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Lionel Messi made his 1000th career appearance for country and club a memorable one yesterday when he produced a sublime goal in the first half as two-time champions Argentina outplayed Australia 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.Messi found the net in the 35th minute with a classic left-footed drive as Argentina set up a quarter-final date with Netherlands who beat USA 3-1 earlier in the day at the Khalifa International Stadium.Julian Alvarez added Argentina’s second goal in the second half (57) after a defensive gaffe from the Australian ’keeper and defenders in their own box at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.Argentina conceded an own goal through Enzo Fernandez on a shot by Australia’s Craig Goodwin in the 77th minute.It was Messi’s first ever World Cup goal in a knockout match and his third in the tournament after strikes against Saudi Arabia and Mexico.Overall it was Messi’s ninth World Cup goal, just one shy of Gabriel Batistuta’s record tally of 10. Messi yesterday went passed Diego Maradona’s tally of eight World Cup goals.The goal against Australia yesterday was Messi’s 789th in his career.“We controlled this match. Apart from the last save that Dibu (Martínez) made, we didn’t suffer too much,” Messi said yesterday. “We wanted to be here because of how it feels like and what people transmit. We must remain united,” he added. “It was a difficult day. We had very little rest time,” he said.It was Argentina’s third successive win in Qatar after losing to Saudi Arabia in the opening clash of the World Cup.The match got off to a fast start with short passes from both sides dictating the early part of the clash. In the 3th minute, Argentina’s Alejandro Gomez clipped a ball towards the Australian goal but Jackson Irvine got away with a clear handball infringement as the referee and linesman failed to take notice.Irvine, seemingly with a pledge to stop Messi, brought down the Argentine star with an elbow to his chest in the 7th minute. After being floored, Messi got up with apparent discomfort in his chest.Defender Nicolas Otamendi, in the 10th minute, found Alvarez in the Australian box with a long-range lob but the Manchester City forward could not lap the ball which slipped away from him.Despite the miss, Argentines enjoyed most of the ball possession. In the 15th minute, Irvine was penalised with a yellow card for deliberately stomping on Marcus Acuna.Gomez tried to break the deadlock with a long-range shot from the edge of the Australian box but his right-footed drive sailed away seconds later. Shortly afterwards Irvine found Aziz Behich with a neat flick back from close to the flag post.Behich – under pressure from Rodrigo de Paul – showed good anticipation and charged into the Argentine box with the ball. But De Paul threw his body weight to keep Behich from taking a shot at the goal as the ball went away for a goal kick.After the first 30 minutes, Messi had barely broken a sweat or made a move as the ball continued to remain on the flanks. Australia managed two corner kicks in the first half hour but Argentina’s backline remained firm to kill the two moves.Australians were ultra defensive in the first 30 minutes whereas Argentina failed to construct a threatening move of note. Shortly after the half-hour mark, De Paul found his captain but the game’s superstar was quickly dispossessed by Keanu Baccus and Aaron Mooy on the edge of the Australian box.Just when the spectators thought they might doze off, Messi found the back of the Australian net. Messi – from the flank – slipped a ball towards Alexis Mac Allister who was close to the Australian box. Mac Allister tapped the ball to Otamendi positioned inside the Australian box while Messi moved closer to the action himself.Otamendi, the Benfica defender, tapped a short cross back to Messi and backed off. Messi positioned himself and then drilled a low shot between the legs of a defender to the right of keeper Mathew Ryan in the 35th minute.Trailing by a goal, Australia’s tall defender Harry Souttar harshly stomped on Messi’s left foot but the referee once again ignored calls for a free kick near the Australian box.Early in the second half, Gomez was benched with Lisandro Martinez, the Manchester United defender, stepping in. Seconds later, Messi found very little wriggle room for a left-footed drive from the edge of the Australian box but his feeble shot was easily pouched by ’keeper Ryan after the Argentine great slipped while taking the shot.Alvarez doubled the lead in the 57th minute when a schoolboy error from Ryan allowed Argentina to jump to a 2-0 cushion. Kye Rowles flicked the ball to his ’keeper Ryan who was challenged by De Paul inside the box. The Socceroos ’keeper tried to push the ball away as Alvarez charged in. Alvarez managed to send the ball into the net with a feeble shot that Ryan could not stop as thousands of Argentine fans jumped with joy in the stands at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.Messi could have added one more but he was brilliantly blocked by Australia’s Milos Degenek when the Argentine skipper was set to take a shot from the six-yard box in the 66th minute. In the 75th minute, Irvine upended Lautaro Martinez with a rough tackle but the referee surprisingly signalled play on.Seconds later, Australia reduced the deficit when Goodwin unleashed a powerful drive from the edge of the Argentine box. The ball hit the head of Fernandez and went into the Argentine net with ’keeper Emiliano Martinez in no position to make a save.In the 81st minute, Australia’s Behich charged into the Argentina box, hoodwinked four blockers but his shot from close range was tapped away by Lisandro Martinez with a lunge in what could have been the most spectacular goal of the tournament.

There were tears of joy at Education City Stadium for South Korean players and fans while there were tears of dejection at Al Janoub Stadium among the Uruguay supporters and team players.An injury-time goal by Hwang Hee-chan last night helped South Korea to a stunning 2-1 win over Portugal in the last group stage match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The late goal by the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ forward was enough to push out Uruguay who beat Ghana yesterday 2-0 in the other Group H clash as the South Americans fell short in their bid to reach the Round of 16.Luis Suarez sobbed uncontrollably at Al Janoub Stadium whereas South Korea skipper Son Heungmin had tears of joy as his team reached the Round of 16 in the most dramatic of finishes.“I believe these tears are tears of happiness,” he said. “We waited really long for this moment and we as players believed altogether we could do this.“There were moments when I wasn’t able to do my best and I am thankful for my team-mates that they were able to cover me in the moments I wasn’t able to fulfil my duties, and I’m very proud of them.”Already-qualified Portugal, the 2016 Euro champions, finished top of the group with 6 points with Cristiano Ronaldo starting the game yesterday despite a big concern over his injury. South Korea and Uruguay ended with 4 points each but the Asians went ahead by virtue of scoring more goals in the three matches of the group stage.Seconds before the first goal of the match, a fan seated behind banned Paulo Bento, remonstrated with the Portuguese coach for blocking his view. Bento, who picked up a red card during his team’s match against Uruguay for a verbal spat against the referee, could barely restrain himself while arguing with the fan.Ricardo Horta scored for Portugal in the 5th minute in what was the first genuine attempt at goal. Horta charged into the box with a defender in tow but he wasted little time in deflecting from close range to the right of the outstretched hand of keeper Kim Seunggyu.Pepe found Diogo Dalot with a long ball from the Portuguese half line. Dalor picked up the cross and went far to the edge of the Korean box. Dalot found Horta with a low shot which was easily sent into the net by the Braga forward from seven yards.Korea continued to press on in the first 12 minutes of the match with numerous moves but with a goal’s advantage, the Portuguese backline remained firm to every threatening move.In the 17th minute, Kim Jinsu tapped a loose ball into the Portuguese net after keeper Diego Costa had effected a save on an indirect corner kick. Jinsu’s tap from close range was on target but the linesman rightfully correctly called it off-side.In the 23rd minute, Ronaldo was in the right position fora close range deflection - ona long cross from Matheus Nunes - but Korea’s Kim Younggwon outpaced the Portuguese captain with a clearance for a corner.Three minutes from the first half hour, Younggwon was quick to drill home a ball that landed at his feet off Ronaldo’s body who was trying to duck away on a corner kick. Ronaldo turned his back to the ball which bounced off his right shoulder and landed near unguarded Younggwon who produced a left-footed shot.Shortly afterwards, Ronaldo was one-on-one with the Korean keeper but the Portuguese captain - in an attempt to shoot into the right of the net - failed to get the elevation on his shot that was slapped away by Seunggyu. Moments later, Ronaldo charged to receive a long cross but the Korean keeper reached first to catch the ball on the edge of his box.Dalot added to the Portuguese momentum in the 33rd minute when he unleashed a rasping left-footed drive 30 yards out but the shot was blocked by the Korean keeper.Six minutes from the first-half whistle, Korean captain Son Heungmin also rifled in a powerful shot from outside the Portuguese box but keeper Costa collected the ball to kill the move. Seconds later, Ronaldo went midair to head home - after the keeper had fumbled with his collection on a long-range shot by Vitinha, but the ball sailed away as Portugal kept Korea under sustained pressure.Close to the hour-mark, Antonio SIlva blocked a shot of Korean captain Heungmin who was inside the Portuguese box. Moments later, Korean midfielder Lee Kangin and Matheus Nunes rammed into each other causing a stoppage in play. At this point, the camera panned on Bento in the stands talking to one of his assistants.The irritated fan who was infuriated with Bento for blocking his view at the start of the match seemed to have probably swapped his seat with somebody else. Five minutes later, Ronaldo walked off after being benched. Before he took off, Ronaldo handed his captain’s armband to Pepe, 39.Hwang Inbeom, in the 66th minute, unleashed a rasping shot that hit the palms of keeper Costa and trickled away.In a missed opportunity, Jinsu sent a cross to Heungmin who connected with a bullet shot that hit Cancelo on his elbow inside the Portuguese box.South Korea vainly pleaded with the referee for a penalty in the 70th minute.Six minutes later, Dalot found Horta with a neat cross but Portugal’s goal scorer for some strange reason backtracked inside the six yard box.Just as everyone thought the game was over, South Korea turned things around in dramatic fashion in injury time. Korean captain Heungmin ran from his own box to the rival team’s box. He found Hee-chan with a neat cross near the edge before the substitute slotted home on his first attempt.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos on Thursday said captain Cristiano Ronaldo is not a certainty against Asian giants South Korea when the two teams clash in the last match of the group stage at Education City Stadium today.Group H points leaders Portugal are under no pressure to include Ronaldo, 37, who missed training on Wednesday. Portugal, the 2016 Euro champions, have six points after wins over Ghana and Uruguay.“I think it is 50-50 if he plays the match or not. We will see how it goes,” Santos said at a news conference yesterday. “It will depend on if and how he feels during practice. If we see he is in good condition, maybe he will play the match. There is a plan for if he is not available,” Santos added.Ronaldo spent the day recovering at a gym where the backroom staff is trying to get the Portugal captain ready for the Round of 16 at the 32-team tournament. Later in the evening, Ronaldo was in seen doing light training.The Portugal camp yesterday also confirmed that Nuno Mendes’ Qatar campaign has ended following a thigh injury the PSG star sustained in their match against Uruguay.When asked about Mendes’ injury, Santos said yesterday: “He will continue to stay in Qatar, because the player wanted it. PSG allowed him to stay here with us at the World Cup. This reflects the spirit of the team and how united we all are.”Raphael Guerreiro, the Borussia Dortmund full-back, is likely to replace Mendes as he did against Uruguay.With Otavio and Danilo also out injured, Santos said he expects the players in the reserves to step up against South Korea.“I have complete confidence in all my players,” Santos said. “I’m already missing three players, let’s see about others. Playing every four days is tough, players get tired and are experiencing fatigue.“Fatigue leads to stress and stress leads to injuries.“We want to win and finish top in our group because this will gives us an extra day to recover the players in the best way possible,” Santos said.South Africa’s Portuguese coach Paulo Bento yesterday said a dedicated performance his players against Portugal.“We played our first two matches with a lot of passion. We will have to show that passion again (against Portugal).“But we’ll also need a bit of luck. If we have all that, we can create a miracle,” Bento said yesterday. Bento candidly admitted that Portugal – who are ranked 9 in the world – are a force even without Ronaldo or the absent injured players. South Korea are aiming to qualify for the Round of 16 for the third time after 2002 and 2010.“He (Portugal coach) can play in different ways, with different formations, he can make three or four changes in his team and they will stay at the same level,” Bento explained. “In addition, the context is favourable for them because they are already qualified and a draw will ensure first place,” Bento added.Bento, who played for Portugal 35 times, will not be available for his side following a red card he picked up in the match against Ghana. Bento said: “They (the assistants) make most of the decisions, they suggest them to me. It’s not going to be a problem. This time they will be on their own but it won’t change much. The players are also in line with the technical staff.”South Korean defender Kim Young-gwon said facing Portugal would be a tough challenge. He said: “They have all these talented players.”He added: “To contain them we’ll have to play as a team, as one unit. We don’t have anywhere else to go than forward.”

