liverpool were clearly the better side on the night, they lacked the killer punch, wasting plenty of scoring opportunities. But that has been the story of Klopp and his men this season, who have made a habit of winning from difficult situations. However, it had looked like Liverpool won’t take it till the end when they started with a frenetic pace in the first ten minutes. Forty seconds into the game, Liverpool almost had a dream start. With Flamengo still seemingly in their warm ups, Firmino was sent through but the Brazilian’s shot just looped over the bar. Liverpool were all over Flamengo with crowd favourite Mohamed Salah setting up a great chance for Naby Keita, who could only strike it over. Trent Alexander-Arnold too had a pop at the goal as the Reds looked well in control before Flamengo settled into the game. Flamengo came back strongly though, with coach Jorge Jesus’ tactic to stop his full-backs getting out of the midfield stopping Liverpool. In fact the Copa Libertadores champions dominated possession as Bruno Henrique and Gabrie Barbosa made life difficult for the Liverpool defence, who welcomed back Virgil van Dijk. Joe Gomez had to make a brilliant slide-in tackle to deny Pablo Mari, who was played in by Henrique, for the Brazilians’ best chance of the first half. With Klopp visibly frustrated on the touchline, Liverpool upped the ante in the second half. But it played similarly to the first half as the Reds missed couple of glorious chances. Firmino though was unlucky to have seen his one-bounce shot in the 47th minute ricochet off the post and go out of play. Two minutes later, Trent Alexander-Arnold cut a ball back to Mohamed Salah, but the Egyptian shot it wide of the post. At the other end, Barbosa fired at the Liverpool goal with Alisson doing well to make a save Meanwhile, Firmino had another chance but the unmarked Brazilian failed to control the ball as Alves claimed it easily. By then it was an end-to-end contest as Barbosa scuffed a left footer after played through by Henrique. Salah, who walked away with Golden Ball award for best player of tournament, thought he had put Liverpool one-nil up when he buried the ball into the net in the 76th minute, but the off side flag was already up. Flamengo also survived another scare when Henderson’s shot from outside the box was tipped over by Alves. The penalty drama in the end added another twist to the final, before Firmino made sure Liverpool kept their date with destiny.

Monterrey coach Antonio Mohamed had promised to put up a strong fight against European champions Liverpool and his players did more than just that at the Khalifa International Stadium yesterday. The Mexican side were on par with the Premier League leaders for most of the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar semi-final encounter, but a cruel injury-time goal from Roberto Firmino knocked them out of the competition. While Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp heaved a sigh of relief at the final whistle after a narrow 2-1 win, he will know his side will have to fare much better against South American champions Flamengo in Saturday’s final, if they are to become club world champions for the first time. Klopp yesterday went in with five changes from last week’s league win over Watford, with Sadio Mane, Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold warming the bench while influential defender Virgil van Dijk missed out due to cold. That meant the German manager was forced to start with a makeshift defence with captain Jordan Henderson playing as centre-back alongside regular defenders Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson, with James Milner taking the right-back role. Liverpool did dominate the early proceedings and controlled possession but Monterrey was just waiting for the counter-attack. The Mexican side’s forwards Dorlan Pabon and Rogelio Funes Moria gave a tough time to Liverpool’s back four. But it was Mohamed Salah’s terrific assist that put Liverpool in front. After the Egyptian star was denied by the Monterrey defence in the eighth minute, Salah provided an excellent reverse ball pass for Naby Keita four minutes later. While Salah’s ball pierced through the Monterrey defence, Keita timed his run to the box perfectly to put Liverpool ahead. If the Reds thought they would run away with the game, they were wrong as Monterrey hit back immediately. With Jesus Gallardo’s shot blocked by Alisson Becker, the rebound was latched onto by Rogelio Funes Mori, who controlled the ball with his first touch and then slammed the ball into the net, with the Liverpool goalkeeper diving in vain. With a spring in their step after drawing level, Monterrey looked much bigger threat than their fancied opponents. In fact, Liverpool were bailed out of trouble on few occasions by Alisson, with the Brazilian keeper enjoying a terrific game. In the 27th minute, Alisson dived to his right to block a Pabon shot from 30 yards. He was called into action again ten minutes later with the Liverpool stopper having to deny the Monterrey captain with a crucial late save, which fell to Gallardo but the defender was late onto the ball. Salah, meanwhile, continued to cause Monterrey trouble but his back flip pass for Milner was saved by Argentine goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero. With two minutes remaining for half time, Keita too had a chance for his second goal, but failed to put it past Barovero after having almost rounded the keeper. Monterrey began the second half brightly and could have had their lead if not for Alisson’s intervention. In the 50th minute, the goalkeeper produced another excellent save, this time palming away a dangerous free-kick from Pabon from the edge of the box. Liverpool did have chances at the other end, but Keita’s left-footed low shot was chested away by Barovero in the 58th minute. With time running out, Klopp brought in Mane for ineffective Xherdan Shaqiri, while Alexander-Arnold replaced the veteran Milner, who made his 200th appearance for the club yesterday. Klopp also had a touchline argument with Mohamed, with both managers shown yellow card by the referee. Mane did have an opportunity to calm Klopp’s nerves in the 68th minute, but the Senegal forward’s shot was easily grasped by Barovero. With extra time looming, Klopp called on Firmino in place of Divock Origi and the Brazilian duly rewarded his manager with a crucial goal. In the first of the three-minute stoppage time, Monterrey players heart was broken as Firmino tapped in from a close range after a sumptuous ball from Alexander-Arnold. Klopp later paid tribute to Alisson for saving Liverpool’s blushes. “All you need is Alisson. He was there in the decisive moments. A really hard game and then you can bring on the boys. We have brought in a few kids and see what we can do line-up wise. We want to play the final and see what we can do,” he said. The Liverpool manager praised the atmosphere at Khalifa, with 45,416 fans packing the stadium. “Wonderful goal, great game, super atmosphere,” he said.

