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  • Two extra-time goals give Algeria the crown in front of 60,456 fans at Al Bayt Stadium Amir Sayoud’s stunning strike in the first half of the extra time led Algeria to their maiden Arab Cup title after a pulsating final against Tunisia Saturday. The magnificent Al Bayt Stadium was a perfect backdrop for the North African derby, with 60,456 crowd attendance creating a terrific atmosphere as both teams went full tilt for the title. In the end, it was Algeria who showed more mental resolve as Tunisians faded after a bright start. After it ended goalless in regulation time, substitute Sayoud silenced the majority Tunisian support with a sublime strike in the ninth minute of the extra time. The 30-year-old midfielder picked up a clever back-heel pass from Baghdad Bounedjah, made two touches before firing it into the left top corner. With all the Tunisia players camped in Algerian half in search for an equaliser, Yacine Brahimi had all the time in the world to score one minute before the final whistle to send his teammates into frenzy. Tunisia players with their silver medals “I present this victory to the Algerian people,” said Sayoud. “I missed other scoring chances but I finally managed to find the net to give the victory to my team,” he added. Algeria, who won the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2019, — their first since 1990 — have achieved a rare feat of being the Arab Cup champions too. Tunisia were aiming for their second Arab title, after having won the inaugural edition in 1963, but The Eagles of Carthage ran out of energy as final progressed. Algeria received a whopping $5mn for becoming champions, while runner-up Tunisians took home $3 million. “I am proud of my players’ achievement,” Algeria coach Bougherra said. “I said before the tournament if you want to claim the title you have to beat the topflight teams,” he added. Golden ball winner Algeria’s Yacine Brahimi (centre), silver ball winner Algeria’s Mohamed Belaili and bronze ball winner Qatar’s Akram Afif (left) pose on the podium. Throughout the tournament, Algeria have shown a knack of delivering at key moments and that was once again pivotal to their title triumph Saturday. The Desert Warriors had won their quarter-final against Morocco in penalties before inflicting a heartbreaking defeat on hosts Qatar with a goal in the 17th minute of stoppage time. Against Tunisia, their never-give-up attitude and determination helped them lay hands on the Arab Cup title. Madjid Bougherra’s men took a little time to get going yesterday. The crowd at Al Bayt Stadium were predominantly Tunisian and that may have played on their minds as they were subjected to a barrage of attacks from their rivals. The Fennecs, though, were right in the contest after absorbing the initial Tunisian pressure. But their hearts were in the mouth as Tunisia’s young midfielder Hanibal Mejbri went down theatrically after a being clipped by Ilyes Cheti in the 11th minute. A VAR check, though, ruled out a penalty, but three minutes later, Tunisia went closer after Bilel Ifa’s header off a free kick came off the crossbar. It was one-way traffic for Tunisia, till Algeria carved out a chance in the 21st minute, Tayeb Meziani was wide open in front of goal from less than six yards, but inexplicably failed to hit the target. Bougherra made a tactical change to thwart Tunisian dominance, with Meziani moving to the left wing, while Youcef Belaili switched to the right. But Tunisia still found the opening, as Naim Siliti’s striker was tipped just over the bar by Les Vert’s captain Rais M’Bolhi. The engaging opening 20 minutes turned into more of an ugly affair, with constant bickering by both set of players and fouls leading to break in plays as German referee Daniel Siebert dished out yellow cards like freebies.   Al Said star Bounedjah was in the thick of the action in the first half. Just before picking up a card, the striker played in a perfect cross for Meziani who sprayed his shot wide and to the relief of Algeria the offside flag was up. With half-time approaching, it all went a bit awry on the field as Tunisia’s Yusef Msakni and Seifeddine Jaziri were shown yellow cards along with Bounedjah for getting into fracas. Algeria came out more confident in the second half and it was them who were looking for a penalty after a headwall on Tunisian defender Ghaylène Chaalali. But after a quick VAR check, the ball was rightly ruled out to have hit Chaalali’s shoulder. Bougherra’s men controlled the play with domination as the Tunisians dropped in intensity, while they also missed the services of defender Yassine Meriah. There was another penalty call — this time from Tunisia after Mohamed Drager was brought down the box. Tunisians, who were looking to score on the counter, could have put the game to bed with extra time approaching. But tournament’s top-scorer Seifeddine Jaziri missed the net by inches as the intriguing clash went to extra time. The fresh legs of substitutes always play a key role in extra time and Sayoud proved it for Algeria in the 99th minute with a sublime strike. Desperate to take the game into penalties, Tunisia went all out but could not find the killer punch after a series of relentless attacks. The Tunisians had one final chance in the last minute of extra time, but once the corner was cleared by Algeria’s deep block, Brahimi sprinted to tap into open goal. Brahimi, who collected the Golden Ball award later, wheeled away in celebration and was mobbed by jubilant teammates with the referee’s final whistle lost in all the celebratory noise.

Two teams with attacking flair will clash in the final of the FIFA Arab Cup Saturday, in what should be a thriller at Al Bayt Stadium. While it’s tough to predict a winner, Algeria and Tunisia should provide a fitting final to the Arab world. Both the teams have taken a dramatic semi-final route to reach the final stage. Algeria inflicted a heartbreaking loss to Qatar, with Youcef Belaili scoring the winner in the 17th minute of stoppage time, while a 95th-minute own goal from Egypt captain Amr El-Sulaya gifted Tunisia a place in the final. Tunisia will rely on Captain Youssef Msakni (left) and Seifeddine Jaziri for goals against Algeria in the final Saturday. The last-gasp victories have shown Algeria and Tunisia are worthy finalists – a tribute in no small measure to their determination. Algeria will be aiming for their maiden Arab Cup title, with Tunisia aiming for their second after winning the inaugural tournament in 1963. Neither team are at full strength, but Algeria will be happier of the two going into the final. The Desert Warriors came to Qatar without international stars such as Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani, but have barely missed them. The African champions will rely once again on their lethal trio of Youssef Belaili, Yacine Brahimi and Baghdad Bounedjah. The Tunisian camp, meanwhile, wore a grim look Friday after they lost the services of Yassine Meriah. The defender tore his cruciate ligament during their semi-final clash with Egypt, in what is a big blow for coach Mondher Kebaier, as the 28-year-defender was one of the mainstays of the Tunisian defence and ever present until the injury. In Meriah’s absence, Kebaier will be forced to switch to back four to counter the threat of Belaili, Brahimi and Bounedjah. The Al Sadd star Bounedjah in Algeria’s danger man. The 30-year-old forward troubled the Qatari defence throughout his 68-minute stay against Qatar, before limping out with a muscle strain. Having said that, history is one Tunisia’s side. The Eagles of Carthage have not lost to Algeria in a competitive match at the senior level in 34 years. Their last defeat to North African neighbours was in the Africa Cup qualifiers in 1987. However, the last time these two sides met in a friendly on June 11 this year, Algeria prevailed with goals from Mahrez and Bounedjah. Algerian coach Madjid Bougherra did not make much of the past results, but said the history between the two sides meant it will be a tough match. “It’s a North African derby and both teams know each other well. It’s an open game and the team which will be best on the pitch will win,” Bougherra said Friday. “Since the day we have arrived in Qatar, we have just one goal, to win every match we play. We are only thinking about winning the trophy. Tunisia have a lot of experience and they deserved to be in the final. It will be like a match against Morocco as it is another North African derby. The team which will show better fighting spirit will win. We played very hectic matches without getting much time to recover and I hope the players will be fit and go into the match with fresh legs. We need to be very focused against Tunisia,” he added. Tunisian coach Mondher Kebaier will be hoping striker Seifeddine Jaziri and captain Youssef Msakni will match the threat of Algerian forwards. Jaziri with four goals is the tournament top scorer, while Msakni has netted two. But it’s the talented young midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, who has been named man of the match in the Carthage Eagles’ last three outings, who will hold key to his team’s title hopes. Manchester United midfielder Mejbri says winning the Arab Cup would mean ‘so much’ for the football-obsessed country of Tunisia. “Of course, I’m really, really excited for the final against Algeria. After all, it’s the final. We’re going to give absolutely everything and concentrate on our game,” he said. “It would mean so much, not just for the players but for the country as a whole. Everyone knows what it’s like in Africa and in Tunisia: we live, eat and sleep football. So if we were to win then it’d bring us even closer to our people, moving in the right direction together and it would give us so much strength to go on and achieve even more,” the 18-year-old said, Meanwhile, Tunisian coach Kebaier said his team will play against Algeria with full force with an aim to win the title. “We will use all our experience and talent to get the victory in the final. We want to win the title for our fans and injured Yassine Meriah. It will be a balanced match as both teams will enter with equal chance. We faced a lot of injuries and missed players due to Covid-19. We have to overcome the absence of Yassine Meriah also,” he said.