A week ago popular coach Louis van Gaal boldly announced that his Dutch side had arrived in Qatar seeking their first FIFA World Cup title win. The 71-year-old veteran coach yesterday saw his side add credence to that claim when Netherlands handed Qatar their third successive defeat with a clinical 2-0 victory at Al Bayt Stadium.For Netherlands, the 2010 FIFA World Cup runners-up, it was their second win in three matches after PSV Eindhoven striker Cody Gakpo opened the scoring in the 26th minute while Frenkie de Jong found the net in the 49th in front of 66,784 fans.For Qatar, after having lost to Ecuador and Senegal earlier in the week, it was a chance to end their World Cup journey with an upset win against the 8th ranked side in the world. The Netherlands, tutored by Van Gaal, made sure that it wouldn’t happen for the hosts.In the first half hour the Dutch dominated play but Qatar – trailing by a goal – picked up short momentum in the last 15 minutes before the break.Thereafter the hosts played catch-up for most part of what was entertaining match from the men in orange.Just four minutes into the first half, captain Virgil van Dijk found Barcelona forward Memphis Depay with a slick long ball to the left of the Qatar box. Depay was tad slow to position himself as the ball bounced away without causing any damage. Qatar captain Hassan al-Haydos, playing his 171th game, produced a counterattack but his shot from outside the Dutch box was pouched by keeper Andries Noppert.Moments later, Daley Blind tried to shoot the ball into the net from close range – following a goalmouth melee – but his feeble shot was punched away by Meshaal Barsham, younger sibling of global track and field icon Mutaz Barshim.Shortly afterwards a stoppage in play took place when Qatar’s Ismael Mohamed felt the force of a head butt against Dutchman Nathan Ake. In another stoppage, Davy Klassen rammed his head into Homam Ahmed inside the Qatar box.Al-Haydos and Akram Afif were seen playing at the back as fear of attacks by the Dutch mounted in the first 12 minutes. Barsham, the young Qatari keeper, was alert to a deflection from his own defender as he dived to his right to collect the ball.Depay, who was inside the Qatari box, sent a volley above the crossbar in the 13th minute as FIFA president Gianni Infantino watched from the stands.The Dutch – with their relentless attacks – forced a corner after al-Haydos cleared a ball from Denzel Dumfries but the flag kick was wasted much to the delight of Qatari fans.In the 20th minute, Afif swivelled past a couple of Dutch defenders but his cross from the edge of the box had no takers on the far side. Jurrien Timber blocked a shot from Homam to allow Qatar the first corner in the 24th minute. Another corner followed moments later but Al Sadd defender Abdelkarim Hassan was wayward with his deflection from inside the box. Afif, in another solo run on the flank, found Homam with a cross that seemed to have too much pace. Gakpo, seconds later, added his third goal of the tournament in the 26th minute.After a short dribble near the Qatari box where he was chased by Assim Madibo, Gakpo – following a neat cross from Klassen – quickly positioned himself and unleashed a powerful right-footed drive that sailed past the outstretched hands of Barsham.Ismail Mohamed and al-Haydos tried to sandwich Gakpo who exhibited incredible speed and accuracy on his shot for his side’s first goal. Soon after the half-hour mark, Qatar tried to build momentum with a couple of threatening moves but the forwards lacked coordination up front. In the 34th minute, defender Hassan broke free of his marker on the left flank but his cross had no takers with Dutch captain van Dijk easily clearing up the move inside his own box.In another similar attack, striker Almoez Ali slipped in a neat cross for al-Haydos inside the Dutch box but the Qatari captain was slow to react before he lost the ball.Marten de Roon found Gakpo with a cross on the edge of the Qatar box in the 40th minute. Gakpo once again found pace on his shot but there was too much elevation on the flight that sent the ball sailing above the Qatar crossbar. From the corner of his eye, a disappointed Gakpo realised the move was declared offside by the linesman.To summarise Qatar’s performance in the first half was the miss from Afif after a neat cross from Hassan close to the halfline. Shockingly Afif had no leg power to keep the ball in play.On the final touch of the first half, Deepay launched a fierce drive that picked up late swing and sailed past the goalpost to the right of keeper Barsham.Netherlands doubled the lead in the 49th minute when Barcelona midfielder De Jong scored from close range. Qatar keeper Barsham had saved a brilliant shot from Deepay but De Jong wasted little time to find the net.Four minutes from the first hour mark, Qatar suffered another hit-and-miss when Hassan delivered a neat cross into the Dutch six yards where there was no home player to keep the ball in play.A few minutes later, defender Pedro Miguel delivered a near-perfect cross from the left flank but once again the ball sailed away with no Qatari striker in position for a deflection.With lack of finishing in the front, coach Felix Sanchez made three substitutions that included captain al-Haydos called back. Van Gaal, on the other hand, rolled back Deepay and Memphis to cool the star players for the next round.In the 67th minute, Steven Berghuis and Vincent Janssen combined to score their side’s third goal. Berghuis’ easy shot into an empty net from close range was cancelled after a VAR decision showed Gakpo had handled the ball in the build-up.In the 80th minute, keeper Noppert made a save near his own goalpost before Mohamed Muntari could initiate a move. In injury time, Berguis hit the Qatar crossbar.As van Gaal looked towards the Round of 16, Qatar coach Sanchez was seen looking for his accreditation after the final whistle.We didn’t plan to reach the last 16: Sanchez**media[1654]**Qatar players applaud the fans after the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group A match against the Netherlands at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, yesterday. (AFP)Qatar coach Felix Sanchez said yesterday his team were never targeting a place in the knockout phase after defeat by the Netherlands left the hosts without a point in the World Cup.The home side finished rock bottom of Group A after a 2-0 loss at the Al Bayt Stadium, having already joined South Africa in 2010 as the only hosts to be dumped out at the first hurdle.“We’re a country with 6,000 football licences so this was a likely situation,” said Sanchez when asked if he ever thought Qatar would get through the group.“We never thought at any time to set a target of reaching the last 16 or the quarter-finals.“We just wanted to come here and see what we could do. We managed to play two good games against Senegal and the Netherlands. The first game (against Ecuador) we weren’t at our usual level and we know that.“You can use statistics how you want but we need to make our own assessments.”Qatar came into the tournament as continental champions after winning the 2019 Asian Cup, but never seriously threatened to pull off any surprise results. Sanchez, who has been in charge since 2017, said he would wait to decide whether or not to stay on as coach.“I’m not sure about my future to be honest... We just have to reflect on this. We haven’t thought anything in particular abut the future.”The win sent the Dutch through as group winners, along with Senegal. (AFP)