It’s been little over four years since Jurgen Klopp took over the reins of Liverpool and in that period the German has transformed the Reds to world beaters, which even the Anfield faithful would have not dreamt of. Unlike his off-the-pitch demeanour, where he is always sporting a smile or cracking a joke or two for the cameras, Klopp is an intense manager. He is a man with a bundle of energy when on the touchline, always making gestures or screaming at his players. His energy has rubbed on to his players and the club. The 52-year-old led Liverpool to the European title earlier this year – their first since the miracle of Istanbul in 2005, and now they are in a race of their own to win their first English Premier League title since 1989-90. Before that, though, Klopp’s men will be eyeing to become the first Liverpool side to clinch a FIFA Club World Cup title. They take on the Mexican side Monterrey in the semi-finals today at the Khalifa International Stadium, and there is little doubt that they go into the contest as the overwhelming favourites. The last time Liverpool came close to winning the club continental championship was in 2005 in Japan, where they lost to Brazilian side Sao Paulo 0-1. Klopp has brought in a full-strength squad to Qatar, while fielding a second string side of academy players for last night’s League Cup match against Aston Villa in Birmingham, which shows the importance they have given to the Club World Cup. Having won the UEFA Super Cup earlier this year, this is another opportunity for Klopp and his men to add one more title to Liverpool’s trophy cabinet. The German had had a terrible record in finals, until this year. The former Borussia Dortmund manager lost six major finals in succession, including last year’s Champions League loss to Real Madrid. Having had a taste of titles, he would want to continue his winning run in Qatar. And Klopp has a carefully assembled squad to do so. Of the 18 players he inherited from his predecessor Brendan Rodgers in 2015, only four are still at the club – Adam Lallana, Divock Origi, James Milner and Nathaniel Clyne. While he has splurged huge money on defender Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Alison Becker, he also has made some shrewd signings by bringing in Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. Besides finding players with the right physical and technical abilities to fit into his preferred high-pressing game approach, Klopp has also been careful with the types of personalities he has brought into his squad. Spain and Barcelona midfield great Xavi Hernandez credits Klopp for overhauling the Liverpool squad and making them a powerful force in European football. “What stands out for me with Klopp and Liverpool is their intensity,” Xavi, the current coach of Qatar champion Al Sadd, told FIFA.Com last week. “The intensity they play with both in defence and attack, the high press by the front three who occupy the space between the lines and do their pressing there. They’re a very difficult team to attack. Physically they’re very strong. They win all the second balls and they also work really hard on their tactics. They’re dominant in so many areas of the game,” Xavi said in a tone of awe. Yesterday on the eve of their semi-final against Monterrey, Klopp did not give too much importance to ‘best team in the world’ label nor did he consider his side as the favourites for the Club World Cup title. “Look, it is not important if, and I not sure about that, we were the “best football team in the world” in the summer, the last game or whatever – it is only important what we will be tomorrow night,” he said. “Nobody cares about what happened three days ago, five days ago or six days ago. We need to show we are ready and that’s the only thing we are concerned about. I am an optimistic person, but it is not that I think before a game that we have it already won. We are ready to work hard tomorrow night, we will make sure we find a line-up to work hard. We respect the opponent a lot. We are not here to just show up, we are here for football and will try to show that. It will be difficult,” the Liverpool manager said. On the other hand, Monterrey’s coach Antonio Mohamed, while acknowledging Liverpool as the red-hot favourites, said his team would ensure it would not be a walk in the park for the European champions today. The CONCACAF Champions League winners are making their fourth appearance in the tournament, and sealed a semi-final date with Liverpool after a 3-2 win over local side Al Sadd on Saturday. “We have a big ambition to play against Liverpool and we came to compete strongly at this mega-tournament,” he said. “Jurgen Klopp is one of the best managers and Liverpool maybe the best team in the world right now. We have made a huge effort to reach this stage and have come to compete irrespective of which team or manager we are facing. We came here to play and win the match with our weapons. We didn’t come to participate in this tournament and let Liverpool win against us. Nothing is impossible in football,” the Argentinean added. Monterrey will be without Vincent Janssen, the former Tottenham Hotspur striker, due to injury. The Mexican side will rely on forward Rogelio Gabriel Funes Mori, the twin brother of former Everton defender Ramiro Funes Mori, for goals.

With a dream semi-final date against Liverpool dashed, Al Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez was yet to overcome the disappointment of missing out on a marquee clash at the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar. Sadd went down to Mexican side Monterrey 2-3 in the quarter-finals on Saturday and will now play for a fifth place play-off against African champions Esperance Sportive de Tunis at the Khalifa International Stadium today. On the eve of the match against the Tunisian side, Xavi seemed to be still carrying the wounds from the Monterrey encounter. The Spaniard, while admitting his team would look to end their campaign on a high, said Sadd played better than Monterrey but without much luck. “We were better than Monterrey in the last match, but we didn’t have luck on our side,” Xavi said. “We wanted to reach the semi-finals of this tournament but we couldn’t win the last match so we have to play for the fifth place. But we are still excited to finish this competition in the best way,” he said. Despite dominating possession against Monterrey, Sadd were wasteful in front of the goal. That along with a couple of defensive errors in the first half cost them badly, despite mounting a comeback in the second half. Xavi, however, reiterated his belief in his players and was pleased with their show in the tournament. “I am happy with the performance of my players. I am proud of them. We are at the same level with Monterrey. We were better than them in the quarter-final. I think we are competing really well, we have to adjust some things and we are not far off from other teams,” the Spain and Barcelona great said. Xavi felt Sadd will have to work hard to beat Tunis, who were undone by substitute Bafetimbi Gomis’ stunning goal as Asian Champions League winners Al Hilal snatched a narrow 1-0 win. “They (ES Tunis) have good players like we have at Al Sadd. They are fighters and warriors, and have a very good coach. They are working very well and that is why they are here. They are the champions of Africa and we will have to work hard to beat them,” he said. Sadd will be without goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb, who had to be substituted in the second half after suffering a shoulder injury against Monterrey. Qatar’s under-23 goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham, who filled in for al-Sheeb, is set to start today. On the other hand, Tunis have historically lost to Asian clubs and the African champions would want to set the record straight. The Tunisians have lost to Sadd 1-2 in the only time the two teams played against each other at the 2011 edition of the tournament, while Saturday’s loss to Hilal was another hard pill to swallow for them. “African teams are not winning against the Arab clubs for a long time. The reason may be they each have five to six professional players in the side, and then they have good infrastructure. But, we are looking to break this record against Al Sadd (today),” ES Tunis assistant coach Majdi Traore said. “Al Sadd are a very strong side but we will play for victory. We played this match last time and we won,” he said.  “We played a good last match technically and only lost after a late goal. The players are in good state mentally and are determined to win this match to win fifth place,” said Traore.  ES Tunis goalkeeper Rami Jridi did not see much of a difference between Tunis and Sadd. “Al Sadd are a tough side and it will be a difficult match. Al Sadd have a good history but we are also the African champions,” he said.