In a night of extraordinary scenes, Qatar bowed out of contention for the FIFA Arab Cup title after a dramatic 1-2 defeat to Algeria in the semi-finals Wednesday. The crowd at the Al Thumama stadium were treated to emotional rollercoaster ride after a stoppage time drama, in which Qatar’s substitute Mohamed Muntari headed home an equaliser in the seventh minute of stoppage time, but 10 minutes later – with stoppage time still in play – Algeria’s Youcef Belaili tapped the rebound into the net after goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb had saved the penalty. Djamel Benlamri had earlier handed Les Verts a deserved opener in the 59th minute. Algeria's Mohamed Belaili celebrates after scoring against Qatar in the FIFA Arab Cup semi-final at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha Wednesday. PICTURE Noushad Thekkayil It‘s the third successive time Qatar has lost in the semi-finals of a tournament, after ending with the same fate in the 2019 Arabian Gulf Cup at home and earlier this year in the Gold Cup in the United States. Algeria's players celebrate after winning However, this defeat will sting the Asian Champions more after they had staged a remarkable fight back late in the second half. Now Felix Sanchez’s men will have to do with a consolation third-place play off against Egypt on Saturday, as Algeria take on Tunisia in the final at Al Bayt Stadium on Qatar National Day. Qatar's Mohamed Muntari celebrates with teammates after scoring against Algeria FIFA president Gianni Infentino and Qatar Football Association president H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad al-Thani during the Qatar-Algeria FIFA Arab Cup semi-final at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha “I cannot say what happened but we gave our best,” a disappointed Abdelkarim Hassan said after the loss. “We wanted to reach the final and gave everything. I want to apologise to the fans for not winning this match but congratulations to Algeria,” the Qatar defender added. Once the Qatari players will come to terms with the heart-breaking loss to African champions Algeria, they will know in their hearts they put on an admirable show. On the eve of the tournament, Qatar were on a barren run of eight-match winless streak which also included some heavy losses to the European teams. In the group stage they won all the matches despite not being at their best and came into their own in the knockout stages – including a 5-0 thrashing of the United Arab Emirates in the quarter-finals. Against a superior Algeria team, though, it would have always taken something more special for Qatar to prevail. And they were not far from it. In fact, the hosts started on a bright note, creating two chances in the opening 15 minutes. Almoez Ali’s ambitious shot on the turn landed on top of the net, while Ismail Mohamad skied his shot from a tight angle. Sanchez continued to employ a high press game, but once the Algerians got the hang of it, they were in total control. The Desert Warriors had the fit-again Baghdad Bounedjah back in the XI and the Al Sadd star looked threatening every time he went into the box. He narrowly missed a whipped cross but provided Algeria’s best chance in the first half. In the 35th minute, Bounedjah played a perfect through pass to Brahimi but the Al Rayyan striker shot straight to al-Sheeb, who palmed the ball upwards before clutching on to it the second time. Algeria started the second half strongly and could have been 2-0 with Brahimi curling his shot wide and Bounedjah rattling the woodwork but was flagged offside. Boundjah came close yet again, this time the striker’s shot just wide of the far post. Algeria’s opener arrived in the 59th minute. After al-Sheeb came comes out of the six yard box to punch the ball away, it landed on the feet of Houcine Benayada, who volleyed a powerful shot which brushed of Djamel Benlamri and into the net With a goal behind and crowd on their side, Qatar upped their tempo as Algerian sat back defending their one-goal advantage. The hosts nearly had an equaliser after Boualem Khoukhi’s header was pushed away by a diving Rais M'Bolhi. Inexplicably, nine minutes were added after the full time and the tired Qatar players found one last bit of energy with Muntari’s towering header beating goalkeeper M'Bolhi. But as the clock ticked down to the last minute of extra time, Yacine Brahimi won a penalty in the box after a foul from Abdulaziz Hatem. Al-Sheeb dived to his right to save the penalty off Belaili, but cruelly the goalkeeper saw the Algerian tap in the rebound to send the Les Verts' fans into frenzy.

One standout feature of this Qatar squad is that they don’t get bogged down by fancied opponents or any external pressure. And, much of that credit goes to head coach Felix Sanchez. The Spaniard, among many things, has instilled fearlessness, discipline and hunger among the current players – who many call as the golden generation of Qatar football. Most of them have played under Sanchez in the junior teams and they trust him completely, which obviously has helped them transition into senior stage and become Asian champions in 2019. As they go into the FIFA Arab Cup semi-final against Algeria at the Al Thumama today, Sanchez will be issuing a rallying cry to his players to believe in themselves that they can beat the African champions. Undoubtedly, despite the exclusion of international stars such as Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani, this Algerian team is still a force to be reckoned with. But a full strength Qatar side at home can beat anyone on their day. Qatar have played four games and won four of those, the only team with an all-win record among four Arab Cup semi-finalists. After struggling past Oman and Bahrain, they have beaten Iraq and the UAE with breeze. The 5-0 quarter-final thumping of the UAE, with all goals coming in the first half, showed how ruthless the Maroons can be. But Sanchez will know very well the high press and the pace upfront of Almoez Ali and Akram Afif, which troubled the UAE players will not faze the Algerians. Ahead of the game, Sanchez sounded upbeat, terming the match as another ‘opportunity’. “We have gone through four real tests so far and tomorrow is going to be another real test for us. We will have another opportunity and we will go with the ambition to reach the final,” Sanchez said yesterday. “We are champions of Asia because we deserve it and Algeria are the champions of Africa because they really deserve it. So it’s going to be a game in which both the teams have one objective. We will give all our efforts,” he added. There will be a sense of familiarity as the players take the pitch today. While all Qatari players ply their trade at home, Algeria’s key personnel such as Baghdad Bounedjah, Yacine Brahimi, Youcef Belaili, Mehdi Tahrat and Djamel Benlamri also play in Qatar Stars League. Sanchez was quick to admit that the home team will have no extra benefit for knowing the Algerian players or vice versa. “It doesn’t give us or them any advantage. We are facing an African side, which is the best in their continent. They have a strong team that has a clear idea how to play with high rhythm,” added the 46-year-old. Both the teams have no injury concerns with the Desert Foxes happier of the two after Belaili and Bounedjah were passed fit for the semi-final. Qatar SC winger Belaili resumed training yesterday despite needing hospital treatment for a head injury after the quarter-finals against Morocco, in which he scored a stunning volley from half line. Al Sadd forward Bounedjah will also be available after completing the six-day concussion protocol that followed his injury in the group match against Egypt. Yassine Titraoui returns from his suspension as he missed their quarter-final match after getting sent off against Egypt. It will be a selection boost for manager Madjid Bougherra, who might recall Benlamri and Tahrat into the XI. Bougherra said his boys are ‘raring to go’ against the hosts. “We started preparing for Qatar the next morning after our win over Morocco,” Bougherra said. “Since the beginning we have been preparing for every match as a final. We are lucky to have players who are competitive in their mindset. They know exactly what they need to do. They are raring to go,” he added. Bougherra believes Qatar will feel the baggage of pressure, having to play in front of a home crowd in a packed stadium. “Qatar is the host country and they are playing in front of home fans. They have a slight pressure but it is normal. We take every game as a final. My team will be giving 200 percent tomorrow to win this challenge,” the Algerian coach said. “As a coach, it’s always great to know the players and know things about the opponents. But it is the same for Qatar, who know our players as well. It’s an important factor because football is about small details, knowing players, their weaknesses and strong points,” he added. Interestingly, the most recent encounter between Qatar and Algeria was a friendly that Qatar won 1-0 in 2018. The Algerian Djamel Belmadi was then the coach of Qatar, while Christian Gourcuff was at the helm of Les Fennecs.      