A week ago popular coach Louis van Gaal boldly announced that his Dutch side had arrived in Qatar seeking their first FIFA World Cup title win. The 71-year-old veteran coach Tuesday saw his side add credence to that claim when Netherlands handed Qatar their third successive defeat with a clinical 2-0 victory at Al Bayt Stadium.For Netherlands, the 2010 FIFA World Cup runners-up, it was their third win in as many matches after PSV Eindhoven striker Cody Gakpo opened the scoring in the 26th minute while Frenkie de Jong found the net in the 49th in front of 66,784 fans.For Qatar, after having lost to Ecuador and Senegal earlier in the week, it was a chance to end their World Cup journey with an upset win against the 18th ranked side in the world. The Netherlands, tutored by Van Gaal, made sure that it wouldn't happen for the hosts.In the first half hour the Dutch dominated play but Qatar – trailing by a goal - picked up short momentum in the last 15 minutes before the break. Thereafter the hosts played catch-up for most part of what was entertaining football from the men in orange.Just four minutes into the first half, captain Virgil Van Dijk found Barcelona forward Memphis Depay with a slick long ball to the left of the Qatar box. Depay was tad slow to position himself as the ball bounced away without causing any damage. Qatar captain Hassan AlHaydos, playing his 170th game, produced a counterattack but his shot from outside the Dutch box was pouched by keeper Andries Noppert.Moments later, Daley Blind tried to shoot the ball into the net from close range - following a goalmouth melee - but his feeble shot was punched away by Meshaal Barsham, younger sibling of global track and field icon Mutaz Barshim. Shortly afterwards a stoppage in play took place when Qatar's Ismael Mohammed felt the force of a head butt against Dutchman Nathan Ake. In another stoppage, Davy Klassen rammed his head into Homam Ahmed inside the Qatar box.Al Haydos and Afif were seen playing at the back as the fear of attacks by the Dutch mounted in the first 12 minutes. Barsham, the young Qatari keeper, was alert to a deflection from his own defender as he dived to his right to collect the ball. Depay, who was inside the Qatari box, sent a volley above the crossbar in the 13th minute as FIFA president Gianni Infantino watched from the stands.The Dutch - with their relentless attacks - forced a corner after Al Haydos cleared a ball from Denzel Dumfries but the flag kick was wasted much to the delight of Qatari fans.In the 20th minute, Afif swiveled past a couple of Dutch defenders but his cross from the edge of the box had no takers on the far side. Jurrien Timber blocked a shot from Homam to allow Qatar the first corner in the 24th minute. Another corner followed moments later butAl Sadd defender Abdelkarim Hassan was wayward with his deflection from inside the box. Afif, in another solo run on the flank, found Homam with a cross that seemed to have too much pace.Gakpo, seconds later, added his third goal of the tournament in the 26th minute. After a short dribble near the Qatari box where he was chased by Assim Madibo, Gakpo - after a neat cross from Klassen - quickly positioned himself and unleashed a powerful right-footed drive that sailed past the outstretched hands of Barsham. Ismail Mohamed and Al Haydos tried to sandwich Gakpo who exhibited incredible speed and accuracy on his shot for his side's first goal.Soon after the half-hour mark, Qatar tried to build momentum with a couple of threatening moves but the forwards lacked coordination up front. In the 34th minute, defender Hassan broke free of his marker on the left flank but his cross had no takers with Dutch captain van Dijk easily clearing up the move inside his own box.In another similar attack, striker Almoez Ali slipped in a neat cross for al-Haydos inside the Dutch box but the Qatari captain was slow to react before he lost the ball.Marten de Roon found Gakpo with a cross on the edge of the Qatar box in the 40th minute. Gakpo once again found pace on his shot but there was too much elevation on the flight that sent the ball sailing above the Qatar crossbar. From the corner of his eye, a disappointed Gakpo realized the move was declared offside by the linesman.To summarize Qatar's performance in the first half was the miss from Afif after a neat cross from Hassan close to the halfline. Shockingly Afif had no legs to keep the ball in play and move ahead. On the final touch of the first half, Deepay launched a fierce drive that picked up a late swing and sailed past the goalpost to the right of keeper Barsham.Netherlands doubled the lead in the 49th minute when Barcelona midfielder De Jong scored from close range. Qatar keeper Barsham had saved a brilliant shot from Deepay but De Jong wasted little time to find the net.Four minutes from the first hour mark, Qatar suffered another hit-and-miss when Hassan delivered a neat cross into the Dutch box where there was home player to keep the ball in play. A few minutes later, defender Pedro Miguel delivered a near-perfect cross from the left flank but once again the ball sailed away with no Qatari striker in position for a deflection.With lack of finishing in the front, coach Felix Sanchez made three substitutions that included captain Al Haydos called back. Van Gaal, on the other hand, rolled back Deepay and Memphis to cool the star players for the next round.In the 67th minute, Steven Berghuis and Vincent Janssen combined to score their side's third goal. Berghuis' easy shot into an empty net from close range was cancelled after a VAR decision showed Gakpo had handled the ball in the build-up.In the 80th minute, keeper Noppert made a save near his own goalpost before Mohamed Muntari could initiate a move. In injury time, Berguis hit the Qatar crossbar. As Van Gaal looked towards the Round of 16, Qatar coach Sanchez was seen looking for his accreditation at the final whistle.

Asian champions Qatar will be playing for pride when they take on Netherlands in their last Group A match on day nine of the FIFA World Cup 2022.In the first two matches last week, Qatar lost to Ecuador and Senegal. Qatar, the side that won the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE under coach Felix Sanchez, scored only one goal in the two matches.With nothing at stake but pride, coach Sanchez yesterday said they will be playing to make their fans ‘proud’ at Al Bayt Stadium today.“Our objective is to be competitive (against the Netherlands). We won’t be able to qualify for the next stage or advance. We would have loved to be in a position to advance but it is not to be,” Sanchez said at a pre-match news conference yesterday.“We will give our best against Netherlands. We will try to enjoy being here at the top level. I think that we have self confidence and we will try to compete and make our fans proud,” the 46-year-old Spaniard added.“The players I have, they are a demanding lot. They push themselves. I think we should be happy about the efforts that have been made all this while,” he said.“When you play a team like Netherlands you don’t need any motivation (to do well).“It is a team with high calibre and we are not concerned about their ranking. We are fully focused on our next match,” Sanchez said.“Netherlands have achieved great results over the years at World Cup events. Usually they finish among the top teams,” he said.“Regarding our journey here, we have faced top African and South American teams like Senegal and Ecuador. They are some of the best teams in their region. We are aware of the reality that we had a demanding group.“Yes, I would have preferred to have been in a better position but this international sport for you. We have a player base of just 6,000 (registered individuals).“This team has achieved great results in the last few years. We may have lagged behind here but we do hard work daily. We will keep doing it. This is the only way we can close the gap against top teams in this competition,” Sanchez explained.Sanchez said he doesn’t feel let down by poor results in the first two matches.“I think I have said this a few times that we have to take into consideration that we built our team from a small population. We are at our first World Cup. I don’t feel embarrassed. These players got good results in the past. Only a few teams can be at a World Cup,” Sanchez said.“We didn’t get the results we expected but this is part of a process that we are following. Bigger population provides with bigger potential to build stronger teams. Hopefully the team can do better (in the future),” he added.Sanchez said every competition Qatar takes part in gives way to a new cycle of planning and preparation for the national team.“We won the Asian Cup in 2019 and that was the end of one phase at that time. That was the end of a cycle. Every competition is a cycle. We are closing a chapter now. The country is focused on preparing for a new competition and to get behind a new era. We want to play our best football,” Sanchez said.“If I go back in time? It’s easy to talk about things after it’s over. I think we have prepared in the best possible way, but everything has to be considered in perspective, we have been working with this group for a long time. Sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to.“There was no other preparation possible. Sometimes things don’t work out. Things happen for a reason,” Sanchez said philosophically.“I am very proud to represent Qatar. I am only thinking about the next match. It’s an honour to be playing this match tomorrow,” he said.Qatar’s premier striker Almoez Ali told reporters yesterday: “As a player, I wanted Qatari fans to be proud of us but we didn’t win. We will try to play our best. Netherlands is a great team. We have learned a lot and hopefully we will qualify for the next World Cup. Hopefully we can leave the tournament with a positive result.”Netherlands coach Louis Van Gaal yesterday said he will be keeping an eye on the other match of the day involving Ecuador and Senegal. Netherlands and Senegal have 4 points each while Senegal have 3 as they head into the last round of matches today.Van Gaal admitted a flurry of goals would be desirable to make sure Netherlands top Group A.“I think it’s straightforward,” Van Gaal said when asked if he would be interested in the result between Senegal and Ecuador.“Of course I will keep tabs on the other game and I will be informed,” the 71-year-old Dutchman said.“But the fact of the matter is, if you want to become world champion you have to be capable of beating everyone,”the former Manchester United manager Van Gaal added.“The countries you might not expect to progress are progressing, or at least making it very difficult for other teams to progress.”FACT BOXNetherlands vs QatarWhen: Today, 6pm Where: Al Bayt Stadium, Al KhorCapacity: 68,895Key stats:Netherlands need a win or a draw to qualify to the last 16 for the 11th time regardless of the result betweenSenegal and Ecuador.If Netherlands lose they will qualify directly to the second round if Ecuador beat Senegal, but if Senegal win the goal difference or fairplay tiebreaker will decide second place in the group.Netherlands never won the title but were runners-up three times in 1974, 1978 and 2010.Qatar were the first team to be eliminated from the finals, and it was only the second time that a host country exited the tournament in the first round after South Africa in 2010.Qatar will try to avoid being the first host country to fail to win a game in the finals.Mohamed Muntari made history when he scored Qatar’s first World Cup goal in the 3-1 defeat by Senegal.Previous meetings:This will be the first meeting between the sides.