Al Sadd were the dark horses going into their FIFA Club World Cup Qatar quarter-final match against Monterrey, and the Qatar giants put on a valiant fight before going down 2-3 in a pulsating encounter yesterday. The Mexican side were too good for Sadd in the first half, but the hosts never gave up as they twice reduced a two-goal deficit in the second half before running out of time at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Monterrey will now gear up for a marquee semi-final showdown with European champions Liverpool on Wednesday at the Khalifa International stadium, while Sadd will play a fifth place play-off tie against African champions Esperance Sportive de Tunis on Tuesday. Sadd started on a positive note but goals from Leonel Vangioni (23rd minute) and Rogelio Funes Mori (45 +1) gave Monterrey the advantage at half time. While Sadd ignited comeback hopes with a Baghdad Bounedjah header in the 66th minute, Carlos Rodriguez’s strike ten minutes later restored Monterrey’s two-goal advantage. Sadd were back in the contest after a stunner from Abdelkarim Hassan in the 89th minute, but could not force the game into extra time in the six added minutes. “I am very disappointed but proud of the players for what their effort. We made many mistakes that helped the Mexican team. But we deserved more than that and could have taken the game to extra time,” Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez said. “We must learn from our mistakes. But I am happy with most of the players and how they played. But in football the result is most important and we committed too many mistakes to lose today,” he added.  On the match eve, Xavi had urged his players to play without fear and embrace being the dark horse for the clash. While the hosts did put on a much better show in the second half, they weren’t clinical enough in the first even as Monterrey took their chances. Unlike against Hienghene Sport last Wednesday, where they scraped to a 3-1 extra-time win, Sadd were punished by the South American champions for wasting too many chances. Monterrey did go close after just 98 seconds, when Jesus Gallardo hit the bar, but in the next ten minutes Sadd had a chance to take the lead through Akram Afif and Nam Tae-hee. In third minute, Asian best player of the year Afif’s shot was blocked by Marcelo Barovero, and the Monterrey goalkeeper did not do much when South Koream international Nam whipped over the post. On the other hand, Vangioni struck a belter to give the CONCACAF Champions League winners an early lead in the 23rd minute. The defender picked up a ball from 35-yards and unleashed a left-footer, which hit the top of the right-hand post and then slammed into the net. Afif and Hassan did try their luck from outside the box but could not find the target before Sadd captain Gabi’s blunder at the stroke of half time put the hosts two goals behind. The Spanish midfielder played a back pass to Boualem Khoukhi, but could only find a lurking Mori, who squared up Sadd keeper Saad al-Sheeb and calmly put it into the net. Afif had enough time in the remaining seconds of first half to pull a goal back but the forward’s corner from the left was cleared by Barovero. Sadd came in with a lot more intent in the second half but Barovero was again on hand to parry a shot from Hassan al-Haydos. While Xavi’s men did enjoy more of the possession, Monterrey were always a threat. Captain Dorlan Pabon went close a couple of times, but Sadd defenders were able to thwart the danger. Afif did have another big opportunity in the 65th minute, but the 23-year-old once again shot wide. A minute later, however, Bounedjah gave his side a hope when he bundled in a Khoukhi cross. Monterrey were back in control though, when Pedro Miguel lost the ball in the midfield to Jesus Gallardo, who then passed it to Rodriguez to drill into the net. When all the hopes seemed to die down, Hassan’s thunder strike from 25 yards in the 88th minute gave Sadd a slim of a chance. But the Monterrey players were clever in running down the clock as Sadd players ran out of gas.

*FIFA Club World Cup Qatar kicks off A spirited Hienghene Sport gave Al Sadd a scare before the hosts won 3-1 in a play-off match as the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar kicked off Wednesday. At the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Sadd needed extra time to beat Oceania winners Hienghene to seal a place in the quarter-finals against Mexican side Monterrey. Sadd looked for a comfortable win when Baghdad Bounedjah put them in front in the 26th minute, but Hienghene hit back immediately after half time when Amy Roine drew level. Al Sadd's Abdelkarim Hassan celebrates after scoring a goal  Al Sadd's Abdelkarim Hassan (third from left) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal   With Sadd players spurning chance after chance, the game went into 30-minute extra time, where Abdelkarim Hassan scored after a howler from Hienghene goalkeeper Rocky Nyikeine, before Pedro Miguel relieved pressure on coach Xavi Hernandez with a strike in the 114th minute. Qatar league champions Sadd have not been at their best form, having lost three of their last four league matches. And they looked lackluster once again against a Hienghene side, who are made up mostly of part-timers. Sadd manager was not too happy with his players for wasting plenty of opportunities to score. "We had many chances to score. We concede just a little bit. They didn't look like scoring in the second half apart from early on. We suffered too much, we did more than them but we missed too many chances. Monterrey will be very difficult side on Saturday," the Spaniard said. Going into Wednesday’s contest, Hienghene were always the underdogs but they battled hard against one of the best teams in Asia. Felix Tagawa’s men were surprise winners of the Oceania Champions League and are the first New Caledonian side to qualify for the Club World Cup. They are based in a remote part of New Caledonia with a population of just 2,500, five hours away from the country’s capital, Noumea. Hienghene does not possess the quality of Sadd, so it was obvious that they would sit deep and look to attack on counter. While the hosts dominated, Hienghene had their fair share of chances in the first half. Sadd did have couple of chances in the opening minutes but it was Hienghene who had first real shot at the goal. In the ninth minute, forward Jefferson Dahite’s right footed shot hit the side net. Four minutes later, Hienghene goalkeeper Rocky Nyikeine, was called into action with Gabi and Bounedjah both trying their luck. Nyikeine, however, was equal to the task, blocking both the shots easily.  Roine, meanwhile was a constant threat to the Sadd defence, and the forward tested Saad al-Sheeb from outside the box with Sadd stopper diving to his left to make a save. In the 25th minute, Roine should have put Hienghene into the lead. Captain Bertrand Kai played in a perfect cross into the box, with Roine having beaten defender Pedro Miguel to the ball but the forward could not add power to his header as al-Sheeb made a regulation save. Roine was still lamenting his close miss, when Bounedjah made no mistake at the other end to put Sadd ahead. Hassan delivered a cross from the left-hand flank, which was tapped in by Bounedjah. There was a VAR review for the goal with Bounedjah seemed to be offside but a little nick off the defender on the way through meant the Algerian was played onside. In the 39th minute, Akram Afif thought he had doubled Sadd’s advantage when the Qatari forward had slotted the ball into the net after Boualem Khoukhi’s free kick was palmed away by Nyikeine. But the goal was disallowed after a VAR review by Algerian referee Mustapha Ghorbal, who deemed Bounedjah had obstructed Nyikeine as he looked to save Afif's follow-up shot. Hienghene got the second half under way and they equalised within a minute after the break, but not before the visitors were made to wait for the goal to be given. Roine had slotted the ball to the bottom right corner after nudging Khoukhi just outside the box but the referee ruled a foul by Hienghene forward. Upon watching a VAR review, Ghorbal reversed his decision as Roine went on a celebratory run with his teammates joining him. There was more VAR drama in the 69th minute and Sadd were at the receiving end again. After Nyikeine had denied Bounedjah with a brilliant save, substitute Hassan al-Haydos fierce shot hit the net. But the referee cut short al-Haydos’ celebration after Bounedjah, who had made the pass to his teammates, was offside. Sadd had numerous chances to finish the game with Afif having couple of golden chances. While the 23-year-old’s header whisked past the post, he was also guilty of shooting wide as the game went to extra time. While Hienghene continued to defend stoically, a mistake from goalkeeper Nyikeine undid all their good work. After confusion with defender, while clearing a Sadd attempt, Nyikeine gave a back pass to his teammates. With referee awarding a free kick to Sadd inside the box, Hassan blasted past a wall of defenders from close range. With Hienghene’s spirits crushed, Pedro added another goal with six minutes remaining to keep Sadd in the tournament.