Doha Morocco came back from a goal down twice but could not deny Algeria from entering the semi-finals of the FIFA Arab Cup yesterday. The two North African rivals put on a breathtaking attacking display of football at the Al Thumama Stadium, with a penalty shootout required to decide the quarter-final contest after it had ended 2-2 after extra-time. In the penalties, Algeria’s veteran goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi dived to his right to save Karim El Berkaoui’s spot kick. Then the 21-year-old Mohamed Tougai showed the calmness of a veteran to bury the ball into the centre of the post to send Algeria into the semis with a 5-3 scoreline in the shootout. The Desert Warriors, who extended their unbeaten run to 37 games, will take on hosts Qatar in the semi-finals at the Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday. Defending champions Morocco were attempting to extend their own unbeaten streak of 32 but fell short in a thrilling tie. Algeria had opened the scoring in the 62nd minute with Yacine Brahimi converting a penalty, after Youcef Belaili had won a penalty for being fouled by Mohamed Chibi. The Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio did not give it a foul at first but changed his decision after VAR review. Algeria’s lead stood only for a minute as Mohamed Nahiri equalised for Morocco after heading the ball in the net from an Abdelilah Hafidi cross. With the match going into extra time, it needed something special for Algeria to go into the lead again and the impressive Belaili provided one in the 102nd minute. The Qatar SC striker unleashed a stunning right-footed shot from more than 35 yards with Morocco goalkeeper Anas Zniti scrambling back in vain to stop the ball. But Morocco were not going down without a fight with captain Badr Bannoun equalising in the 111th minute. The defender scored his third goal of the tournament after connecting a header off a cross from Mohamed Chibi. Both teams’ players tired towards the end with the inevitability of penalties the only way to decide the winner. Algeria missed prolific scorer Baghdad Bounedjah yesterday, with the Al Sadd striker recovering from a concussion suffered against Egypt in the last group game. Madjid Bougherra’s side were anxious to avoid a repeat of their last outing against Morocco, when they lost by four goals, and yesterday’s nerve-wracking win should make them top contenders for the Arab Cup title.

Doha   Qatar await the winner of Algeria-Morocco match in last four Qatar powered past a hapless United Arab Emirates 5-0 with a ruthless first half display to seal their place in the FIFA Arab Cup semi-finals. The packed Friday crowd at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor witnessed Qatar’s golden generation of footballers put on a breathtaking display in the quarter-finals. But the UAE, who were gunning for a revenge for their 0-4 thrashing by Qatar in the Asian Cup semis in 2019, were dreadful in the first half. The Whites were a different side to the one that were hammered two years back in Abu Dhabi but the scars seemed to remain fresh on the players’ minds. The imposing Al Bayt Stadium, which had a small number of UAE fans, also made it difficult for the young visiting side. It was such a one-sided contest in the first half, that Qatar coach Felix Sanchez chose to sit in the dugout and chat with his assistants even as players went down the tunnel to the dressing room for a breather. It’s very rare when a coach does not need to talk to his players at half-time but Sanchez was afforded that luxury by his team. It was a night where anything Qatar players touched turned into gold, also in part thanks to the largesse by the UAE players, who gave away two penalties and also committed defensive howlers at will. “We will celebrate this victory because it’s a great result for us. The team is showing improvement after every match and now we need to focus on the semi-final,” said Sanchez, with African heavyweights Algeria or Morocco waiting for them in the semi-finals. Sanchez fielded a full-strength side yesterday, after playing a second-string side for most part against Iraq in their final group game on Monday. With Pedro Miguel missing due to injury, Abdelkarim Hassan slotted in as one of the three centre-backs, with Ismail Mohamed started as a right wing-back. Akram Afif and Almoez Ali, who made a late substitute appearance against Iraq and also bagged a goal each, pressed the UAF defence high from the beginning and it didn’t take long for them to crumble. In the sixth minute, UAE defender Mohanad Salem failed to clear a back pass as Almoez latched on to the ball and laid it off to Afif, whose shot deflected off Ali Salmin for an own goal. It was a perfect start to calm the nerves of Qatari players, as the UAE players struggled to build up momentum. The UAE players enjoyed more than 70% possession in the first half, preferring to build it up from the back, which played into Qatar’s hands. The hosts simply chose to sit back and counter-attack with Almoez and Afif lethal upfront. The Qatari forwards, however, didn’t have to do anything extraordinary as another clumsy defensive mistake from the UAE’s Mahmoud Khamis gifted them the second goal. In the 27th minute, Khamis handled the ball in the box off a cross from Ismail Mohamed, with Almoez putting the penalty into the net to double the advantage. For the UAE, all hell broke loose thereafter as Qatar smashed three goals in 12 minutes. In the 36th minute, Almoez was brought down by UAE captain and goalkeeper Ali Khaseif, with Boualem Khoukhi slotting the penalty to the top corner. Eight minutes later, Abdulaziz Hatem’s thunderous strike off a pass from Afif made it 4-0 before Almoez found the net again in stoppage time. With five goals, Qatar’s player’s intensity did drop off a bit while UAE did put on a much better display. Khoukhi went closest to scoring in the second half but Sanchez biggest worry will be his star forward Afif limping off late in the second after picking up a knock. Qatar’s defender Boualem Khoukhi (right) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the UAE during the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 quarter-final at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor yesterday. (AFP)