Coach Dragon Stojkovic yesterday said Serbia will have no other option but to attack against African giants Cameroon when the two sides clash in the a FIFA World Cup Group G clash today.Serbia lost to former World Cup champions Brazil in the first round at Lusail Stadium last week while Cameroon - also known as ‘The Indomitable Lions’ - were edged by Switzerland when the two sides played Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday.“Are we going to be offensive? Well, we will be because in order to score a goal, you have to attack. We must be a compact team that knows exactly what it is doing on the field,” Stojkovic said at a news conference yesterday.“We hope that we will be at our best level and that through our style of play we will be able to tame the ‘lions’. I believe in my team and I think that, as far as we are concerned, everything will be fine. We will try to come out with the strongest team against Cameroon,” Stojkovic told reporters.“Serbia will play for a win as it has played in the last two years. We respect all our rivals and we respect Cameroon. They are a very strong team and they can cause problems for everyone,” he said.“I remember in the 90s they had players like Roger Milla. I don’t know what they achieved during their last World Cup but I have a lot of respect for African football and a team like Cameroon has players who are legends of world football. They have had quality players the people of Cameroon can be proud of.“They still have very good players, fast and dangerous in counterattacks,” the Serbian coach said.Stojkovic said Serbia will ring changes for today’s clash and bring in winger Filip Kostic who did not play against Brazil in their 2-0 loss.“The situation is not excellent, but I am satisfied compared to what we had before. The situation is better and that makes me happy,” Stojkovic said yesterday.“He has been training well with the team for the last two sessions. I liked the intensity he worked at, which shows he is ready to play. I am glad he is fit and that we can count on him,” he added.“I can’t say if he will be playing but he is one of the potential players, which was not the case earlier.“The way he runs and his physical engagement in training has shown that is going to be okay and that makes me very happy,” he added.Stojkovic knows a tricky scenario awaits Serbia who would be knocked out if Brazil fail to win their match against Switzerland today. Meanwhile, Cameroon will be out of the tournament if they lose and Switzerland fail to win against five-time World Cup winners Brazil.Cameroon coach Rigobert Song yesterday candidly admitted his team needed their A-game today.“We’re in a difficult situation (after losing to Switzerland in the first round),” Song said. “It’s a decisive game but my team is fully ready for this match.”Cameroonian right back right back Collins Fai yesterday said his team must deliver a better performance than they did against Switzerland.“We didn’t give everything in the first game and we left with a lot of regrets,” Fai, 30, said yesterday.“This game was an important message for us, you pay dearly for every mistake at the highest level,” he added in an interview with the AP wire service.FACTBOXSerbia vs CameroonWhen: Today, 1pmWhere: Al Janoub Stadium, Al WakrahCapacity: 44,325Key stats:Cameroon and Serbia are looking for their first points of the tournament after suffering opening-round defeats to Switzerland and Brazil respectively.Serbia have lost nine of their last 11 World Cup games, last beating Costa Rica 1-0 in the 2018 group stage.Cameroon have not qualified for the knockout phase since their quarter-final appearance in 1990 and are without a win at the finals since 2002, after missing out in 2018 and losing all of their group stage games in 2010 and 2014.Serbia have exited the tournament in the group stage in each of their last three appearances - 2006 (as Serbia & Montenegro), 2010 and 2014.Serbia are aiming to qualify for the knockout round for the first time since 1998, when they competed as Yugoslavia.Previous meetings:Serbia beat Cameroon 4-3 in their only previous meeting in a friendly in 2010.

Lionel Messi yesterday scored a goal and delivered a slick assist for the second as Argentina beat Mexico 2-0 at Lusail Stadium.Argentina, who lost their World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia on Monday, recovered in quick fashion to post their first win of Group C in front of 88,966 fans.Making his 21st World Cup appearance for Argentina, Messi led from the front by scoring in the 64th minute before slipping in an assist to Enzo Fernandez who found the net in the 87th minute. It was a sterling effort from the two-time World Cup winners who looked sluggish and out of sorts in the first half. Argentina now have 4 wins over Mexico in World Cup history.Argentina, playing their second successive match at Lusail Stadium, looked ragged for most part of the first half. Mexico’s striker Alexis Vega elbowed Argentina’s Seville defender Gonzalo Monteil in the fifth minute close, a trend of rough play that was to follow numerous times in the first half.After clinching the first corner kick in the 9th minute after Hirving Lozano made a good run on Lisandro Martinez, Hector Herrera curled in a lovely free kick but none of the Mexico forwards were able to connect as the ball went wide of the goalpost to the left of Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez in 10th minutes.Five minutes later, Herrera elbowed Marcos Acuna close to the edge of the Argentina box in another round of rough play from both the sides. Two minutes later Lautaro Martinez rammed his body into Andres Guardardo, the Mexican skipper, in an intense tussle for ball possession.Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi brought down Lozano resulting in a free kick in the 20th minute. The Argentina keeper beat Herrara to the ball on a loopy cross on the free kick. As expected, a rough bit of play saw Araujo slapped with a yellow card for a sliding tackle on Acuna. In another moment of madness, Acuna - deep on the right flank - stepped on Kevin Alvarez’s shin rather forcefully forcing a stoppage in the play.Vega of Mexico brought down Argentina’s Rodrigo de Paul as the referee pointed to a free kick 10 yards out from the Mexico box. Messi curled in the resultant free kick but Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa was tall enough to kill the move with ease.Angel Di Maria curled in a long ball but Lautaro Martinez was off target with his snap-header in the 40th minute, the first real Argentina move. Seconds later, injured Guardado was benched as Erick Gutierrez was brought on. A yellow card was shown to Monteil for a reckless tackle on Gutierrez near the Argentina box two minutes from the first-half whistle.Vega curled in a spectacular free kick that was stopped by the Argentine keeper with a short jump to his right. In the 50th minute, substitute Gutierrez in a rush brought down Messi near his own box. The referee barely wasted a second to signal a free kick which was sent sailing above the Mexico crossbar by off-target Messi. Close to the one-hour mark, Argentina brought goal hero Fernandez to replace Guido Rodriguez.In the 64th minute, Messi and Argentina opened their account with a clinical finish. Di Maria cut inside from the right flank and found Messi - unmarked near the Mexico box - with a neat low cross. Messi quickly positioned himself and launched his trademark left-footed drive that went through a defender’s legs and beat the outstretched left hand of keeper Ochoa. It was Messi’s 8th goal in World Cup history and second in Qatar.In the 81st minute, defender Hector Moreno’s loopy header inside the box was easily caught by Argentine keeper Martinez as Mexico attempted to equalise late in the second half. Two minutes later, Mexico also wasted a corner kick as Messi dropped back to help his backline. In a slick counterattack, Argentina doubled the lead in the 87th minute.Messi, after picking an indirect corner kick, found Fernandez unmarked at the edge of the Mexico box. Fernandez hoodwinked Gutierrez and then cleverly curled in a right-footed drive that sailed past keeper Ochoa’s left hand before crashing into the net.

Lionel Messi Saturday scored a goal and delivered a slick assist for the second as Argentina beat Mexico 2-0 at Lusail Stadium.Argentina, who lost their World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia on Monday, recovered in quick fashion to post their first win of Group C in front of 88,966 fans.Making his 21st World Cup appearance for Argentina, Messi led from the front by scoring in the 64th minute before slipping in an assist to Enzo Fernandez who found the net in the 87th minute.It was a sterling effort from the two-time World Cup winners who looked sluggish and out of sorts in the first half. Argentina now have 4 wins over Mexico in World Cup history.Argentina, playing their second successive match at Lusail Stadium, looked ragged for most part of the first half. Mexico's striker Alexis Vega elbowed Argentina's Seville defender Gonzalo Monteil in the fifth minute close, a trend of rough play that was to follow numerous times in the first half.After clinching the first corner kick in the 9th minute after Hirving Lozano made a good run on Lisandro Martinez, Hector Herrera curled in a lovely free kick but none of the Mexico forwards were able to connect as the ball went wide of the goalpost to the left of Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez in 10th minutes.Five minutes later, Herrera elbowed Marcos Acuna close to the edge of the Argentina box in another round of rough play from both the sides. Two minutes later Lautaro Martinez rammed his body into Andrea Guardardo, the Mexican skipper, in an intense tussle for ball possession. Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi brought down Lozano resulting in a free kick in the 20th minute. The Argentina keeper beat Herrara to the ball on a loopy cross on the free kick.As expected, a rough bit of play saw Araujo slapped with a yellow card for a sliding tackle on Acuna. In another moment of madness, Acuna - deep on the right flank - stepped on Kevin Alvarez's shin rather forcefully forcing a stoppage in the play.Vega of Mexico brought down Argentina's Rodrigo de Paul as the referee pointed to a free kick 10 yards out from the Mexico box. Messi curled in the resultant free kick but Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa was tall enough to kill the move with ease.Angel di Maria curled in a long ball but Lautaro Martinez was off target with his snap-header in the 40th minute, the first real Argentina move. Seconds later, injured Guardado was benched as Erick Gutierrez was brought on. A yellow card was shown to Monteil for a reckless tackle on Gutierrez near the Argentina box two minutes from the first-half whistle. Vega curled in a spectacular free kick that was stopped by the Argentine keeper with a short jump to his right.