Qatar roared back into the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup contention with a thumping 6-0 win over Yemen at the Khalifa International Stadium. The Asian champions bounced back from a shock 1-2 loss to Iraq in their opening match on Tuesday, with a clinical performance Friday. Abdelkarim Hassan started the rout with a brace, before he completed his hat-trick, while Almoez Ali, Abdullah al-Ahrak and Akram Afif found the net once each. Felix Sanchez’s men will now take on the United Arab Emirates in their final Group A match on Monday, in what is now a winner-takes-all showdown. A draw against UAE would ensure a semi-final spot for the hosts as they have a better goal advantage. Qatar's players celebrate their goal  Iraq, who earlier in the day beat UAE 2-0 for their second consecutive victory, became the first team to seal their place in the semi-final. Iraq now can finish as Group A table-toppers with a victory over Yemen on Monday. Before the kick-off, Qatar players stood in unison with a flag in support of their teammate Bassam al-Rawi, who underwent a surgery to his leg, which he injured during Iraq match. Al-Rawi, watching from his hospital bed, would have been proud of his mates. It was a must-win game for Qatar and Yemen, unarguably the weakest side among eight teams in the tournament, bore the brunt of the hosts’ attack. Qatar raided Yemen’s goal from the very first minute, but they were found wanting in the final third. That was until Hassan opened the scoring in the 30th minute after which the goals rained down at the Khalifa Stadium. After a Boudiaf header was not completely cleared by Yemen midfielder Nasser al-Gahwashi, Hassan took full advantage of the blunder to tap in for Qatar’s opener. In the 32nd minute, Boualem Khoukhi spurned an easy chance after he was late to get a touch into Afif’s cross. Hassan, however, got into the scoresheet in the 37th minute with a thunderous left-footed strike from 30 yards, that brushed Yemen goalkeeper Saleem Saeed’s right hand but had enough power to smash into the net. Qatar had couple of chances but went into the break with a two-goal lead. Upon resumption, Yemen threatened a comeback but a dangerous move from Omar al- Dahi was thwarted by Khoukhi inside the box. It was a wake-up call that Qatar needed as they went into overdrive. Almoez, who has struggled in recent matches, got a much-needed boost with a goal in the 57th minute. The Asian Cup MVP exchanged a 1-2 pass from Afif, before unleashing a left-footer past a hapless Saeed. Qatar were awarded a penalty in the 72nd minute, after al-Gahwashi handled a ball from Ismail Mohamed in the box. Afif, Qatar’s designated penalty-taker, generously handed the ball to Hassan, who then completed his hat-trick. Youngster al-Ahrak then made it 5-0 with the substitute scoring from outside the box. Afif, meanwhile, also had enough time for himself to score in the 89th minute and complete a dominating win. Qatar coach Sanchez was a happy man as it was exactly the kind of response he expected after his side’s defeat to Iraq. Against Yemen, Qatar bossed the contest with 20 shots fired, of which 11 was on target. They also enjoyed a whopping 79% possession. Now Sanchez will hope for a similar performance against UAE, as the Qatar eye their fourth Gulf Cup title.

Iraq once again proved they are strong contenders for the title at the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup, with a second straight win Friday. Srecko Katanec’s side showed they are the team to beat after a comprehensive 2-0 win over the United Arab Emirates in the Group A match at the Khalifa International Stadium. Captain Alaa Abdul-Zahara led from the front as he provided an assist for the first goal and scored the second, which was enough for Iraq to seal a straightforward victory. While UAE enjoyed a slightly better percentage of possession, Iraq clearly dominated the contest. They also had five shots on target to UAE’s two. With a game against lowly Yemen to come, Iraq are the favourites to finish as Group A toppers and look a serious threat for their fourth Gulf Cup title. Iraq's forward Alaa Abdul-Zahra celebrates after scoring  Having been forced to field a second string side against Qatar after eight of the Al Shorta club players arrived only on the match eve, Iraq were back to full strength Friday. Katanec even benched Mohamed Qasem, who scored a brace against Qatar, and Al Duhail starlet Mohanad Ali. That only showed how impressive was Iraq’s victory against the Asian champions Qatar and they continued their fine show Friday. It took just six minutes for Iraq to get on the board, as Abdul-Zahara released a perfect ball past two UAE defenders and found Alaa Abbas in the box, with the striker taking one clean swipe to put his team ahead. Iraq were lucky not to concede a penalty in the 18th minute after goalkeeper Mohamed Hameed Farhan brought down a charging Ali Saleh just outside the box. Farhan was only shown a yellow card by Belgian referee Alexandre Boucaut, with UAE players protesting for a penalty in vain. The ensuing free kick, though, almost brought an equaliser for the UAE. Ali Mabkhout, who had scored a hat-trick in UAE’s win over Yemen in the opening match, struck well from the edge of the box from the right side, but Farhan read the ball well, leaping to punch the ball with his right hand. While UAE sensed an opening, Iraq looked more likely to increase their lead. In the 32nd minute, Iraq midfielder Amjad Attwan attempted an ambitious strike from 45 yards but it landed safely into the hands of Mohamed al-Shamsi. Five minutes later, Iraq doubled the lead with UAE defenders once again caught napping. This time it was the turn of captain Abdul-Zahara to get onto the scoresheet. Ali Adnan played a cross into the box with Abdul-Zahara rising between two defenders to head the ball into the net. Iraq started the second half in the same way as they did in the first. Three minutes after the break, Ali Faez Atia’s header missed the target by a whisker. Mohanad Ali, who replaced Abbas in the 62nd minute, had a great chance two minutes after coming in but the Duhail forward, despite having all the time in the world, hit straight to al-Shamsi. While UAE looked for a breakthrough, the only time they troubled Iraq was in the 72nd minute when a Mabkhout shot was parried away by Farhan. Iraq could have sealed the contest with a third goal after being awarded a penalty. Referee Boucaut initially ignored calls for spot kick after Iraq’s Mohamed Reda Jaleel was caught by the high boot of Khalifa Mubarak in the box. But after a VAR consultation and then watching the replay himself, Boucaut awarded a penalty to Iraq. Defender Adnan stepped forward to take the shot but his weak right-footer was easily saved by al-Shamsi, diving to his right.