Qatar captain Hassan al-Haydos expects the UAE to pose a tough challenge in the FIFA Arab Cup quarter-finals on Friday. The hosts cruised into the last eight with a third successive win against Iraq on Monday and now the Asian champions await a wounded UAE, who will be looking to settle the scores. The last time these two sides met in 2019, Qatar thrashed the UAE 4-0 on their home soil en route to winning their maiden Asian Cup title. Al-Haydos, who captained the side to continental victory two years back, says UAE are a different team to the one they faced at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. “The next match will not be at the same level as the one we played with the UAE in 2019. This Emirates team is a new side and the match is going to be difficult. We hope to be up to the mark and get a good result and qualify for the semi-finals,” the Al Sadd star said. Qatar topped the Group A but were unconvincing in their wins over Bahrain and Oman. In the final group game against Iraq at the Al Bayt Stadium on Monday, Qatar coach Felix Sanchez made nine changes to his starting line-up with his side already assured of a quarter-final place. The hosts struggled to find the back of the net against Iraq as the score remained 0-0 at half-time. That changed in the second half as substitutes Akram Afif, Almoez Ali and al-Haydos all came on to score late fine goals to send the hosts through with an impressive, unblemished record. “Hard luck to the Iraqi team and the Iraqi crowd,” said al-Haydos. “We proved that we are a strong team despite the participation of players who did not play in the first two matches. We played the match well and scored late goals to win. Iraq were desperate for goals and that allowed us space to attack resulting in these three goals,” he added. Monday’s game against Iraq gave Sanchez a peep into Qatar’s strength in depth – which was not many – as the Maroons gear up for their maiden World Cup at home in a year’s time. Though the Qatar’s second string functioned and competed well throughout, they lacked the sparkle and penetration normally provided by their regulars Afif and Almoez. “The match was not easy for us because we were already qualified but the players showed commitment and discipline. Their performance was great and now we have to recover and think about our next match,” Sanchez said. “I am proud of the players and I also want to thank fans for supporting us in the match,” the head coach added. The Spaniard also praised the trio of Almoez, Afif and al-Haydos for their late goals against Iraq. “It's great to come from outside the field and play and score to help the team. There are many players in our team who are key players and that's what the group does,” the coach said. Meanwhile, Iraq’s Bashar Resan said a dip in the team's performance in the second half resulted in the defeat. “We were not bad in the first half as we created several chances to score while not giving a strong Qatari team any opportunity to score,” the midfielder said. “We suffered a physical decline in the second half like in our previous two matches against Oman and Bahrain. We gave too much space to Qatar late in the match,” said Resan, who plays for Qatar SC. “We apologise to our fans for failing to advance as they were hoping for us to qualify.” Iraq, the most decorated team in the Arab Cup, remained winless in the tournament and finished third in the group, ahead of bottom-placed Bahrain.    

* Qatar face the UAE in the quarters, while Oman take on Tunisia on Friday Qatar needed its star trio Almoez Ali, Akram Afif and Hassan al-Haydos to come off the bench to secure a 3-0 win for the hosts against Iraq at the FIFA Arab Cup. The Asian champions’ second half burst at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor knocked Iraq out from the event, with Oman joining Qatar in the last eight after a 3-0 win over Bahrain Monday. Qatar now take on the UAE in the quarters on Friday, with Oman facing Group B toppers Tunisia on the same day. With qualification to quarter-finals already ensured, Qatar coach Felix Sanchez made nine changes to his starting XI that played against Oman. Star striker Akram Afif scores Qatar’s second goal. Reuters Only Bassam al-Rawi and Abdelaziz Hatem retained their place as Sanchez fielded fresh faces to give rest to the tired bodies. The Qatari youngsters put in a good shift at the start countering the physical nature of the Iraqi game but could not translate their domination in possession into chances. In fact, Iraq will count themselves unlucky after goalkeeper Yousof Hassan denied Bashar Resan with a double save in the 22nd minute, while Yaser Kasim’ shot hit the woodwork seven minute before half-time. Iraq, who needed a win to enter the quarters, threw the kitchen sink at Qatar’s defenders but the host’s backline stood up to the challenge. Qatar did create a couple of chances with half-time approaching but it nowhere did it trouble Iraq goalkeeper Fahad Talib. Sanchez’s men did look more threatening in the second half as Musab Khader’s header from a difficult angle was blocked by Talib, who was also forced to palm away Muntari’s solo effort. With Iraq’s threat wavering off, Sanchez brought in his big boys to the game. The Qatar coach made a double substitution at the half-hour mark, replacing al-Rawi and Ahmed Alaaeldin with Boualem Khoukhi and Khalid Muneer. With the balance of the match shifting towards Qatar, Sanchez introduced Almoez and al-Haydos for the injured Muntari and Ali Asad respectively. With an injection of pace into the forward line, spaces opened up for Qatar and it was only a matter of time before they went ahead. Al-Haydos went close with a long range shot coming off the crossbar in 72nd minute, before Almoez broke the deadlock ten minutes later. The Al Duhail forward latched onto a mistake from Munaf Younus as he drove past the Iraq defender and slotted the ball. Qatar’s star striker Afif, who came in a minute after the first goal, made it 2-0 with literally his first touch before al-Haydos found the back of the net in stoppage time. Three goals in the final twelve minutes made it a perfect start for Qatar as they finished the group stages with nine points, having earlier managed to beat Oman and Bahrain. The Al Annabi’s real test will come in the knockout stages, with Asian rivals the UAE waiting for them in quarters. If they do get past the Whites, then Sanchez’s men will come up against African giants. For Iraq, after a brave show in the draws against Oman and Bahrain, it was another end to a promising campaign. The last time Iraq lifted a major trophy was in 2007, when they beat Saudi Arabia to win the first AFC Asian Cup title. Meanwhile, at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium Oman powered past Bahrain 3-0 and into the quarter-finals. Mandhar al-Alawi opened the scoring just before half time, while Khalid al-Hajri and Arshad al-Alawi scored in quick succession after the break to send Gulf Champions Bahrain home.

With a quarter-final spot already in the bag, Qatar will hope to sustain their winning momentum in the final Group A game against Iraq on Monday. Irrespective of the result at the Al Bayt Stadium, Qatar will finish on top of the group and that will give coach Felix Sanchez an golden opportunity to start the match with fringe players as the hosts brace up for tougher matches in knockouts against quality opponents. For Iraq though, a win on Monday will ensure them a place in the knockout stages, with the result of another Group A encounter between winless Bahrain and Oman rendering it inconsequential. Qatar and Iraq have locked horns 35 times, and this 36th meeting promises to be an entertaining one. For Sanchez, entertainment could be the last thing on his mind as the Spaniard will look to give some rest to the jaded bodies of his players. Having played non-stop – for Qatar or their clubs – this year, Qatar players have visibly suffered from fatigue in the first two matches. In both their narrow victories against Oman and Bahrain, their fitness levels dropped down considerably in the second half. While they maintained their focus despite that and managed to eke out two wins is what makes this squad special in Qatar’s history. On the eve of the match, Sanchez did stick to the norm to say his team will gun for victory while also hinting at making changes to his starting XI. “We will make our plan against Iraq, surely there will be changes but we will play to win,” said the Spaniard yesterday. Sanchez confirmed Pedro Miguel, who picked up an injury against Oman, will sit out today with the Qatar coach hopeful the defender would be ready for the quarter-finals. The Maroons’ possible opponents could be any of Tunisia, the UAE and Syria, with Group B still wide open. Sanchez said his team was confident of taking on any team. “We will be ready to play any team in the knockout stage. We respect all the teams and we think any team we will face in the quarter-finals will be strong,” he said. On facing Iraq, Sanchez said the four-time former champions have always proved a difficult opponent. The last time these today faced – in the 2019 Arabian Gulf Cup in Qatar – Iraq emerged out as the winners. Sanchez said revenge would not be on his or players mind. “We are not seeking revenge against them. We lost an important game in the Gulf Cup but here we just want points not revenge,” the 45-year-old said. “Iraq are tough opponents from what we have experienced in our past matches. We will try to play a competitive game against them. We know if we have to go far in the tournament we have to be at our best in all the matches. We know Iraq needs points to qualify for the quarter-finals and we expect them to be offensive in the match. Iraq has always been a tough side. But we are going to play for a win,” Sanchez added. Meanwhile, Iraq’s stand-in coach Zeljko Petrovic said he has the belief in his team to beat Qatar and qualify the quarters. In their opening game against Oman, Iraq salvaged a point with an equaliser in the eighth minute of added time and followed it up with a goalless draw against Bahrain. “Iraq are still in with a chance of qualifying for the next round, so our sole focus is on beating Qatar. It won’t be a walk in the park because we’re coming up against a strong team that has won two games on the bounce, but I have every confidence in my players’ abilities and I’m sure we can come out on top,” said Petrovic yesterday. “The most important thing is to believe in our ability to win and qualify for the next round. The second thing is to give our best and not have regrets afterwards,” the Montenegrin added.      