Japan yesterday stunned four-time World Cup winners Germany 2-1 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match at Khalifa International Stadium.Two second-half goals by super subs Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano eight minutes apart yesterday lifted three-time Asian champions Japan to their first win in Qatar.After conceding a goal in the first half when Ilkay Gundogan – the Manchester City midfielder – converted a penalty in the 33rd minute, Japan delivered a ferocious counter attack after the break in the Group E clash.Coached by Hajime Moriyasu, Japan clicked as a unit in the second half when substitutes Doan and Asano combined in superb fashion to script a hard-fought win against a side that has played the most number of FIFA World Cup matches (112).Earlier on Tuesday, Moriyasu candidly admitted at a news conference that his players had improved their game by frequently appearing for Bundesliga sides over the years.Yesterday, Japan looked the part as they undid the global football giants.“At the end they came at us with the full power,” Moriyasu said yesterday. “In the past maybe we would have given up (in such a scenario) but the players have been playing in Germany and Europe they’ve learned so much from that, so we held on,” Moriyasu added.“United as one, we needed to hang tough until the final whistle went and we were able to grasp our opportunity,” the Japanese coach said.“We wanted to start aggressively, we wanted to dominate the game but Germany are very strong so we needed to defend persistently and take our chances,” he said.“In our tactics, we had many options and looked at many scenarios. We knew there was a chance we could go a goal down, we planned for it, we prepared for it.”After scoring the goals, Doan and Asano celebrated their magical moment with teammates on the touchline as thousands of Japanese fans at Khalifa International Stadium rejoiced in the stands.With veterans Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer – both appearing in their fourth World Cup editions – Germany looked set to launch their Qatar campaign on a positive note but it was not to be against a side that did not give up even after conceding a penalty in the first half.In an early sign of aggression, Bayern Munich striker Serge Gnabry charged into the Japan box but a couple of Samurai Blue defenders stayed firm to block the move in the third minute.Japan retaliated by clinching the first corner in the 5th minute but failed to make any inroads. Three minutes on, Celtic forward Daizen Maeda outpaced his marker Antonio Rudiger and deflected the ball into the net but the linesman quickly adjudged the move offside much to the dismay of the Japanese supporters. Maeda held his hands in despair knowing he had moved a fraction of a second too soon.Six minutes later, Joshua Kimmich unleashed a powerful shot a little away from the edge of the box but VbF Stuttgart defender Wataru Endo produced a sliding tackle to block the shot heading towards his goal.In the 16th minute, tall defender Rudiger jumped high over the Japanese defenders but his deflection hit the outside of the Japan net. Four minutes later, Kimmich unloaded a powerful right-footed drive that sailed past a couple of defenders but Japan ’keeper Suihchi Gonda dived to his right to deflect the ball away.Shortly afterwards Hiroki Sakai – positioned close to Neuer – could not find the elevation on a header following a cross from the deep right flank. Three minutes from the half-hour mark, striker Gnabry found Gundogan who fired a bullet that was saved by ’keeper Gonda.Soon afterwards David Raum charged into the box after clutching a loopy cross from Kimmich. Raum grabbed the ball and returned back but he was brought down by the Japanese ’keeper in his own box prompting the referee to point to the spot kick in the 31st minute.Gundogan easily converted the penalty that went to the right of Gonda who chose to dive to his left in the 33rd minute. Despite being sluggish for most part of the first half, Germany were quick to grab the lead when the opportunity arose. With momentum on their side, Niklas Sule found Kimmich with a neat short cross but the Bayern Munich defender saw his shot gobbled up by ’keeper Gonda five minutes before from the first-half whistle, Midfielder Jamal Musiala – on the edge of the Japanese box – sent his right-footed drive sailing above the crossbar in another wasted opportunity to score soon afterwards.In the dying seconds of the first half, Kai Havertz deflected the ball into the net from close range following a cross from Gnabry a few feet away. The linesman called it a goal but VAR showed Havertz had moved ahead of the Japanese backline. Just seconds later, Japanese ’keeper had deflected a bullet from Kimmich who was on the edge of the box.In their best chance to equalise, Maeda’s header – on a cross from Yuto Nagamoto – narrowly missed the goalpost to Neuer’s left. Seconds later the two teams walked off the pitch with Muller barely breaking a sweat in the entire first half.Muller, early in the second half, picked up a loose ball and charged ahead with a Japanese marker in tow. Close to the edge of the box, the German star found Gnabry on the right. Gnabry sneaked into the Japanese box following the cross from Muller but his powerful drive sailed above the crossbar. Muller wanted the ball back but Gnabry went solo. In the 50th minute Musiala – after dodging three makers in the Japan box – sent the ball above the crossbar from close range.Gundogan was unlucky in the 58th minute when his shot from the edge of the box went through a Japanese defender’s legs but the ball ricocheted off the goalpost left of ’keeper Gonda who had no chance to dive and stop the shot.Muller, who had not played a full 90 minutes since September, was benched by manager Hansi Flick in the 65th minute after a lackluster show by the German. In the 75th minute, Japan equalized.Takumi Minamino – on the edge of the German box – slipped in a cross towards Neuer who threw out his left arm and parried the ball which landed at unguarded substitute Doan’s feet. Doan quickly found the top of the net with a bullet from six yards out.Asano gave Japan the lead with a breathtaking run of about 30 yards following a free kick cross from Itakura in the 83rd minute. Asano charged into the six-yard box while being chased by Nico Schlotterbeck. With the ball to his right, Asano slipped a shot into top of the net with Neuer unable to stop the flick from close range.

Former Asian champions Japan Wednesday produced a stunning upset by beating four-time World Cup winners Germany 2-1 while European giants Spain hit Costa Rica for seven goals in a one-sided match at Al Thumama Stadium.Trailing by a goal at the end of the first half, a resilient Japan picked up the pieces in dramatic fashion late in the second half when substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano found the net only eight minutes apart in their Group E clash under lights at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium (KIS).A day before their opening FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match against Germany, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu candidly admitted that his players have improved their game looking at German players. A total of eight players in the current squad appear for Bundesliga clubs.After making five substitutes in their high-paced game against Germany, a delighted Moriyasu once again underlined the presence of his players in Germany."We have seven players in the Bundesliga and one in the German second division, but we have many more playing in big leagues in Europe and that has played a big part in our development," Moriyasu said after the intense clash played in front of 42,608 fans at KIS."Germany are a great team but I have to say our players stayed calm and patient for most part of the match," he added.Moriyasu said playing with aggression got them to rally after conceding a goal in the first half scored by Ilkay Gundogan (penalty, 33rd minute)."We wanted to start playing aggressively, we wanted to dominate the game. But Germany are very strong so we needed to defend persistently and take our chances," Moriyasu said.Appearing at a World Cup for the seventh successive time, Japan clearly looked the part Wednesday."It's a big surprise. We saw the Saudi victory over Argentina - the Asian countries are reaching the global standard," Moriyasu said.Wednesday's loss in the opening clash was a repeat of Russia 2018 when Germany - as defending champions - went down to Mexico before losing to South Korea on way to getting knocked at the first stage.Goalkeeper Shuchi Gonda who fought gallantly under the Japan crossbar said his team was inspired by Saudi Arabia's stunning win over Argentina on Tuesday."We knew that like Saudi Arabia, if they didn't score any more goals and we kept going until the end, we would get our chances," Gonda said. "Even if I concede one, my job is to make sure I don't concede any more and give us a chance of turning it around," he added.Big win for SpainAlso Wednesday, Spain - the 2010 World Cup winners - kept the scorers busy as Dani Olmo (11), Asensio (21), Ferran Torres (31-pen and 54), Gavi (74), Carlos Soler (90), Alvaro Morata (90+2) scored almost at will against hapless Costa Rica.It was Spain's biggest ever World Cup victory surpassing their 6-1 victory over Bulgaria in 1998. Coached by Luis Enqriue, Spain now take on Germany on Nov 27 at Al Bayt Stadium followed by a game against Japan on Dec 1 at the same venue."Our objective is to continuously dominate the play, and for that you have to have the ball," coach Enrique told TVE after the match. "Your opponent gets tired and can't get into it, our pressing was exceptional and the 16 players we used were superb - although we still have room to improve."Croatia-Morocco draw, Belgium winIn the day's other match, Croatia and Morocco played a goalless draw at Al Thumama Stadium while Belgium edged past Canada 1-0 at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