Qatar’s Gulf Cup campaign began on a sour note after the hosts went down to Iraq 1-2 in the opening match at the Khalifa International Stadium Tuesday. Mohamed Qasem was the hero for Iraq as he stunned the packed 37,890 crowd with two goals in nine minutes in the first half. Abdelaziz Hatim brought Qatar back into the contest with a strike in the 49th minute, but Felix Sanchez’s men could not find the equaliser. Watched by His Highness The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who inaugurated the 24th edition of the tournament, Qatar started on a bright note. Qatar’s Abdelkarim Hassan (centre) vies for the ball during the Gulf Cup match against Iraq Qatar fans wave flags ahead of the match against Iraq Qatar coach Felix Sanchez However, they were guilty of wasting many chances. Iraq, on the other hand, were highly impressive, well organised and grabbed their chances. In fact they had to start the match with a second string XI, with coach Srecko Katanec choosing not to field any of the eight players who played for their club Al Shorta against Mauritanian side Nouadhibou in Arab Club Championship second round match on Monday. While Iraq was second to Asian champions Qatar in quality on the pitch, they made up for it with their huge physical presence and big heart. Qatar coach Sanchez was clearly disappointed with the result, but the Spaniard was optimistic his men would bounce back in the remaining two Group A matches against Yemen and the UAE. “Of course no one wants to lose, especially in such a game like this. You are playing at home in front of your fans. And it’s the first game in the competition and we know that we are the champions of Asia. But it does not give you the three points before the start of the game. You need to play,” he said. “What we can do is work hard in this strong group and ensure that we are stronger in the next game and take the points. I believe we deserved something from this game because of the chances we created. We tried but as I said we need to be better in the next game,” he added. Sanchez had predicted a difficult match due to Iraq’s physically natured game and that’s what he got. “As I had said before, it was a difficult match. We have always found it difficult against Iraq and credit to them for the way they played today,” he said. Things could have been different, though, for Qatar had Almoez Ali and Abdelkarim Hassan converted the chances they got. Almoez, who has failed to reach the heights of his Asian Cup high, had a bad day in the office. On more than one occasion, he fluffed an opportunity to score. The striker’s, and also Qatar’s, biggest chance came in just the fourth minute, with the Duhail forward needing just Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hasan to beat. But Almoez's strike was way off the mark. Hassan, who was a constant threat from the right flank, also had a great chance but could not find the side net. In defence too, Qatar players struggled to find the rhythm, with Bassam al-Rawi’s blunder gifting Iraq the breakthrough in the 18th minute. After an Iraq corner was cleared by goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb, the ball landed into Qasem, who crossed the ball into the box, intending to find his teammates. But in a shocking case of misjudgment, al-Rawi chose not to intercept as the ball evaded two Iraqi players as a helpless al-Sheeb watched the ball slam the net. Iraq doubled the lead in the 27th minute, but this time it was due to Qasem’s brilliance. The 22-year-old midfielder caught onto a loose ball from outside the box and struck a fierce left-footed which beat al-Sheen comfortably. With their backs against the wall, Qatar went into the half-time with plenty to ponder. Sanchez made a change after the break, bringing in Hatim for Yusuf Abdrisag and the move paid dividends quickly. Just three minutes into the second half, Hatim capitalised on a mistake from Iraq defender Mostafa Mohamed to score from close range. Having pulled a goal back and with home crowd behind them, Qatar came close to finding the equaliser many times, but the resilient Iraqi held on for a famous victory. Now Qatar will turn their attention to Yemen on Friday, which is already a must-win affair for them if they are to keep their hope of a fourth title alive. Iraq, meanwhile, will have all their Al Shorta players ready to face the UAE on Friday.

Iraq coach Srecko Katanec wasn’t a happy man yesterday. With only 13 players, including two goalkeepers at his disposal in training, the Slovenian was frustrated with his side’s preparation ahead of the Gulf Cup opening game against Qatar today. Hammam Tariq and Bashar Resen will miss the tournament with their clubs – Ismaily of Egypt and Iran’s Persepolis – denying them permission to join the Iraq squad. But what has angered Katanec is the unavailability of eight players, who will arrive in Doha today as they were playing the Arab Club Championship second-round match for Al Shorta against Mauritanian side Nouadhibou yesterday. “It is difficult to have so few players, so it is very difficult to predict what will happen. This is a new experience for me and I hope to be successful in any decision I make,” Katanec said yesterday. He was not sure whether he will field eight Al Shorta players against Qatar, saying he would take a decision only hours before the match. “I do not know what I will do, whether they will play or not against Qatar. There are eight players with Al Shorta and I may put them on the bench. I just have to watch the game and tomorrow I will decide what to do,” he said. “I will explain to the players my plan for the match against Qatar. I have new players in the team and playing against one of the best Asian teams is wonderful and the atmosphere here is very wonderful. Tomorrow everything is possible and our situation is difficult, but I have no excuses,” he added Katanec, however, said the absence of key players will present an ideal opportunity for the youngsters to show their quality. “This Gulf Cup is a good opportunity for new players in the national team. All the players are aware that the opportunity given to them was deserved and I expect them to surprise me by playing at a great level,” he said. Regarding the exclusion of forward Justin Meram, who plays for Major League Soccer club Atlanta United, Katanec said: “These are technical matters and only I get to choose the players, no one else. I have my experience and I know very well what the players need and there is nothing personal matter between me and any player. I am not afraid to be dismissed even if I lose all three games, all I need is to work very seriously,” the plain-speaking coach said. The Iraqi team is hunting for its fourth Gulf Cup title, having previously won in 1979, 1984 and 1988. Under Katanec they have usually punched above their weight and can spring surprises this time too. The 55-year-old was appointed as Iraq coach last year with the responsibility of taking the Lions of Mesopotamia to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They currently lead Group C in the World Cup and Asian Cup joint qualifiers on the back of a dramatic win over early favourites Iran earlier this month.