Qatar players had to muster every ounce of their physical and mental strength to overcome a dogged Oman Friday. And they did it in a dramatic fashion. The host’s second group encounter of the FIFA Arab Cup at the Education City Stadium was heading towards a draw when Qatar’s star man Akram Afif played a sumptuous cross to the box in the seventh and last minute of the stoppage time. Substitute Mohamed Muntari charged in to head the ball, but only to miss as it deflected off Oman defender Fahmi Durbin and hit the crossbar and bounced down behind the goal line before being gathered by goalkeeper Ibrahim al-Mukhaini. Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio allowed the play to carry on as Qatar players claimed the goal. A good thirty seconds later Sampaio was informed by VAR that the ball had crossed the goal line as Qatari players, led by Afif, sprinted towards the fans to celebrate. It was that energy and never-say-die attitude that made the Maroons the first team to enter the quarter-finals of this edition's Arab Cup. Truth to tell, after an impressive first half – where Afif’s penalty had put them 1-0 ahead – Qatar players lacked energy and focus. All the travels they have done over the past year to Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers to Europe seemed to be catching up to them. After an initial burst of energy, they looked weary with coach Felix Sanchez later admitting ‘they are human beings, not machines.’ But the Spaniard was delighted with the effort his boys put in, especially in the second half when they had to deal with sustained pressure from Oman. “Despite the length of the season and playing many matches, my players fought hard. They are still doing their best. They are human beings, not machines,” he said. "Both teams tried their best to win, but we managed to get the victory. I think we played very well in the first half but in the second Oman played more direct and it was difficult for us to manage. But our players showed full commitment, good spirit in the final minutes of the game and were able to score at the death. It's a very good result and hopefully it will give us confidence for upcoming matches,” Sanchez added. Qatar are now assured of top spot in Group A after consecutive wins, with Iraq occupying second place in the standings after a goalless draw against Bahrain at the Al Thumama Stadium Friday. Qatar play their final group game against Iraq on Monday at the Al Bayt Stadium. The race for second place in the group and a quarter-final spot remains, with Iraq, Bahrain and Oman all in contention – the last two teams on a point each facing another on Monday. Sanchez hinted at giving opportunities to reserve players against Iraq before they get ready for quarters. “After this result, we will finish top of our group which is amazing for us. But we have one more game and we want to play well and make our fans happy. We will try to give some minutes to other players. Then we also have to prepare for the quarter-finals, which will be a difficult one,” he said. If one Qatar player who needs to be wrapped in cotton wool is Akram Afif. The Al Sadd forward has looked in imperious touch in both the matches. Afif, who provided the assist in Qatar's 1-0 win over Bahrain, was against the difference maker Friday. After winning a penalty and then converting it himself, his decisive cross in the final minute sealed the game for his country. Sanchez made three changes from the Bahrain game, starting with captain Hassan al-Haydos, Abdelkarim Hassan and Karim Boudiaf, with the trio replacing Mohamed Waad, Tarek Salman and Assim Madibo. Qatar came all out attacking and won three corners in the first five minutes but could not take advantage. Afif set up a couple of decent chances but Hassan Almoez Ali could not capitalise on it. Afif then took it on his own hands to fire the hosts ahead. The 25-year-old was brought down by Ahmed al-Khamisi in the 32nd minute before stepping up to place the penalty in the bottom right corner, beyond the dive of al-Mukhaini. Oman came out as a different side in the second half and were more direct as Qatar players sat deep, defending the one-goal advantage. Their perseverance finally paid off in the 73rd minute as Khalid al-Hajri jumped above two Qatari defenders to the ball with a diving header into the Qatar net, following a cross from Abdullah Fawaz. The hosts’ shoulders dropped as Oman went in search of the winner. But it was Qatar who had the best chance when Muntari, who came in two minutes before full time to replace Abdulaziz Hatem, headed the ball just wide in stoppage time. But Qatar were not to be denied as Afif turned out to be a hero once again with his deft cross Durbin inadvertently turning into his own goal.

Having put an end to their eight-match winless streak with a victory over Bahrain on Tuesday, Qatar will be hoping they have turned their fortunes around. It was far from a comfortable victory for the Asian Champions in their FIFA Arab Cup opener at the Al Bayt Stadium, but Felix Sanchez and his men wouldn’t mind one bit. For, they have gone through tough times recently, playing in the colder climes of Europe against strong teams in the World Cup Qualifiers. A 1-0 win over Bahrain, thanks to Abdulaziz Hatem’s header, in front of a packed crowd came as a relief to the squad. Now, the Maroons will hope to cash in on the good start as they chase their maiden Arab Cup title – in only their third appearance. A victory today over familiar opponents Oman at the Education City Stadium will put them on course for a quarter-finals berth. But Sanchez surely knows it won’t be that straightforward. Qatar have won both their recent matches against Oman in the World Cup qualifiers, but they only just managed to do so. Oman ran their opponents close in both games and were unlucky not to get at least a point earlier this June. “Oman are tough opponents and we know them well from our recent matches. Oman have a very clear style of playing and we have a plan against them. Like every match, we are targeting three points. We will put our best players who do we think will help us win,” Sanchez told a pre-match press conference yesterday “There are no favourites, we will play our game and Oman will play their game. Let’s see which team is the one who can take the points. Our last games were very tough games,” the Spaniard added. Qatar have been on the road since that game in June against Oman – having reached the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July before their travails in Europe. Sanchez suggested fatigue has been a factor for his much-travelled team but was confident his players can play at a good level in a tournament, which is a dry run for the next year’s World Cup. “We are coming from a very long season and our players were also busy with the domestic season with their clubs, also playing the AFC Champions League matches. It affects the level but we strongly believe that what we need is to face all type of situations. We believe in what we are doing and we have full confidence in our team,” said Sanchez. With the World Cup taking place on home soil, Sanchez felt every win is a confidence booster ahead of the big event in less than a year. “All the matches we have been playing, the purpose is to improve the level and experience. We need to get used to different styles of football if we want to be ready for the World Cup. This is another competition with other teams and we need to be ready to face all of them,” he added. Meanwhile, Oman will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing draw against Iraq in their opening game. Iraq salvaged a point at the Al Janoub Stadium with their equaliser coming deep into added time. It was a bitter blow for Oman having gone into that match as favourites. Oman coach Branko Ivankovic said his team is facing the toughest side in the group but hoped for a positive result. “Qatari players are very good and they have earned a lot of experience. They also have a good experience of playing at big stage so the match is going to be difficult but we are well prepared,” the former Croatian midfielder said. Oman’s Harib al-Saadi said his team will be aiming for a victory against the home team. “Qatar match will be the toughest in the group because they are a top side. They are the Asian champions and they will be playing in front of home fans,” the attacking midfielder said. “But, we have confidence in ourselves and our aim will be to win the match and take three points to make our fans happy. We want a win after a draw against Iraq in the first match. Our target is to reach the quarter-final and tomorrow’s [today] match is very important for us,” he added.      