Four-time World Cup champions Germany are keen to hit the ground running when they take on Asian giants Japan but coach Hansi Flick said his team won’t take the ‘Samurai Blue’ lightly.The two teams clash for the first time at a World Cup when they face off at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium today.Champions in 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014, Germany are clear title favourites in Qatar.After tackling Japan - the three-time Asian champions - Germany take on Spain and Costa Rica in Group E of the 32-team tournament being held for the first time in the region.Japan, on the other hand, have never gone beyond the Round of 16 though they are making their seventh trip to the World Cup.The German coach said his team respects the quality of the Japanese side.“I have to come out as a fan of Japanese football. The players are tactically and technically very well trained. It is a very big task that awaits us. But we’re going into the game well prepared. Anything is possible, you saw that today (Saudi Arabia beating Argentina). We don’t underestimate an opponent,” Flick said yesterday.“Many of Japan’s players play in the Bundesliga and almost all of them are very agile, very fast, and are strong players,” Flick said at a news conference.“They have great technique so we have to be careful.”Flick, who saw Joachim Low-coached Germany go out in the first round at Russia 2018, will have the services of experienced players in Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer. Muller and Neuer are appearing in their fourth World Cup.“I’m totally happy that we have these players in the team, that they play for Germany. With their quality, they give us an enormous number of opportunities,” Flick said.“We have had very good training sessions in the last few days. We have had good training conditions for the game.“The group is very strong, but we go into our matches with a positive mind. We are happy that things are starting for us,” Flick said yesterday.“All the top teams set themselves the goal of becoming world champions. That’s why we’re here in Qatar. I think you have to deal with the pressure positively. We have to go to our absolute performance limit, you can expect that from the players because they have enormous qualities,” he added.Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu knows his team is up against the might of Germany in the Group E clash today. The 54-year-old made a candid admission at the pre-match press conference that his team would fight but won’t get ahead of themselves considering the high skill-set the Germans bring to a game.“We are very grateful to the Germans, they are role models for us,” Moriyasu said yesterday. “We are still developing and of course at the same time have incorporated good qualities from them into our playing style. So, yes, we have kind of mixed feelings about playing against Germany,” he added.‘Going to give our absolute best’Moriyasu quickly added: “But no matter who our opponents are, we are going to give our absolute best performance that we can on the pitch. We have prepared well for all the tournament matches in which we seek to go far by achieving the best results.”Moriyasu will rely on the brilliance of Takumi Minamino of Monaco and Schalke centre back Maya Yoshida when they take on Germany today knowing they have only met two times in friendly games. Moriyasu also know he has in his squad eight players who feature in the Bundesliga.“We will look to present the best level against the German national team, which we know well. We have players in the Bundesliga, playing with or against the best players in the world, and I want them to be confident when they play in tomorrow’s game,” he said. “Germany have won the World Cup and that is our aim too - they are role models for us,” Moriyasu said yesterday.“We are learning from Germany but we also want to compete on the world stage with the qualities that Japan has. We have a lot of feelings towards Germany but we have to treat this game as if we are playing any other team and just do our best.”Captain Maya Yoshida - who is appearing in his third World Cup - yesterday echoed his coach’s sentiments about Germany’s firepower.“We understand that they have good qualities - speed, pace and physical ability as well,” said Yoshida.“The key is we have to defend well. Probably less opportunity to attack, but we need to make counter-attacks,” the former Southampton player added.Yoshida urged Asian fans to cheer for Japan.“Germany is so strong so we need some support,” Yoshida said.“We are representing Japan of course, but at the same time representing Asia. So hopefully many fans come to the stadium, not only Japanese but also the many Asian fans.“We believe that we have a chance,” he said yesterday.Flick confirmed yesterday that Germany will miss Germany winger Leroy Sane who is down with a knee injury.“It is extremely tough to have to play without Leroy because with his qualities he is a player who can turn a game around by himself,” Flick said.“Hopefully he can play on Sunday.“The whole medical staff are working on it,” he added.

The Netherlands, who missed the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, have returned to the big stage with a bang. A three-time runners-up in World Cup history, the Dutch yesterday beat Senegal 2-0 with a confidence-boosting performance at Al Thumama Stadium.Cody Gakpo yesterday produced a stunning header late in the second half before substitute Davy Klaassen added one more in injury time to lift Netherlands to win in their opening match at Qatar 2022.Gakpo, the 23-year-old PSV Eindhoven forward, sent the ball into the net in the 84th minute from close range following a slick cross from Frenkie de Jong to score the first goal in the Group A clash. In added time, Klaassen picked up a rebound inside the Senegal box to score his team’s second goal with an easy shot into the net.With three points in the bag, Dutch coach Louis van Gaal must have been a relieved man after watching his side struggle against the African giants - who are missing Sadio Mane in Qatar - for most of the match.Dutch skipper Virgil van Dijk said the 2010 runners-up needed to perform better. “We won but we also know that we can and must do better,” Van Dijk, who got his 50th cap, said yesterday.“Going forward we sometimes tried to force things, and we too often left ourselves exposed to Senegal’s counter-attacks,” he told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “That is an area in which we will need to improve because it is an art that our next opponents, Ecuador, are very good at. But I am optimistic because I feel we are going to get better.”The Dutch have now extended their unbeaten streak to 16 matches. Senegal, who were on a four-match unbeaten streak in the warm-ups prior to the World Cup, could not score against debutant goalkeeper Andries Noppert, the tallest player at the World Cup in Qatar at 6’8”.With Noppert marshaling his team from the goalline, the match got off to a steady start though both teams adopted measured moves early on. Watford star Ismaila Sarr charged into the box Dutch but his shot was blocked in the second minute of the match. Soon afterwards, the Dutch nearly almost scored but Steven Berghuis failed to deflect on a low Gakpo cross from the right of box.Continuing with early game surge, striker Sarr in the 9th minute swivelled and produced a left-footed drive but the shot sailed above the Dutch crossbar. In the 16th minute, Daley Blind found momentum to jump above Senegal’s Youssef Sabaly on a Gakpo cross but the headed deflection bounced away from the goalpost.A minute later, Gapko provided a loopy cross but Vincent Janssen’s header missed the goalpost right to Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. In probably the best chance to score, midfielder Frankie de Jong took long to shoot as the Senegalese defence quickly thwarted the dangerous move from inside their own box in the 21st minute.A corner kick close to the half-hour mark by Gapko was tad off the mark but Van Dijk still laboured for a header that sailed away from the goalmouth after the Dutch skipper was crowded by Senegalese defenders.Midfielder Berghuis went solo with a left-footed drive but the shot sailed above the Senegalese crossbar in the 39th minute. Four minutes from the the break, Sarr found pace on his shot from the edge of the box but Nathan Ake stood solid to kill the move.With no substitutions made by either side in the first half, defender Denzel Dumfries charged into the Senegal box with the ball but Abdou Diallo was alert to mark him in his own box to force a corner. In the 52nd minute Van Dijk jumped over Idrissa Gana Gueye inside the box but the Dutch skipper’s headed deflection narrowly missed the Senegal crossbar from close range.In another wasted opportunity to score, Senegal’s Krepin Diatta failed to deflect home on a cross from close range in the 57th minute. Soon after the hour-mark, Senegal’s Boulaye Dia - inside the Dutch box - slipped a low shot past Van Dijk but keeper Noppert dived to his left to flick the shot away.Noppert once again stood like a wall when in the 71st minute as he blocked a fierce shot by midfielder Gueye who was standing unguarded on the edge of the Dutch box. Sarr, despite losing his balance in the 81st minute, managed another close range header but his deflection went above the crossbar.In a sudden twist to the match, Netherlands scored. Gakpo beat keeper Mendy with a high jump to head home from close range for his side’s first goal on a perfect De Jong cross from outside the box. Gakpo tad blindsided but he still managed to score in the 84th minute.A minute later, Dutch keeper Norries ensured his team’s lead was intact when he dived to his left on a powerful long-range shot from substitute Gueye.In injury time that saw the referee add eight minutes, Deepay fired a shot that was initially blocked by keeper Mendy but the ball bounced off his hands and landed at the feet of Klaassen who had no trouble in scoring the second goal for Netherlands in the dying moments of the game. “It was a boyhood dream for me to play at a World Cup but I never thought it would be possible,” Noppertsaid. “It was really special when the goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek told me that I was going to play. The closer the game got, the more tense I became, but it was a healthy tension. ”