Among many things, the Doha IAAF World Championships will be best remembered for breaking barriers and giving the Arab world one of its biggest sporting extravaganzas. Qatar will of course host the showpiece football event – the FIFA World Cup in just over three years’ time, but before that the country has showed its efficiency by hosting a spectacular global sports event. Last night, as the curtains came down at the Khalifa International Stadium after ten days of action packed with drama, extraordinary performances, world records and the emergence of new sporting heroes, Qatar’s reputation as a great sporting destination has been enhanced further. IAAF President Sebastian Coe later described the Doha Worlds as the best in history in terms of the quality and depth of performances produced by the athletes of more than 200 nations and lauded Qatar’s efforts in creating best of the conditions. “The world’s athletes have put on the best show in the history of the IAAF World Athletics Championships, according to the competition performance rankings which are used as an objective measure of the quality of international competition. These performances are incredible but credit must also go to the facilities and conditions provided by the host country. Doha has created conditions on the field of play and in the warm up that are unsurpassed," Coe said. (From L to R) USA's Michael Cherry, Wilbert London, Rai Benjamin and Fred Kerley pose with their national flags after winning the Men's 4x400m Relay final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships at the Khalifa International stadium in Doha on Sunday. On an action-packed all-finals show last night, the United States sealed their dominance in the track by clinching three more gold medals, taking their tally to 14. In total, the US athletes went home with 29 medals, of which 11 was in silver and four in bronze for their best result at a World Championships in 12 years. Kenya, thanks to their middle distance runners, finished second with 11 medals in total and Jamaica was third with 12. The championships ended with 4x400 men’s and women’s relays, where US were comfortable winners. The American women comprising 400m champion Dalilah Muhammad and silver medallist Sydney McLaughlin, Phyllis Francis and Wadeline Jonathas set a world leading time to crusie to an easy win. Francis, starting off the blocks, gave US a comfortable lead, as McLaughlin, Dalilah and Jonathas closed out the race in 3:18:92 seconds. Poland set a national record to take silver, while Jamaica took bronze. The men’s relay played out in a similar pattern as the US team — Fred Kerley, Michael Cherry, Wilbert London and Rai Benjamin — finished more than a second clear of Jamaica in 2:56.69secs, with Belgium coming third. The third gold on the night for US came in the women’s 100m hurdles with Nia Ali recording a personal best time of 12.34secs to edge past compatriot Kendra Harrison. The 2015 world champion Danielle Williams took bronze for Jamaica. Ali, who earned 2016 Rio Olympic silver a year after having son, Titus, earned her first world title a year after having daughter, Yuri. She took a victory lap with both kids with four-year-old Titus running in his own lane. Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, USA’s Allyson Felix and Chinese race walker Liu Hong had all won gold medals within a year or two of giving birth and now Ali has joined the ‘super mom’ list. “It's super special. I have never won an outdoor world title. I am ecstatic. Shelly-Ann, Allyson, all the ladies who have come back from child birth are an inspiration for me and I am so excited to be able to pull of the world title,” Ali said. Williams and Harrison went into the final as top contenders for the gold, but the 30-year-old Ali surprised the field by taking the lead at the half way stage. She then held on even as Harrison and Williams threatened to pass her. Jamaica’s Tobi Amusan was fourth in 12.49. It was just the second time in history, after the 1987 Worlds final, in which four women have bettered 12.50. The men’s 5000m final was lopsided as it can get as Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya stormed into a comfortable win in 3:29.27 secs. Cheruiyot led from gun to tape and finished more than two seconds clear of Algeria’s London Olympics 2012 champion Taoufik Makhloufi. Bronze went to European indoor champion Marcin Lewandowski in a Polish record of 3:31.46. Nia Ali of the US celebrates winning gold with her child in the Women's 100 Metres Hurdles Final at the Khalifa International Stadium Cheruiyot ended a run of silver medals as he had come second at the 2017 world championships and the last two African championships. Last night, the Kenyan knew he was miles better than the rest and ran a race that was beyond all of his rivals. Cheruiyot said he took the initiative to avoid being jostled. "You see that there is a lot of pushing so we were trying to avoid the challenges," he said. "I felt the support of Kenyans in the crowd and it was amazing. The Olympic season is coming so I need to work harder." Meanwhile, Germany's Malaika Mihambo added the long jump world title to her 2018 European gold. The world leader put on a dominating performance, with her winning jump of 7.30m coming in her third attempt. Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk of Ukraine was runner-up with a 6.92m jump, just a centimeter ahead of Nigerian Ese Brume. "That was so amazing," said Mihambo, who added 14 centimetres to her career best. "It was a difficult competition but I'm really glad I came through. In training I don’t remember having managed a jump like that. Today I showed I am capable of such a great jump. I am over the moon. There was a really tight moment for me, that third attempt. The third attempt, it had to work. I told myself, ‘You have to make this one valid no matter what. And it worked,” the 25-year-old added. Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei holds the national flag after winning the Men's 10,000m final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships at the Khalifa International stadium in Doha In the men’s 10,000m, Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei won his first world title as Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha ran out of steam in the final sprint. Rhonex Kipruto added a bronze to Kenya's tally. Cheptegei, who took silver behind Farah at 2017 Worlds, clocked 26:48.36, the world’s fastest time in five years. In a surprise result, the men’s javelin throw gold went to Grenada's Anderson Peters. Magnus Kirt of Estonia settled for sliver after he injured his shoulder and was unable to take his final throw. Johannes Vetter won bronze for Germany. The 21-year-old, who became Grenada’s second world champion after one-lap star Kirani James, took the lead in his very first throw of 86.89, which was not unsurpassed on the night. World leader and Diamond League Trophy winner Magnus Kirt’s best throw was 86.21, while defending champion Johannes Vetter of Germany’s could only muster 85.37. Peters, who was shocked at his gold medal winning distance, said: “I didn’t think 86m would be enough to win gold. I was up against 90m men throwing high 88s all season. I just believed in my coach and the work we did all season. I want to tell my fellow Grenadians that everybody can do it, if I can do it. It’s possible for everybody to become a world champion. You just have to want it as badly as I do.”

Sifan Hassan is in a league of her own. The Dutch star completed an unprecedented double after she cruised to victory in the 1,500 metres, to add to the 10,000m title she had won a week ago at the IAAF World Championships in Doha. No woman or man had won 1500 and 10000 double before in the history of the World Championships or Olympics. But that was until Sifan put on a masterful run at the Khalifa International Stadium last night. During the course of her stunning run, Sifan repeatedly looked behind to see how close her rivals where to her. But she didn’t have to bother as the 26-year-old was clearly way ahead before posting victory in a championships record time of 3:51.96 seconds. Sifan’s dominance was such that defending champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya was a distant second in 3:54.22, with Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay in third in 3:54.38. The winning time was the sixth-fastest 1500m run in history and just two seconds shy of the 3:50.07 world record set by Genzebe Dibaba in 2015. “This is amazing for me. This is such an honour,” said Sifan. “I am showing what you can do with the hard work. It was amazing when I crossed the finish line and saw that time. I am so happy as this was a hard win for me. I felt very good after 10,000m so I decided to go for 1,500m. I have been working hard for 1,500m this season. It looked this was easy for me but it took so much hard work,” she added. Sifan was the overwhelming favourite with Kipyegon, making a comeback from the birth of her first child, poised to give her a tough fight. But as it turned out, Sifan ran her own race, jumping onto the lead after 300m and never even ceded an inch as she stormed to the finish. Shot Put The men’s shot put final was no short of a world class as championships records tumbled like nine pins. In the end, American Joe Kovacs won arguably the greatest shot put competition in history with the joint-fourth-best throw of all time — 20.91 meters. Kovacs’ victory margin over Rio Olympic champion Ryan Crouser and 2017 world champion Tom Walsh was a mere one centimetre. It was Kovacs’ second world title after he had won in 2015 in Beijing. He had won silver at the previous Olympics and Worlds. The 30-year-old’s winning throw came in his last attempt. Joe Kovacs of the US celebrates winning gold in Men's Shot Put Final at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha “It is a time to celebrate,” said Kovacs. “Coming to this competition, I was hoping for a new PR and then I saw Ryan throwing far, the others throwing far, I just cannot be happier to get the gold medal. This everyday hard work, it just paid off. This is definitely the final which made the history,” he added. Defending champion Walsh had set the bar high in the final with his very first throw of 2.90m, which was the championship record, but Crouser also saved his best for last, matching New Zealander’s mark. Crouser walked away with silver ahead of Walsh, who had only one legal throw in the competition. “It was an unbelievable competition with a lot of fireworks in the round six. This final was crazy and I am so happy to be part of. I am really happy with my season. Every meet except for one was over 22 metres, which is a standard for shot putting. I wanted gold but to see Joe (Kovacs) throw a personal best in the last throw, I can't complain,” Crouser said. TRIPLE JUMP Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas won her second consecutive world title in the triple jump. The 23-year-old’s second jump of 15.37m was enough for her on the night to clinch the gold medal. “It’s been a long and successful year,” said Rojas, who became the fourth back-to-back winner. “I came out to break the world record -- I tried in the first three rounds but then I felt tired and my legs didn’t respond as I wanted. But I am super happy and grateful.” Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas celebrates winning the Women's Triple Jump final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships  Jamaican star Shaneika Ricketts, who upset Rojas to take the Diamond League title in Zurich in August, had to settle for silver with a jump of 14.92m jump. Veteran Catherine Ibarguen showed she still can compete with the best as the 35-year-old won bronze after leaping a distance of 14.73m. Meanwhile, there were plenty of shocks in the qualifications of the 100m hurdles and javelin throw as the three Olympic champions were dumped out. Brittney Reese, long jump champion in 2012; Brianna McNeal, 100m hurdles champ in 2016; and Thomas Rohler, javelin king in 2016, all failed to progress to today’s final. Reese was knocked from 12th to 13th place overall from the two groups of long jump qualifying. The American was only able to produce a best of 6.52m. In the men’s javelin, Germany’s Thomas Rohler and 2018 Diamond League champion Andreas Hoffman failed to hit the 84m qualification mark, with only four of them earning the automatic entry. Hofmann could only muster 80.06m, while Rohler had a best of 79.23m. Their compatriot Johannes Vetter hurled the javelin at 89.35 and will be the overwhelming favourite to win the title.