A lot was going against Qatar on the eve of their FIFA Arab Cup Opener against Bahrain. The Asian champions have been below-par at best, having not won a game since July, with an eight-match winless streak and some heavy losses against superior European teams. The last time Qatar beat Bahrain in a competitive game was in 2002. Felix Sanchez’s men are also chasing history with Qatar seeking their first Arab Cup title – albeit they have played in the tournament only twice before, in 1985 and 1998. In the latter, which they also hosted, they finished runners-up. So history and form was against Sanchez and his men last night. But the moment Abdulaziz Hatem’s header found the net at the electric Al Bayt Stadium, all seemed forgotten and Qatar’s preparation for next year’s World Cup at home was back on track. The narrow 1-0 win against Bahrain at the packed Al Bayt Stadium last night gave the Maroons a good start to their FIFA Arab Cup campaign. While the win was far from perfect, it allowed Sanchez some breathing space after a difficult last few months. The hosts, who are favourites for the title, were not fluent in the first half but put in a much-improved performance in the second half. The 2019 Arabian Gulf Cup champions put up a strong resistance and on another day could have nicked a point, which Sanchez later acknowledged. "We know Bahrain is a very good team. They have been doing well in the last two-three years, a much organised team with top quality players. I think we played a good game. The first half was a little difficult because the opening game of any tournament is not easy. But I think we had better chances and we deserved the three points," the Qatar coach said. With just a year to go before the historic World Cup at home, Qatar players experienced a glimpse of what could be on offer at the showpiece event. The Al Bayt Stadium staged a stunning opening ceremony, with a 60000-capacity crowd treated to jaw-dropping pyrotechnics display along with some beautiful choreography and performances that featured traditional themes, scenes and costumes from the Arab region. The opening ceremony featured 220 dancers, 75 orchestra performers and 45 FIFA Fan Leaders representing 48 different countries as the Al Bayt stadium came alive. All these fanfare – and much more – is what Qatar players will experience in a year’s time. "Playing at this stadium, I think, it's an experience for us,” said Sanchez. “As I have said before, to play in this tournament is like training for the World Cup. So, I think it's a good experience to have one year before the World Cup,” the Spaniard added. Expectedly, the players took time to get into the groove at the start of the match with fans still awestruck by the opening ceremony. With captain Hassan al-Haydos – returning from injury – and experienced Abdelkarim Hassan on the bench, midfielder Mohamed Waad and Homan al-Amin making the starting XI. Bahrain had the first real opening in the game when in the seventh minute Mahdi Alhumaidan failed to connect a header from a close range. A lot depended on Qatar’s star striker Akram Afif and he was the star of the show yesterday. The host’s went closer in the 18th minute with Waad being thwarted by the Bahraini keeper Sayed Mohamed Jaffer, who made amends for clumsy clearance in his first attempt. While Afif – 2019 Asian player of the year – dictated the play creating several goal-scoring chances, Qatar failed to find the net in the first half. At the one hour mark, Boualem Khoukhi’s header bounced over the cross before Afif's sumptuous cross set up the goal for Qatar. A whipped cross from Akram Afif was met expertly by Hatem, who charged in to power a header and send the crowd into raptures. Bahrain did come close in the closing stages but Qatar held out for the remainder of the match, including seven minutes of injury-time to seal a morale-boosting victory. Up next for Qatar is Oman, who yesterday were held to a 1-1 draw by Iraq. Qatar are on top of Group A after the first round of matches, but with Oman and Iraq to come next, qualification to quarter-finals is still not done. The top two sides from each of the four, four-team groups’ progress to the quarter-finals. “All the teams are equal so we have to play at our best. So let's hope that we can recover after today’s game and be ready for the next one,” Sanchez said.    

With just a year to go for their World Cup debut at home, the Qatar team is starting a crucial journey towards preparation for the football showpiece event. Thanks to a well-planned strategy in place, the Maroons have travelled length and breadth of three continents as they sharpen their skills ahead of the World Cup. Since becoming Asian Champions in 2019, Qatar under Felix Sanchez have gone on to play in Copa America, CONCACAF Gold Cup and UEFA World Cup qualifiers with varied success. And now as they enter into final stretches of preparation, the FIFA Arab Cup – which starts in Qatar from Tuesday – will serve Sanchez and his men another opportunity to test their skills against quality opponents. The tournament itself is a dry run for Qatar as the country gears up to host the World Cup. And Qatar players will get a firsthand experience of six magnificent stadiums, which are set to host matches in the marquee event next year. But on the field, Sanchez will be desperate to get his tactics and formations right during the Arab Cup, which they have never before. Qatar under Sanchez has done exceptionally well but off late the standards have slipped. Qatar have not won since the 3-2 win against El Salvador in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-final in June and are on an eight-match winless streak. In Europe, Qatar has run into strong opposition, giving them a taste of things to come. They were beaten heavily by Portugal, Serbia and the Republic of Ireland, while only managing to draw against Azerbaijan and Luxembourg. They found it tough against the physically stronger European opponents, who overpowered Qatar in the midfield and forced them into defensive errors. In the Arab Cup, Sanchez will hope to overcome those mistakes. Fourteen of the Qatar players who won the Asian Cup two years ago will turn out at the Arab Cup, which will give Sanchez enough experience in his squad. The hosts open their campaign against a well-drilled Bahrain side at the Al Bayt Stadium Tuesday, with tougher tests against Iraq and Oman to come in Group A. “The Arab Cup is an important preparation for the team ahead of the World Cup,” Sanchez said Monday. “We have the resolve to win this tournament and we will give everything [to win the title]. We want to make a good start in the tournament. The opening matches are always difficult, which makes this match an important one. We have prepared well,” the Spaniard added. Bahrain have punched above their weight in recent times, having won the Arabian Gulf Cup in Doha in 2019. Coached by Portuguese Helio Sousa, they will be no pushovers for Qatar, who are struggling for form. The Qatar coach admitted Bahrain will be a strong opposition and will give them a stern test. “Yes, we aspire to win the title, but we have to take one step at a time. We respect the Bahrain team, they are a strong team and have won Gulf Cup before in Doha and has some quality players in its ranks. We will give our best to make our fans proud and we are looking forward to fans to back us during the tournament,” Sanchez said. The Spaniard said his team will approach each group stage match like a final. “We have played many times against all three group teams. It is not going to be easy, history tells us that. We will have to play each game like the final to get points in order to reach the next stage. We have to play very good three games to be with the level of opposition,” Sanchez said. Meanwhile, Bahrain coach Sousa is under no illusions about the task that lies ahead but is confident his team can beat the hosts. "The Qatar team will be difficult to play at home and in front of their fans. They have been preparing for the World Cup for more than six years, they have participated in the biggest events – the Gold Cup, Copa America and UEFA qualifiers. They are an experienced team and have been exposed to playing different styles of football from all continents. These made them improve as a team. But tomorrow the score will be 0-0 at kick-off and we're ready to beat them,” he said. “The tournament is an opportunity to see the team develop and grow by playing against tough opponents. This is the first time that we are going to play Qatar, while we played against other teams. We will take advantage of this competition to continue to grow as a team,” Sousa added.