Coach Louis van Gaal believes his team has the potential to win the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as Netherlands prepare to take on African giants Senegal in their opening match at Al Thumama Stadium today.Van Gaal, with a wealth of experience as a coach, yesterday warned Senegal that he commands a disciplined squad that is ready to impress fans in Qatar.“I think we could become world champions. There are teams with higher level in my view than my squad. Whether we can become world champions is another thing but we can,” Van Gaal said at a news conference ahead of today’s Group A clash.“I believe in this squad. In 2014, we came third. We were of lesser quality compared to this team. I expect more from this squad. It depends not only on technical skills and tactical skills, but it also depends on a bit of luck, that you score at the right time and that the others don’t score,” he said.“This group is higher in skills. They have a wonderful captain to work with in Virgil van Dijk. He’s an excellent captain. I didn’t appoint him as he was already a captain,” Van Gaal said.Dutch skipper Van Dijk, who was also present at the press conference, yesterday said he called Senegal star Sadio Mane who has been ruled out of the World Cup with an injury.“Yes, I called him the next morning (after Mane pulled out injured). I wanted to know how he was. There were so many rumours so as a friend I wanted to know how he was feeling,” Van Dijk said yesterday. “Unfortunately he was not well but there was hope he would be before the announcement was made. I am sad for him. He has been so important for Senegal. Obviously he is going to be a big miss for them. Hopefully we can benefit from his absence,” Van Dijk said of his Liverpool teammate Mane.“I am excited. The last past few days have passed slowly. We can’t wait to get going. Hopefully it will be a great adventure,” he said. “Like I said I am very excited for the first game. We are looking forward to it. We have trained hard,” the 31-year-old added.Van Gaal said Senegal would miss Mane’s ‘extraordinary’ talent.“Senegal are the African Cup of Nations champions. They are not just any opponents. Mane is not playing. How is their team going to play without him? That is my question,” Van Gaal said.“I think Mane is an extraordinarily player. I wanted him when I was at Manchester United. I chased him. He can break open a match. I feel Senegal will miss him,” the 71-year-old Dutchman said.When asked about his playing XI, Van Gaal said: “I never give up my lineup before a game. I am reasonably confident of my decisions though. Of course you always have question marks (about selection) but the choices remain the same. I also look at my opponents. I analyse them and then I pick my players looking for players who are suited for the best slots. “The fact is this group of players is well connected. The players work in a professional way. And that will always contribute to success. They have to carry out what we want. Not every group wants that. I have been coaching for 30 years. I remove the group that doesn’t listen.”Senegal coach Aliou Cisse yesterday said his team won’t be overawed when they take on 2010 World Cup runners-up Netherlands today.“We have a good team consisting of young players who are ready to rise to the occasion. Of course it is not easy to play without Mane who is injured but all of our players are ready for the opening match,” Cisse said at the official pre-match news conference.“It is an important match, there’s no doubt. We want a good result. We want to start the World Cup on a good note,” he said. “Obviously it’s a great shame for Mane and for the team that he is not here. We have to think about the player safety. All coaches build their team around their best player. That’s what we have done too. I hope he recovers soon. The Dutch are a good side but we need to be true to ourselves. We don’t have to copy other people’s style of play. We are not going to invent a new Senegal style of play. We will stay true to our style.”When asked whether his team tactics would involve an all-out attack on the Netherlands team, Cisse said: “I think you have to look at all aspects. In football you have different aspects where you need to defend and attack when you can. We have to see how the match will go.”Cisse was full of praise for Van Gaal.“Louis Van Gaal is the benchmark for other coaches. Everyone knows about him being a disciplinarian. At the top you have to be disciplined. I am like that also as you have to be disciplined at the top,” Cisse said.“When you talk about the spirit and morale, of course it (Mane’s absence) affects you. He is our best player and a leader,” Senegal’s Krepin Diatta, 23, said at the press conference yesterday.“But we are determined to do what we can without him. We are going to have to work harder individually and harder as a team. We still have a very strong mentality, we are comfortable being together and we are strong together.” Cisse added: “This is my fifth major competition with Senegal – three African Cup of Nations and two World Cups. I am the only coach with this kind of experience. We are delighted to be here. We are working as well as we can. There are nerves but we are confident about our chances in this World Cup. We are humble yet confident.”FACTBOX - Senegal v NetherlandsWhen: Monday Nov. 21, 1900 local (1600 GMT/1100 ET)Where: Al Thumama Stadium, DohaCapacity: 40,000Key stats:Netherlands are unbeaten in their last 15 matches.The Netherlands’ last defeat was against the Czech Republic in the last 16 at Euro 2020.The Dutch are three times runners-up but failed to qualify for Russia 2018.Senegal are one of three African countries to reach a World Cup quarter-final.Senegal were unbeaten in their last four warm-up matches before the tournament.Previous meetings: The teams have never previously met at the World Cup.

The year is 2014. A young forward – with potential to be a star for his country – is aiming big. He gets the stage and delivers. That young player was Akram Afif who found the net for Qatar U-19 squad battling North Korea in the final of the AFC Asian Cup in Myanmar in October that year. Afif, just 17 then, scored the only goal of the final in the 52nd minute as Qatar became the Asian champions in U-19. That was the beginning of Qatar’s resurgence in regional and Asian football. Fast forward to today, Afif and his teammate from those years, Almoez Ali, will lead Qatar’s charge as they prepare to make their FIFA World Cup debut against Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium today. Afif, the Al Sadd star, and Almoez, the Al Duhail captain, were two of the heroes who guided Qatar to their 2019 AFC Asian Cup title winning campaign in the UAE.Thanks largely to former Barcelona youth coach Felix Sanchez – who has guided the two young players and a series of other young players over the last seven-eight years – Qatar has charted their journey to the World Cup debut in an inspiring manner. The message then was: get hold of them young, groom them under the tutelage of fitness experts and specialised coaches, pick the sharper ones for age specific tournaments for exposure sake and eventually and help the quality young players graduate to the Qatar national side.With a player pool of just 5,000 (a rough estimate), Qatar – coached by Sanchez – went on to become the Asian Cup champions in February 2019 when they beat three-time champions Japan in the final held at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Dubai. The journey to the Asian Cup title three years ago wasn’t easy but clearly not too hard to understand. In just a little over 15 years, Qatar’s heavy investment in sports in general and football in particular has paid rich dividends for a country that is just 24 hours away from hosting the region’s first FIFA World Cup.Just as Afif’s match-winning goal in the AFC U-19 Asian Cup final was a watershed moment in the country’s football journey, the platform to excel on a football field took scientific root when FIFA World Cup heroes Pele and Diego Maradona touched down in Doha for the inauguration of the Aspire Academy in November 2005. The world’s largest indoor sports facility – replete with the most modern set-up to groom young kids for a sound beginning to their cherished dreams – the Aspire Academy has given Qatar football players like Afif, Almoez, Saad al-Sheeb and even global track and field star Mutaz Essa Barshim.In between building a strong base for young players who could go on to deliver positive results on the field of play, Qatar has developed stunning football infrastructure that is quite simply the envy of the football world. After winning the FIFA World Cup bid race for the 2022 edition, Qatar has built seven brand new venues – each a viewing spectacle in itself – and completely revamped the iconic Khalifa International Stadium that was built in 1976.Among the seven new 2022 FIFA World Cup venues, one is in the shape of a ‘gahfiya’, a traditional woven cap worn by men and boys across the Middle East. Another is the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium which is designed after the tents used by nomadic people living in the deserts in Qatar and the region decades ago. The Education City Stadium is just as unique as the first two. The exterior of the Education City Stadium has triangles that form diamond-like geometrical patterns that sparkle as the sun moves across the sky. Al Janoub Stadium, another brand new venue that was unveiled in 2019, has a captivating design that looks like wind-filled sails of dhow boats usually seen moored at the Corniche bay and other waterfront areas in the country.On the field of play, the hugely popular Qatar Stars League runs nine months every season. Every game is telecast live as are other tournaments falling under the purview of the Qatar Football Association (QFA). Qatar’s top professional football league has attracted some great names in the world of football like Nigel De Jong (Al Ahli, Al Shahaniya), Mario Mandzukic (Al Duhail), Santi Cazorla (Al Sadd), Samuel Eto’o (Qatar SC), James Rodriguez (Al Rayyan), Tobby Alderweireld (Al Duhail), Marcel Desailly (Al Gharafa, Qatar SC), Wesley Sneijder (Al Gharafa), Xavi Hernandez (Al Sadd, coach and player), Juninho (Al Gharafa), Gabriel Batistuta (Al Arabi) and Claudio Caniggia (Qatar SC). The fiercely contested league has 12 clubs with each delivering a platform for youth teams as well. Al Sadd, the country’s premier football club, is a former AFC Champions League title winner. Al Sadd players and Qatar internationals Abdelkarim Hassan (2018) and Afif (2019) have won the AFC Asian Player of the Year awards.Over the last decade and half, Qatar has successfully hosted key football events like the AFC Asian Cup, the Gulf Cup, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, age specific Asian events and a series of West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) tournaments. Just when the fans needed to see football activity resume at a time when Covid-19 pandemic was raging across the world, Qatar activated hundreds of health workers to host the AFC Champions League matches of the East and West Zones in September 2020 and again in November and December the same year. Building bridges between the Asian region and the world, QFA and the Qatar Stars League Management (QSLM) deserve special praise for conducting a series of football development workshops in coaching and refereeing areas for most part of the last decade. A truly creditable service, QFA continues to host workshops recognized by FIFA, UEFA and AFC officials from time to time.In a nutshell, Qatar’s is a football success story – on and off field. The country deserves praise for bringing the FIFA World Cup to this region for the first time. There can’t be a better time for the world to know the region first-hand. As Qatar welcomes the fans for the FIFA World Cup, the national team players should enjoy their golden moment in the sun. They have deserved this moment. Winning and losing are part of the sport but the occasion as big as the World Cup has to be enjoyed and savoured for generations to come.Ahlan Wa Sahlan, folks!

The last time Wales appeared in a FIFA World Cup, a young Pele was about to lead Brazil to a title win way back in 1958.When Wales take on the US at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Monday, the team captained by Gareth Bales will end a 64-year-old wait to appear in the World Cup once again.Despite the long wait, young defender Ethan Ampadu doesn’t seem to be too bothered by Wales’ lack of World Cup appearances in more than six decades.“We have settled well (in Qatar) since arriving. We are all excited ahead of the World Cup. Everyone is fit and ready to go. There’s a good spirit in the camp and everybody is relaxed,” Ampadu, 22, said yesterday at a press conference.“I am not sure if it’s more of a responsibility (of doing well on World Cup return). I think it is what it is. It is the World Cup. We are here to do the best we can and to show how good we are,” he said confidently.“We’re here to compete and try to win every game. We are here to do the best that we can and if that gives us a possibility to win it, then of course, we’re going to back ourselves,” Ampadu, who plays for Serie A side Spezia on loan from Chelsea, added.Ampadu said Wales – coached by Rob Page – won’t be taking the US – captained by talismanic Christian Pulisic – lightly when the two sides open their Group B campaign on Monday.“It’s going to be a difficult game, of course. We are here for the World Cup. I suppose that’s how it’s going to be no matter who the opposition is. They have great players. We should try to get past them. We have to show what we can do,” Ampadu said.“I think no matter what team you play, you have to go with that mindset that it’s the World Cup. No team is here to draw or lose,” he said.When asked about the warm weather that greeted Wales and other teams in Qatar, Ampadu dismissed it as a concern.“Well, it’s going to be warm for everyone (and not just us). That’s what I am going to say about it. Not sure if they (Wales group rivals) are used to the heat or not, better ask them. What matters to us is how well we do here. We can’t change that,” Ampadu said.Wales forward Mark Harris, however, said his teammates would make the most of the coming three days before opening their World Cup campaign against the US.“Hopefully it will be cooler in the evening.“It was warm when we were walking during the day. We are not used to heat like this. I won’t say any team has any advantage over the other rivals. I am sure the training in the next few days will help us acclimatise better,” Harris said yesterday.Harris, the Cardiff City star, his team would be aiming ‘for three points’ against the US. “They got some quality players. They are a good side. They also have qualified for the World Cup. Their captain Pulisic is a great player. For sure it will be a tough match but we will be playing for three points,” Harris, 23, added.Harris said playing in the World Cup would highlight Wales’ potential on the big stage.“Wales playing in a World Cup has taken 64 years. We have got to two Euro Championships recently but this is the world’s biggest stage. We clearly want to win but we will see how far we can go,” Harris said.“We arrive for every match to win. Our main focus right now is the US. The next three days of training will be all about taking on the US,” he added.Harris said he found staying in Qatar enjoyable.“The hotels are great. We have our own little room for games and other activities. The hotel has everything we need. There are recovery rooms, the gyms. So far so good,” he said before leaving the press conference for his team’s training session at Al Sadd pitch 2.Wales face Iran on November 25 and wrap up the group stage with a clash against England on November 29.

