Weather inshore until 6pm on Friday will be misty to fogy at places at first, becomes relatively hot during daytime, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather report, warning of expected poor horizontal visibility at places at first.Offshore, the weather will be misty at places at first, becomes hazy later, the report added.Wind inshore will be variable at a speed less than 5 knot at first, becomes mainly northeasterly- southeasterly at a speed of 3 to 13 knot.Offshore, it will be variable at first, becomes northwesterly - northeasterly at a speed of 5 to 15 knot.Visibility inshore will be 4 to 8 km/2 km or less at places at first. Offshore, it will be 4 to 9 km/3 km or less at places at first.Sea state inshore will be 1 to 2 feet, while offshore, it will be 2 to 4 feet.

AFPBarcelonaXavi Hernandez and Barcelona’s relationship seemed on the rocks in January but they have made the decision to stay together in a marriage of convenience.After the coach said he would walk away at the end of the season from a dream job that turned out to be “cruel” and “unpleasant”, three months later he changed his mind in a dramatic U-turn.“In January I saw the best thing was for me to leave, but now I see it differently,” Xavi said at a press conference on Thursday.President Joan Laporta said the club needed “stability” and not drastic decision-making, despite failing to meet any of their objectives this season.The decision came hot on the heels of Barcelona’s Clasico defeat by Real Madrid that leaves them 11 points behind the leaders in La Liga, and Champions League elimination by Paris Saint-Germain. Those losses virtually guarantee Barcelona will end the campaign without a trophy, a disappointment after their first La Liga triumph in four years last season.Barcelona did manage to compete with Europe’s giants on an even keel in a way they have not in years past – securing their best Champions League result on the road in a decade with a 3-2 win at PSG. They reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2020 and knocked-out Serie A winners Napoli.While Xavi’s list of excuses this season has run longer than the club’s constrictive salary bill, Ronald Araujo’s early red card against PSG in the second leg was a key factor in the second-leg 4-1 collapse.Lamine Yamal’s hotly disputed “ghost goal” in the 3-2 Clasico defeat by Real Madrid is another crucial flashpoint which went against Barcelona.“It’s in our hands now,” said Xavi, after years fearing the worst on the biggest nights against superior forces.However the club’s improvement since Xavi’s initial decision in January is not the chief reason the club are willing to keep him, instead only the easy explanation. Despite Laporta claiming they had not looked into alternative options, Barcelona could not see a suitable one.Reserve team coach Rafa Marquez was not particularly convincing, nor was the favourite to replace Xavi, Hansi Flick.Julian Nagelsmann is staying with Germany, Thomas Tuchel has struggled with Bayern Munich and would likely prove too expensive for Barcelona in any case. As would Jurgen Klopp, who wants a break after his time at Liverpool – taking over at chaotic, cash-strapped Barcelona would be entirely contrary.Next season if things go awry Laporta has Marquez as an escape plan. To appoint the Mexican now would open the door to another potential new coach having to be found after that, along with the financial consequences. “Regarding money, Xavi has behaved with great dignity,” said Laporta. “He has never been greedy.”Xavi also offers Laporta an umbrella from the steady rain of criticism – the only reliable deluge in drought-ridden Catalonia – with the 44-year-old’s glittering past as a Barcelona player making him an easy target.

Extra-time goals from Mao Hosoya and Kotaro Uchino ensured Japan squeezed past 10-man Qatar and into the semi-finals of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 with a 4-2 win over Ilidio Vale’s side at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Thursday.Hosoya slipped the ball under substitute goalkeeper Ali Korayem to break Qatar’s resistance 11 minutes into extra-time and Uchino added the fourth with seven minutes left as Go Oiwa’s side moved a step closer to claiming the title.“The red card was the turning point as it was very difficult to play with 10 players,” Qatar coach Ilidio Vale said after the match.“I want to congratulate the players for their high fighting spirit. We are dejected to miss a chance for qualifying for Olympics but I am sure the team and Qatar football have a great future ahead,” he added.Fuki Yamada had given Japan a second minute lead before Ahmed al-Rawi levelled with a superb header 22 minutes later, the Qataris then shrugging off Yousef Abdullah’s 41st minute red card to go in front four minutes into the second half through Jassem Gaber.But Seiji Kimura’s 67th minute header restored parity while Hosoya and Uchino struck late to take their nation into the last four as the Japanese seek to maintain their record of qualifying for every Olympic Games since 1996.Japan’s late show came in contrast to their rapid start, the Samurai Blue taking the lead on their first foray forward.Qatar gifted Oiwa’s team the opener after Hiroki Sekine’s hopeful long ball saw Saif Eldeen Hassan under-hit his pass and Yamada collected possession to smash a left foot shot into the top corner of Abdullah’s goal.Japan were in control, with Rihito Yamamoto and Joel Fujita dictating the tempo and Kuryu Matsuki busy, the FC Tokyo playmaker thumping his attempt from outside the area over the crossbar.However, the Qataris steadily asserted themselves and, in the 24th minute, Vale’s team pulled level. The ball found its way to Abdulla al-Yazidi on the right after Kein Sato fell in an attempt to cut out possession and the Qatari’s centre was met unchallenged by al-Rawi, who bulleted his header home.Hosoya should have restored Japan’s lead seven minutes before the break, shooting wide on the stretch from close range after Matsuki’s incisive ball across the face of goal.Moments later Abdullah was seeing red, dismissed after referee Hanna Hattab consulted the pitchside monitor following a clash with Hosoya, the Qatari guilty of lashing out at the Japan striker as he leapt to clear a high ball.Qatar refused to be despondent despite being down a man and, four minutes after the restart, the home side went in front. Moustafa Meshal’s pinpoint free-kick delivery landed squarely on the head of Gaber and he made no mistake.With a quarter of regular time remaining, though, the Japanese were level when Kimura nodded home Yamamoto’s in-swinging corner from close range to set up a finish that saw Sato force replacement goalkeeper Ali Korayem into a save while Shota Fujio headed over. Oiwa’s side were unable to find a way through again in regulation time, but in the 101st minute Hosoya was fed by Ryotaro Araki and he slid his shot under Korayem while Uchino tapped in after the goalkeeper parried Sota Kawasaki’s shot to break home hearts.Indonesia advance after shootout dramaIndonesia stunned South Korea after they pulled off a 11-10 win on penalties after they were tied 2-2 after extra time to seal a historic semi-final place at the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024.Pratama Arhan producd the decisive spot-kick in a marathon shootout to cap a hard-earned triumph for the tournament debutants, who were pegged back twice in regulation time despite playing with a one-man advantage from the 70th minute onwards.For Hwang Sun-hong’s charges, who have made the last four on four out of the five previous editions, more than any other team, the defeat ended their hopes of making the Olympic Games for a 10th time. (the-afc.com)