A Formula One title race for the ages is set to go down to the wire after Lewis Hamilton’s dominant victory at the inaugural Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday. The Brit was untouchable in his Mercedes around the lightning Losail International Circuit as he closed the gap on title rival Max Verstappen. Red Bull’s Verstappen finished second and also claimed the fastest lap bonus point, overcoming a five-place grid penalty for failing to respect warning flags in Saturday's qualifying which had dropped him down to seventh at the start. With two races remaining in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, Hamilton has narrowed down Verstappen’s lead to eight points. Former two-time world champion Fernando Alonso took the final podium position in Alpine, his first in seven years. It would be an understatement to say the maiden Qatar F1 Grand Prix was just a blockbuster hit. True to its anticipation, the motorsports fans in Qatar thronged the Losail Circuit on all three days, with a packed crowd yesterday enjoying a dazzling evening which was sprinkled with spectacular race, glamour and sporting icons from F1 and football. The race day coincided with one year countdown for FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, as the spectators in the main grandstand lapped up the trophy on display and some of the game's finest – with David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, Ronaldinho and John Terry all making an appearance on the grid before the race. After a year’s break, the F1 will return to Qatar in 2023 with the country having signed a 10-year deal. On the track though, it was Hamilton all the way. The seven-time world champion was coming into the Qatar GP after one of his greatest victories in Brazil and he made sure he cashed in on the momentum, to stay afloat in the title race. After his clinical win, Hamilton was not in a celebratory mood, turning his focus to the final two Grand Prix of the season. “The last two weeks have been fantastic, just amazing,” said Hamilton. “But there’s no time for celebrations; I’ll be back in with the team already again next week and just back in training tomorrow,” he said. “Today, of course the race was made a lot easier with the penalties that the guys obviously got for the mistake they made yesterday, so that made it a lot more straightforward,” added Hamilton. “I was just managing the gap at the front, keeping the car safe and trying to maximise and bring the car home. I generally felt I wasn't massively under threat. I managed to cover the ground just off the start and after that it was just kind of head down and focused on trying to [keep] the gap,” he said. Once Hamilton made a clinical start from pole position, his newly fitted engine in Sao Paulo last week proved too hot to handle for Verstappen and the rest of the chasing pack. The Brit was able to control the pace at the front of the field, with his Mercedes flying around the fast-flowing circuit. Verstappen too was not the one to give up easily as he made an impressive start from seventh to fourth. The Dutchman soon climbed to third by lap four after charging past Pierre Gasly’s Alpha Tauri and a lap later moved to second after overtaking Alonso, with only Hamilton around four seconds up the road from him. But with Hamilton steadily increasing his lead, Red Bull decided to pit Verstappen at the end of lap 17 after a possible damage to the front wing. Mercedes followed suit in the next lap with Hamilton also moving to the hard tyre as his team mirrored Verstappen’s strategy. From there, the pair traded fastest laps across the next phase of the race. But as the race entered the final stages, Hamilton’s lead over Verstappen only widened. The Red Bull called in Verstappen for the third time, only to make sure he used the softs to seal the fastest lap with a time of 1m23.196s as Hamilton took the chequered flag 25.7 seconds ahead of his title rival. Verstappen later said he is relishing the title battle with Hamilton. “I feel good. It’s going to be a tight battle to the end. I know it’s going to be difficult to the end, but I think that’s nice – it keeps it exciting,” he said. “We just didn’t have the pace this weekend to match them [Mercedes]. I did the fastest lap – at the end of the day it was still one extra point and everything counts at the moment – but this weekend wasn’t the best for us,” the Dutchman added. Meanwhile, there was joy down at Alpine as Alonso returned to the podium for the first time since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix, the Spaniard having executed an aggressive drive to survive late-race pressure from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez to take third. Perez’s fourth place was a decent recovery considering he’d started P11, while he finished ahead of the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, with Lance Stroll taking P6 for Aston Martin. The Ferrari pair of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were P7 and P8. Lando Norris took P9 after a late stop for the McLaren driver, as Sebastian Vettel took the final points-paying position for P10 – with Pierre Gasly failing to make a two-stop strategy work, dropping from P2 on the grid to P11, allowing Alpine to move clear of AlphaTauri in P5 in the standings. Meanwhile, it was a day to forget for Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, who took his own grid drop, dropping from P3 to P6, before falling to 11th at the start and then suffering mid-race tyre issues before Mercedes retired him. Bottas' misery left the Silver Arrows with only a five-point lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.    

After struggling to set the pace in practice on Friday, Lewis Hamilton had said he needed to figure out why he was ‘little bit slow’ at the Losail International Circuit. Twenty four hour later though, the seven-time world champion had more than figured it out as the Mercedes driver took pole position for the Formula One Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix with a stunning lap in qualifying Saturday. At the packed Losail circuit, Hamilton put on a show as the Brit blazed through the fast-flowing track with a stunning 1:20.827 lap to beat his title rival Max Verstappen by a massive 0.455s seconds under the lights. There could be more good news waiting for Hamilton after Verstappen was summoned to the stewards before Sunday’s race at 5pm after allegedly failing to slow down for double waved yellow flags. The Red Bull driver could be at risk of a grid penalty, if the stewards decide he has fallen foul of the rules, which will delight Hamilton as he trails the Dutchman by 14 points in championship race with three races remaining. Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas will line up in third place after what was a below-par qualifying for the Finn after having topped the second practice on Thursday. Later Bottas along with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was also asked to make an appearance in front of the stewards Sunday afternoon over their alleged passing of single waved yellow flags. Meanwhile, Hamilton was in a league of his own Saturday as the 36-year-old was the quickest in both Q1 and Q2 before going out all guns blazing in the Q3. This was Hamilton's 102nd career pole but his first since Hungary almost four months ago. Hamilton, who revealed he was suffering with a stomach ache for several days, was surprised with the pace of his car Saturday. “It was really beautiful out there today, especially under the night lights,” he said. “I didn’t know that I was going to gain as much as time as I did on that last lap – normally it's a bit of a struggle with the second run in Q3, but the last couple of races, I managed to really put a nice clean lap together, and it felt amazing,” he added. The Brit was also at a loss of words to explain his huge gap to Verstappen in qualifying. “Of course (I’m surprised by the gap to Red Bull),” Hamilton added. “The same as in the last race. Probably the last three races in qualifying we've been ahead of them, which has been a bit of a surprise and today I definitely wasn't expecting to have as big a gap as that,” he said. Meanwhile, Verstappen said he would give it all in the race as he would have to fight Mercedes alone after teammate Sergio Perez dropped out in Q2. “I think (we were) lacking a bit of pace,” said Verstappen. “Perez was not even in Q3, so it just shows that we are struggling a bit more than normal. But nevertheless, we're still second, so it's all to play for. But of course, I wish we could have fought for more,” he said. Pierre Gasly for Alpha Tauri will start fourth. The Frenchman, however, had the shine taken off his stunning performance when he ran well wide at the penultimate corner and hit the kerb, which shattered his front wing and led to a puncture. That forced some drivers to back out of their final results, though Fernando Alonso’s first effort was still good enough for a very impressive fifth in what is his second top-five start in the last five races. Lando Norris put McLaren sixth, to give them the edge in the tight fight with Ferrari for P3 in the constructors’ championship but Carlos Sainz was only a place behind for the Scuderia, as he out qualified his teammate Charles Leclerc for the third successive race. Yuki Tsunoda continued his great weekend in Qatar with eighth, putting both AlphaTauris in the top 10 for the fourth time in five races. Esteban Ocon made Q3 for the first time since Russia and will start ninth with Sebastian Vettel closing out the top 10, following his first Q3 in eight races. Meanwhile, Alonso, who put in his best qualifying performance since his return to Formula 1, was delighted so far with his stint in Qatar. “Happy days!” said Alonso afterwards. “The whole weekend has been great for us. The car seems to perform really well in these long corners. I think we did in Turkey as well, we did in Sochi, and here, so very enjoyable. The Qatar track is unbelievable for Formula 1 cars. Now at night, light cars with low fuel, new tyres, I could be driving all night long!”