Former champions Al Duhail on Sunday beat Al Sailiya 4-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Amir Cup, the country’s most popular football tournament. In the day’s other quarter-final, Al Gharafa edged Qatar SC 2-1 at Grand Hamad Stadium to reach the last-four. Toby Alderweireld opened the scoring for Al Duhail in the 12th minute. His teammate Ismail Mohamed doubled the lead in the 34th minute. Al Sailiya’s Walter Bwalya reduced the deficit in the 54th minute but three minutes later Abdelrahma Mustafa found the net for Al Duhail. Qatar national team player Karim Boudiaf hammered in the fourth goal (76th minute) as Al Duhail completed their resounding win. For Al Gharafa, Amro Surag scored the first goal in the 24th minute but Javi Martinez produced the equaliser for Qatar SC in the 57th minute. Sofiane Hanni managed the winning goal seven minutes later. Scorer of the second goal, Mohamed of Al Duhail said after the match: “I say hard luck to Al Sailiya but we played well. Once we scored the second goal, we knew we were on our way. We fought hard until the last minute. Thank God we reached our target.” He added: “We are ready for Al Sadd now. We will give our best but first we will rest and recover and come back with another strategy. This is a big tournament and we want to do well. That goes without saying. We will continue to play good football. Al Sadd are a solid side but we will come prepared. We are focused on winning the Cup.” Abdullah Mahmood of Al Sailiya said after the match: “They played better football. Their football was better than ours. It was a good tournament for us. We couldn’t get past this match. We will come prepared in the next season. We all worked hard.” Alderweireld jumped high on a corner kick to deflect the ball home from close range as Al Duhail opened the scoring. Mohamed, after a cross from the midfield, hoodwinked his marker and slipped into the Al Sailiya box. Al Sailiya keeper stepped out to kill the move but Mohamed smartly tapped the ball into the net from close range. A defensive error allowed Al Sailiya to score their first and only goal when Bwalya tapped the ball into the net following a short cross inside the Al Duhail box. Al Duhail’s Moustafa – on the edge of the Al Sailiya box – unleashed a powerful left-footed drive that beat the Al Sailiya keeper Abdul Rahman Abdul Aziz in the 57th minute. Boudiaf rounded off Al Duhail’s dominant show when he headed home from close range off a corner kick by jumping high for the header. For Al Gharafa, Suraj scored the first goal with a superb chip over Qatar SC keeper for his side’s first goal. Martinez headed home for Qatar SC’s equaliser close to the hour-mark. However, Hanni found the net for Al Gharafa with a close-range strike inside the Qatar SC box for the match winning goal.      

Polish tennis sensation Iga Swiatek Friday crushed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia in straight sets to win the Qatar TotalEnergies Open title for the first time. Swiatek, the 2020 French Open champion, Friday won 6-2, 6-0 in a clinical performance that was loudly cheered by a big group of Polish fans present at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex. Iga Swiatek of Poland poses with the winner's trophy after winning the final match of the 2022 WTA Qatar Open in Doha Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) president Nasser al-Khelaifi presented the Golden Falcon Trophy to Swiatek at the presentation ceremony. The straight-set demolition of Kontaveit, seeded fourth in Doha, was completed in just 66 minutes with the second set getting over in less than half an hour. Winner Iga Swiatek (R) of Poland celebrates with her trophy next to runner-up Annet Kontaveit of Estonia It was Swiatek’s second WTA 1000 final triumph following her title win over Karolina Pliskova at Rome last year. Friday’s win was Swiatek’s 10th in a row this year. The Polish tennis star, winner of the 2020 French Open, has now won 4 career titles. Seeded seven for the premier event in Doha, Swiatek has now won two titles on hardcourts after her win in Adelaide last year and the only Pole to reach the final in the Qatari capital. A winner over top seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the quarter-finals, Swiatek fired five aces in her convincing win Friday. Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates with her trophy “It's been a pretty few intense months but I'm pretty happy that today I could play the way I did today because before the match, I got stressed as it seemed impossible to beat her considering the last tournaments that she has played,” Swiatek said Friday while praising her rival. “You're constantly improving, you're playing really solid. I'm pretty happy that we had this match. Though the score wasn't even, all the points were even as we were fighting. You were fighting because you are a fighter and congrats for all the wins you had here,” she added. “I want to thank Tournament Director Saad Al Mohannadi, the WTA and all those who make this tournament possible. It's been great. I love it here. This is my second time. I'm always going to remember the memories of this week. “The support that I got here was amazing and it's even though I'm on tour for like three years now, it's still surprising to me how many Polish people came here,” she said with a smile. “I want to thank my team. I know how much work they've put to get me in shape and how much they sacrifice sometimes. I really appreciate that. Without them, I wouldn't be in that place,” the Doha winner said. Swiatek also spoke about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “And lastly, I want to show my support for the people who are suffering in Ukraine. It's really hard to say. Seeing those images is really emotional for me,” Swiatek said. “I wouldn't even imagine stuff like that happening to the country next to me. I hope everybody at the end is going to be safe. I hope that even though this is like a big event looking at all the problems that we have in the world, the (world of) sport is going to connect. And even though there are many things dividing us, (sport) is going to connect us and it's going to bring us joy. So thank you all for coming tonight, and I hope the Ukrainian people are going to be well,” she said. Kontaveit arrived for the Doha title clash having reached more finals and won more matches than any other player on the Tour since 2021. Playing her ninth final during this period, Kontaveit – despite having won a total of 61 matches in the last 14 months – Friday couldn’t halt Swiatek’s charge in chilly conditions. After being tied at 1-all, Swiatek broke Kontaveit in the third game as the Estonian went long on her returns on three occasions. Kontaveit hit back and broke Swiatek in the next game to draw level at 2-all but then faltered again by losing serve in game five. A long return and an unforced error from Kontaveit at deuce allowed Swiatek to manage a decisive service break in game seven (5-2). Swiatek was quick to convert the first set point in her favour to take the set at 6-2. Then there was no coming back for Kontaveit. With momentum on her side, Swiatek switched gears with remarkable ease breaking her opponent three times in the second set to close the match in a little over an hour’s time. Swiatek won 10 successive games after losing the service in game four of the first set. Kontaveit was quick to applaud the victory in her speech after the final. “I want to congratulate Iga. You are fantastic. You just keep getting better and congratulations to you and your team on a fantastic week,” Kontaveit said at the presentation ceremony Friday. “Of course not the result I wanted, but yeah, definitely a very good week for me,” the 26-year-old Estonian said. “I am also very happy with the way my game is improving. And that's of course, thanks to my team and everyone who has been supporting me. “I want to say thank you to the organizers for making this fantastic event happen including everybody involved like the sponsors and the WTA. I am just very grateful to be playing tennis at this level and just happy to be here,” she added. BOX ITEM Iga Swiatek’s last 4 finals: 2020 Roland Garros: 6-4 6-1, Kenin 2021 Adelaide: 6-2 6-2, Belinda Bencic 2021 Rome: 6-0 6-0, Karolina Pliskova 2022 Doha: 6-2, 6-0 Anett Kontaveit     YEAR CHAMPION RUNNER-UP SCORE 2022 [7] Swiatek (POL #8) [7 ] Konatveit (EST #7) 6-2 6-0 2021 [4] Kvitova (CZE #10) Muguruza (ESP #16) 6-2 6-1 2020 [9] Sabalenka (BLR #13) [8] Kvitova (CZE #11) 6-3 6-3 2019 Mertens (BEL #21) [1] Halep (ROU #3) 3-6 6-4 6-3 2018 [16] Kvitova (CZE #21) [4] Muguruza (ESP #4) 3-6 6-3 6-4 2017 [2] Ka.Pliskova (CZE #3) Wozniacki (DEN #18) 6-3 6-4 2016 [8] Suárez Navarro (ESP #11) Ostapenko (LAT #88) 1-6 6-4 6-4 2015 Safarova (CZE #15) Azarenka (BLR #48) 6-4 6-3 2014 [7] Halep (ROU #10) [6] Kerber (GER #9) 6-2 6-3 2013 [1] Azarenka (BLR #1) [2] S.Williams (USA #2) 7-6(6) 2-6 6-3 2012 [1] Azarenka (BLR #1) [3] Stosur (AUS #5) 6-1 6-2