With Sydney McLaughlin breathing down her neck, Dalilah Muhammad knew she had to better her best. And that is precisely what the Olympic champion produced at the Khalifa International Stadium last night. After having had to settle for silver at the 2013 Moscow and 2017 London Worlds, Dalilah bagged that elusive 400m hurdles gold medal by breaking her own world record at the IAAF World Championships in Doha. It was the 29-year-old’s second world record in the space of three months and it couldn’t have come at a better time for her. McLaughlin, long anointed as Dalilah’s heiress apparent, gave a tough fight to her American compatriot but had to settle for silver in a personal best of 52.23, just .03 off Dalilah’s old record. Jamaica's Rushell Clayton took bronze with her own PB of 53.74. “This means so much. It is difficult to describe. I just wanted the world title so much but to break the world record again is fantastic,” said Dalilah. “I just decided to go for it from the start and I felt Sydney coming at me around hurdle nine, then I just gave everything I’d got. It hasn’t really sunk but it feels good,” she added. After the race, Dalilah was still coming to terms with her world record feat. “I did not expect to break the world record today, I was definitely just trying to win that race. Two world records, that sounds quite crazy, now that it is done. My coach told me that it is possible and I just had to go there and believe in it. I believe that we can drop under 52s, the race was so tight, that was anybody's race tonight. It was so close, we will continue to push each other. It is definitely possible,” she said. USA's Dalilah Muhammad celebrates after winning and poses next to the screen reading the new world record in the Women's 400m Hurdles final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships in Doha  Dalilah knew she was under pressure from the U-20 champion and was off the blocks quickly, but McLaughlin was not far off either at the 200 mark. However, around the top bend, Dalilah raced to the lead and further increased it in the straight line before the prodigious young talent McLaughlin made a last-ditch effort from the 100m to catch her senior rival. Dalilah though held on to win, after which McLaughlin was the first one to congratulate her compatriot. “I knew it would be fast but I didn’t think it would be that fast, said McLaughlin. “I did everything I could and at least US got one-two. I gave it everything I had, I’m still young, and every day is a new experience for me,” the 20-year-old added. In another stunning race which sent the packed crowd into raptures, Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto defended his 3000m steeplechase title. Kipruto had his heart in his mouth as he crossed the line with Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma in photo finish, but as the big screen flashed his name as a world champion, the Kenyan climbed on top of a hurdle as he celebrated his dramatic win. Kipruto’s winning time was 8:01.35, with Girma just 0.01 seconds behind. A Kenyan or a Kenyan-born man has won every Olympic and world title in the steeplechase since the 1988 Seoul Games. “I said I’m going to win, I’m going to take the victory to Kenya,” Kipruto said. “That’s what I promised the nation before we came to the start line.” Kipruto joined Moses Kiptanui, Saif Saaeed Shaheen and Ezekiel Kemboi as multiple steeplechase gold medallists at the Worlds. “It was a very strong competition. The Ethiopians really pushed hard because they knew I was kicking. They had their plans before the race started. But I had made my own plan and wanted to go in front to control the race, but it was not possible. But in these big championships experience matters a lot. I set my mind and my heart very well. When I got to the start line, I told myself, ‘I’m going to do it’. This strong mentality helped me win the race,” he added. The 18-year-old Girma had powered into the lead with about 120m go, but Kipruto gave a final push and stole the gold from the Eithopain’s feet. Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco was third in 8:01.36. Meanwhile, Yaime Perez of Cuba won the women’s discus after a 69.17m throw, which came in her penultimate attempt. Her countrywoman Denia Caballero took silver in 68.44m, while former champion Sandra Perkovic has to settle for bronze, which was her fourth successive Worlds medal. The 28-year-old Perez finished fourth at the two previous World Championships and no-marked in the Olympic final having led the qualifiers. But she exorcised those demons with a composed performance. “I am very happy and grateful to my physio Abdel Kurgia. I was injured three days ago and I thought I would not be able to recover. My life could not be enough to thank him for this medal,” Perez said, “This is my fourth World Championships and I always arrived in top shape but left without medals. It shows that you should never give up. I would like to thank my coach Hilda Elisa Ramos for supporting me,” the Cuban added.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s twitter bio, says: ‘Chronically indecisive so I’ve adopted two surnames & the heptathlon.’ But at the Khalifa International Stadium on Thursday night, there was no sign of any indecisiveness from the British athlete, as she finally put an end to the heartaches she suffered at multiple World Championships and at the Rio Olympics. The 26-year-old set personal bests in four of the seven events in a mentally and physically draining heptathlon over the course of two days, to finally land a world title in Doha. Johnson-Thompson not just had to overcome her own demons but also had to beat Nafissatou Thiam, the Belgian defending world and Olympic champion, who was undefeated since the 2016 European Championships. In the end, the gap between Johnson-Thompson and Thiam was a huge 304 points, the biggest winning margin of victory at a World Championships for 32 years. Such was her dominance that she also climbed to sixth in the all-time lists and set a new British record with a total tally of 6,981 points. Thiam had to settle for silver with 6,677pts with Austria’s Verena Preiner taking bronze with 6,560pts. “I’m just speechless. I can’t believe it. It’s been such a long time coming for me. I’ve been chasing this since 2016, slowly, slowly trying to make improvements, and now I’ve finally done it,” a delighted Johnson-Thompson said. “And I broke the British record. I was there on the sidelines when Jess (Jessica Ennis-Hill) set that record so to say it is now mine is unbelievable. This is my fourth World Championships and at the first one, I was just 20 years old, then, at the other two, I was not doing well.  “So I was so happy to compete here and I have to thank all the team standing behind me and believing in me. It all goes to my family, friends and the people who were helping me in the past. My mum - I think we are going to cry in the mixed zone. Now for Tokyo Olympics. I just need to be at my best like I was here,” she added. After the disappointment of 2015 Worlds and 2016 Rio Olympics, Johnson-Thompson had to make some tough life decisions. She changed her coach and moved her base from Liverpool to France. But she suffered another ignominy, this time at home, when she finished fifth at the 2017 London Worlds.  “Everyone’s got their journey,” she said. “It’s not been very straightforward for me. It’s not been easy for me. I had to move coach. I had to move country, I had to learn a new language and settle in. I tore everything up and started again and it’s worked. “The last two World Championships have been heartbreaking for my mum and I. Mid-heptathlon, I’ve gone back to my hotel and cried and cried for hours when things have gone badly. It was after the high jump in London in 2017 and after the long jump in 2015 in Beijing. Those were the low points of my career. Rio Olympics, as well. I’ve had a lot of bad years. I’m just so happy that I came out in front for a change,” she added. In Doha, Johnson-Thompson started her quest for gold with an impressive performance in the 110m hurdles, where she shaved off 0.20 seconds from her previous best to win her heat in 13.09s.   “The hurdles was the biggest surprise. I never dreamt I could run that fast, 13-zero, when I’ve been stuck at 13.3 for as long as I can remember. That set me up for the heptathlon as soon as I saw the clock stop at that time. The most challenging event was the 200 because of the tight schedule and we didn’t get a chance to warm up properly,” she said. Johnson-Thompson was in touching distance of going past 7000 mark as she began the final event of the heptathlon – the 800m. A time of 2:06 seconds would have enabled the world indoor pentathlon champion to achieve the 7k landmark, but she crossed the finish line in 2:07.27, which was enough to erase Ennis Hill’s seven-year-old British record. “I love the 800m, funnily enough. It is one of my strongest events,” as Johnson-Thompson explained her approach towards her final event. “I have been training very hard for it this year. The light show before it got me psyched to go. I train very hard week in, week out for it so all that has to be for something. It’s a good way to finish off a heptathlon for me, to just go out and put it all on the line. Seven thousand points wasn’t meant to be but hopefully I am on a roll now for the future.”

Dina Asher-Smith was presented with a golden opportunity and the Briton grabbed it with both the hands as she clinched the women’s 200m title at the IAAF World Championships in Doha. The 23-year-old was a clear favourite going into last night’s final at the Khalifa International Stadium, after reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson was forced to pull out of the competition due to Achilles injury. Earlier, defending champion Dafne Schippers had abandoned her title defence after the Dutch strained an adductor muscle. It left Asher-Smith with a chance to create history by becoming the first British woman to win a World Championships individual sprint title. And she achieved the feat in style by shaving off her personal best by 0.01 seconds to win in 21.88. She got off to a flying start and established a healthy lead, generating speed around the bend, before cruising home. American Brittany Brown took silver after pulling away through the straight line and finished with her own personal best of 22.22 seconds, while Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji blitzed through the final 50m for bronze in 22.51. Asher-Smith reunited with her mother after the race as the sizeable British crowd at the Khalifa Stadium roared in approval. “Normally, I’m quite chatty and everything but I’m lost for words,” she said, as the tears rolled down her face. Poland's Pawel Fajdek celebrates after winning the hammer throw at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha  “I just don’t know what to say. I don’t think it’s properly sunk in. Between now and the last World Championships, I knew I could do it but it’s a different thing actually going and doing it,” she added. Asher-Smith had won the 100m silver earlier on Sunday and will be hoping for another medal in the relay with the British team. “It’s a different thing with everybody being like, ‘ah, you’re the favourite’. But you’ve still got to go and do it. You’re only the favourite if you perform as people expect you to. So, I was just really focused on putting together a great race. I dreamed of it but now it’s real,” she added. The men’s 100m hurdles final had all the drama on the night, with Grant Holloway of the US grabbing the world title in 13.10 seconds after defending champion Omar McLeod stumbled to the finish line to come last. The Jamaican, Omar McLeod, who is also the Olympic champion, took the lead at the half-way mark but tripped on the hurdle as he came tumbling down before the finish line. Later McLeod was disqualified for disrupting the run of Diamond League champion Orlando Ortega in the next lane, with the Spaniard forced to settle for a fifth place after being in the second position for most of the race. Holloway, however, was over the moon as he celebrated his victory on his Worlds debut by continuing his sprint for a further 100m before collapsing on his back. Russian Sergey Shubenkovm running as a neutral athlete, took silver in 13.15, while European champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde of France finished third in 13.18. “I am speechless, it’s my first major championships and a lot of people were counting me out because I’ve been off my game in the last month or so. But when you have motivation you never lose. I kept believing in myself, I kept focused and I stayed healthy,” Holloway said. “I came here to win every round and that’s what I did. When you step on the line no one cares what you’ve done before. It’s all about here and now. I just took it one hurdle and one round at a time and tried to stay calm. I came out here for the final stress free. At no point in the race was I trying to figure things out,” he added. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Asian Games Champion Ashraf Amgad El Seify finished the hammer throw final in ninth place with a best throw of 75.09. Poland’s Pawel Fajdek collected his fourth world gold medal in the event – the first man in history to achieve the feat in the hammer throw. Fajdek hurled the hammer at a distance of 80.50m. The silver went to France's Quentin Bigot (78.19m), who beat Hungarian Bence Halasz by a single centimetre. In a huge surprise, the men’s 400m favourite Michael Norman failed to qualify for the final. The American made a quick start in the first 100m but slowed down considerably, choosing to just jog till the finish line as he finished seventh and last in the third semi-final. Later, Norman did not specify what was plaguing him. "My body was giving me warnings, and I listened to those warnings," he said. “I had a great warm-up, felt good, but did not balance the things for a while. It is kind of devastating to come out here, work for 330 days and not make it to the final. It has been a bit up and down for a while. I am very disappointed,” he added. Norman owned the fastest time in the world coming into the championships and won the Diamond League title just a few weeks ago. In Norman’s absence, Bahamas’ Steven Gardiner is the frontrunner for the gold, after he finished ahead of 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James in the semi-final. In the women’s heptathlon, Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished the day one of the combined events with a lead of 96 points over Belgium’s Nafissatou Thaim. Wednesday, athletes competed in the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200m. Today they will be in action in the long jump, javelin and 800m. Johnson-Thompson points tally was 4138, while Thiam has 4042. In third place was Kendell Williams of the US with a score of 3855, with her compatriot Erica Bougard a further two points behind. “I am really happy about my season bests and my performance today,” Johnson-Thompson said. “I never think of these things like where I am after the first day. I know I am in a good shape, I am where I needed to be and the way I competed. Gold - why not? I am in shape and position to do it but you never know what can happen on day two. But I have worked hard on my second day, so anything is possible,” she added.