Doha   The two protagonists of the title race – Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton – were left plenty to ponder with as Valtteri Bottas set the pace at yesterday’s practice session for the Formula One Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix. With just 14 points separating the title race leader Verstappen to seven-time champion Hamilton, the focus was naturally on the two but the physically demanding and unfamiliar Losail International Circuit proved difficult to crack. Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Bottas was 0.209 seconds quicker than Pierre Gasly, who was impressive in Alpha Tauri. Red Bull’s Verstappen and Hamilton were third and fourth respectively after the second of the practice session was held under lights, with the former just 0.072secs ahead of his title rival. Verstappen was faster than Bottas in the first session, but the Dutchman clearly struggled in the second with rear wing issues troubling him and his teammate Sergio Perez. Hamilton was also fourth in the afternoon but his performance in the evening session – which was deemed more representative of race conditions as it was held under floodlights – will worry the Brit. Today’s qualifying session, which is expected to be tight, will be key for Hamilton to stay in the title race. Bottas, though seemed to have find the right key to unlock Losail Circuit, with the Finn quick on a single lap and very good on a long run. “We’ve started the weekend pretty well with the set-up. The balance felt good, so I only made a few minor tweaks for FP2. That’s an encouraging way to start the weekend at a new track,” Bottas said. “It’s not far off the sweet spot, obviously there’s always work to do and improvements to find and even with driving, you can’t find all the speed available in just two sessions. We’ll keep on working. It’s hard to draw conclusions from today, practice is practice, but the feeling is okay and that’s promising for the rest of the weekend,” he added. With no previous data to work from in Qatar, Hamilton admitted he still didn’t feel entirely comfortable on track. “I don’t even know how big the gap is, but I’m off,” Hamilton said. “I’m definitely not close. I’m a little bit slow, so I need to figure that out tonight.” “Driving-wise, it’s okay,” added Hamilton of the Losail track. “I mean it’s all high-speed corners, so it’s definitely physical, but then the track’s quite nice, no real issues.” Verstappen also felt he had more work to do overnight and will have a better idea of what will work on the track after a debrief session. “It was the first time (we ran) in the evening, so it was important to understand how the car would react,” said Verstappen. “Quite a bit of the change between the medium and the soft tyre I think for me, that’s why on the soft tyre it wasn’t, let’s say amazing, but again you know it’s our first time here, so a lot of things to understand. You need to learn the track a bit, but it’s been a lot of fun to drive to be honest. I think it’s a really cool track,” he added. Lando Norris was fifth fastest for McLaren, 0.422s off the pace, ahead of Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) and Perez. Nikita Mazepin – the only other driver along with Perez in the field who’s raced here before – missed the session while his Haas chassis was switched as he damaged his car in FP1. Second practice timings 1. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) Time: 1:23.148; 2. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) +0.209s; 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.350s; 4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.422s; 5. Lando Norris McLaren +0.484s; 6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.557s; 7. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) +0.587s; 8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.639s; 9. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) +0.872s; 10. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.885s; 11. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +0.893s; 12. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +0.908s; 13. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.947s; 14. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) +0.987s; 15. Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo Racing) +1.483s; 16. George Russell (Williams) +1.806s; 17. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo Racing) +1.924s; 18. Nicholas Latifi (Williams) +2.061s; 19. Mick Schumacher (Haas) +2.427s; 20. Nikita Mazepin (Haas) DNS Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas arrives at the Losail International Circuit yesterday. (Reuters) PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil

Formula One made its long-awaited debut in Qatar Friday with the Losail International Circuit hosting the Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix. The 5.38-km fast-flowing track came to life as engines roared with the drivers taking part in the two practice sessions. The motorsports connoisseurs made a beeline to Losail Circuit, which is no stranger to hosting big events with MotoGP racing here since 2004. Fans lined up on the stands to watch their favourite drivers behind the wheels of the F1 car, while they also had plenty of entertainment options outside the track in the Fan Zone. An air show was held for the spectators on the sidelines of the Formula One Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix After watching Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas top the timesheets in the first and second practice sessions respectively, fans were enthralled with a live air show. Verstappen, who leads Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton by 14 points in the title race, was impressed by the nature of the Losail track. "It's been a lot of fun to drive to be honest," the Dutchman said yesterday. "I think it's a really cool track. It's difficult to say for the race. With these cars anyway, it's very tough to follow. I think over one lap anyway, it's going to be good," he added. Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) president Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif al-Mannai was pleased with the turnout on the first day and expected more crowd to come in the next two days. “We are excited to see such a record number of fans at a motorsport event in Qatar. Qatar is ready to host the first ever F1 race in front of a capacity crowd. We will have completely full grandstands come race day on Sunday and this is a testament to the huge appeal of F1,” al-Mannai said Friday. “We have been hosting motor racing events at LCSC for many years but this weekend’s event will go down in history as the one with the biggest turnout. I am sure the fans will enjoy what should be a spectacular weekend,” he added. “There was great buzz at the free practice sessions Friday. We can safely say the atmosphere inside the venue was electric and will be even more so on Saturday and Sunday. There’s a lot of activity right now and the buzz will simply get bigger with each passing hour,” the QMMF president said. It might be the first time F1 is being held in Qatar but it won’t be the last. While the race won’t be happening next year, it is a sign of things to come with Qatar signing a 10-year deal to host races starting in 2023 in a newly-built circuit. QMMF’s executive director Amro al-Hamad was hopeful that hosting the F1 race would help put Qatar in contention to bring other major motorsport championships to the country in the future. “Formula 1 being here is definitely going to attract a lot of attention, and put us back again in the spotlight,” he said. “So there’s a huge possibility that we’re going to host a lot of other motorsports events in the state.”

The Losail International Circuit, which will host the inaugural Formula One Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix this weekend, adds an interesting subplot to the title fight between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Red Bull’s Verstappen leads Hamilton by 14 points after the Mercedes driver won the Brazilian Grand Prix in a dramatic fashion last weekend. With three rounds to go, Verstappen will be hoping he can stop Hamilton from winning his eighth world title, while also claiming his maiden championship. While the two title contenders will be hatching a plot to keep each other at bay, both Hamilton and Verstappen will be wary of the beast that is Losail International Circuit. A 5.380-kilometre layout, which was designed with motorbike racing in mind in 2004 – having hosted the season-opening MotoGP races since then – is still a still uncharted territory for the Formula One troupe. Of those on the current grid, only Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez and Haas’ Nikita Mazepin have previously raced at the track, in GP2 Asia and the MRF Challenge respectively. While other drivers have turned to simulators, only after two practices sessions scheduled for today will they be able to get a taste of the track A high downforce set-up and a series of quick sweeping corners will make it challenging and tough physically for the drivers. The rest of the lap is fast, flowing and dominated by medium and high-speed corners, making tyre degradation a key factor. “I think it’s going to be a different track. Probably straight line speed is not so relevant over there, so hopefully we can be a lot more competitive. I think it’s a very high downforce track, very fast. And hopefully the main straight is not too long,” said Perez yesterday. “I don’t really remember when I drove there, it was a long time ago. So I don’t think there is much of an advantage for me,” the Mexican added, while admitting he had little memory of his victory here in 2009. McLaren’s Lando Norris said it was a ‘fun track’ while acknowledging the physical toll it would take on the drivers. “It’s a pretty fast track. Not many big braking zones or anything, so it’s probably going to be quite a physical one. I don’t know how the racing or anything is going to be, I’ve got no idea just yet. But quite a fun track from what it looks like,” said the Brit. Despite the fast nature of the track, Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation’s executive director Amro Al-Hamad believes that the lack of track data and the flowing layout would create an exciting on-track spectacle. “Nobody has any data here, nobody drove here before, so that is going to add a lot,” Al-Hamad told Autosport. “Every single minute in practice is going to make a difference because they still don’t know what type of set-up they need for all their chassis. The strategy is going to be completely different when it comes to tyre wear, because it’s a very fast track, or a flowing track with a couple of opportunities for overtaking. “I know from a competitive driver point of view that there is a lot of overtaking that is going to be done, against all of the speculation that has been spread, that this is a straight-line kind of circuit, which it’s not. It’s very technical. It needs a lot of downforce. There are a lot of strategies that are going to be involved with the tyre wear here as well,” the QMMF official added. While the teams and drivers would have a better idea of the track after the practice sessions today, there is a feeling in the paddock that the Losail circuit would favour Mercedes over the Red Bull, due to their faster starlight line speed. The tyre management would be a key factor here with Pirelli choosing the three hardest tyre compounds in its range for this week’s race. The Italian tyre manufacturer said its existing data and simulations point to Losail being a high-severity circuit with very demanding corners – similar to Silverstone or Mugello – and quite aggressive asphalt, hence its hard rubber choice.