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52
Sports
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Poland stun Germany in qualifier
Ireland rout Gibraltar
Ebola epidemic
WARSAW, Oct 11, (Agencies):
Poland stunned world champions Germany 2-0 in
Warsaw on Saturday to claim
an historic first victory over
their neighbours and leave the
Germans third in their Euro
2016 qualifying group.
Cup to go ahead
despite fears: CAF
Ajax striker Arkadiusz Milik gave
the hosts the lead on 51 minutes before
substitute Sebastian
Mila netted a late second
to
inflict
Germany’s
first
defeat in a qualifier
for seven years.
Keane
The Republic of
Ireland’s 7-0 drubbing
of minnows Gibraltar in
Dublin earlier in the day
means Germany are
now third in Group D
with Poland top and
Ireland second.
Ireland 7, Gibraltar 0
In Dublin, Robbie Keane scored a hattrick as the Republic of Ireland made easy
work of beating minnows Gibraltar 7-0 in
a Euro 2016 qualifier at Dublin’s
Lansdowne Road on Saturday.
Victory saw the Republic make it two
wins from two in Group D although the
contrast between this match and their next
qualifier, away to world champions
Germany on Tuesday, could scarcely be
greater.
“It was nice to get the early goal in the
game,” Republic manager Martin O’Neill
told Sky Sports.
“I thought we got a little sloppy in the
last 20 minutes of the game but outside of
that I am very, very pleased.
“We have not got any serious injuries,
just a couple of knocks and bruises, now
we can concentrate on Germany.”
For Gibraltar, European football governing body UEFA’s 54th and youngest member nation, it was their second straight 7-0
drubbing after they went down by the same
scoreline against Poland in their first competitive match last month.
Given Keane’s quickfire treble put the
Irish 3-0 up inside 18 minutes, against a
side with just two full-time players,
Gibraltar did relatively well to avoid a double-figure defeat.
“It is disappointing but we are all learning and eventually we will get there,” said
Gibraltar manager Allen Bula.
“Look at all the stats of other teams
when they joined UEFA, they lost 6-0, 7-0.
Everyone has taken a beating, and we will
learn.”
Gibraltar, with a population of fewer
than 30,000 people and just 600 registered
footballers, were not expected to offer
much in the way of resistance but did at
least keep the score to 3-0 before half-time.
However, the floodgates opened after
the break as James McClean scored twice,
Gibraltar keeper Jordan Perez put through
SOCCER
his own net and Wes Hoolahan made it 7-0
before the hour mark.
It took the Republic just six minutes to
score their first goal when Hoolahan
played in Aiden McGeady behind left-back
Joseph Chipolina and his square ball set up
Keane to strike his 63rd international goal.
McClean then saw a shot well-saved by
Perez but the second goal was not long in
coming, when Keane ran on to Hoolahan’s
pass to make it 2-0 against a static defence.
Keane then scored his third goal in 12
minutes with a penalty after the hardpressed Perez tripped Hoolahan.
Unsurprisingly, some of the Republic’s
initial urgency waned at this point,
although Perez made a fine fingertip save
to keep out McGeady’s powerfully-struck
shot and leave the score 3-0 at half-time.
But within 60 seconds of the re-start, the
Irish had their fourth goal, with the 34year-old Keane, now playing for the LA
Galaxy, squaring to Wigan’s McClean,
who duly tapped in.
Gibraltar, struggling to adjust to the pace
of international football, were 5-0 down in
the 51st minute with a goal that summed
up their performance.
Keane tried to lob Perez but the keeper
got a hand to the ball. Hoolahan’s followup was blocked by Scott Wiseman but
Perez then inadvertently deflected the ball
into his own net.
McClean, after more good work by
Keane, made it 6-0 with a 53rd minute tapin.
Minutes later it was 7-0 when, after
McGeady and Keane combined in the
build-up, Norwich midfielder Hoolahan
strolled past a couple of attempted challenges before shooting from close range.
Republic of Ireland goalkeeper David
Forde had been a virtual spectator for most
of the match but he then made an impressive save to deny Gibraltar a consolation
goal when he turned Roy Chipolina’s powerful header over the crossbar.
Now the only question was whether
Ireland — with Keane having been substituted to make sure he was not injured
ahead of the Germany clash — would
equal their record 8-0 victory against Malta
Scotland’s Ikechi Anyak (top), is challenged by Georgia’s Solomon Kverkvella during their Euro 2016 Group D qualifying soccer match at Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow,
Scotland, on Oct 11. (AP)
Gordon shines in field and at the plate
Late-striking Royals stun O’s in opener
BALTIMORE, Oct 11, (RTRS): Alex
Gordon and Mike Moustakas homered
in the 10th inning to give the late-striking Kansas City Royals an 8-6 win in
the opening game of the best-of-seven
American League Championship
Series on Friday.
Kansas City, appearing in the postseason for the first time in 29 years,
drew first blood in the series with their
fourth extra-inning win in five playoff
games.
Gordon, who also contributed a
three-run double in the third inning and
was hit in the neck with a fastball in the
eighth, went 3-for-4 with four runs batted to lead the wild card Royals.
The Royals, who belted the fewest
home runs in Major League Baseball
during the regular season, blasted three
made a diving catch to save a run for
Kansas City, led off the 10th by crushing a high fastball from Darren O’Day
to snap a 5-5 tie.
O’Day, who had rescued the Orioles
by getting Billy Butler to hit into a
bases-loaded double-play in the ninth,
gave way to Brian Matusz who yielded
a two-run blast by Moustakas.
Baltimore scored a run in the bottom
of the 10th off Royals closer Greg
Holland and brought the winning run to
the plate with men on first and second,
but the reliever got Nick Markakis to
ground out to end the lively four and a
half hour game.
“It was a good ball game, except the
Orioles didn’t win,” Baltimore manag-
BASEBALL
homers including a solo shot from
Alcides Escobar for the game’s first
run in the third.
“It seems like whenever we get to
extra innings we hit home runs, so it’s
a good thing,” the 30-year-old Gordon
told reporters of their dramatic wins.
“I’m getting grey hair already. We
just keep grinding away. We have a
good mentality on this team, never give
up.”
The All-Star left-fielder, who also
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Greg Holland (56) throws during the 10th
inning of Game 1 of the American League baseball championship series against
the Baltimore Orioles on Oct 11, in Baltimore. (AP)
in a 1984 European Championship qualifier.
But the fact they did not match that feat
was little consolation for Gibraltar.
Scotland 2, Georgia 1
In Glasgow, Scotland dominated their
Euro 2016 qualifier against Georgia but
ultimately were grateful to settle for a 28thminute own goal to gift them their first victory of the campaign at Ibrox.
Gordon Strachan’s improving team,
who gave world champions Germany a
scare before succumbing to defeat last
month, opened their account in Group D
thanks to a little bit of good fortune amid
their monopoly of possession and territory.
The key moment came midway through
the first half when Georgia’s goalkeeper,
Giorgi Loria, failed to deal with a teasing
cross from Andrew Roberston, only succeeding in pushing the ball out to Shaun
Maloney on the right edge of the box.
Loria did well to stop the Wigan Athletic
midfielder’s sweetly-struck shot but was
left roaring in exasperation as the ball
rebounded off the back of Akaki
Khubutia’s legs and trickled into the net.
It seemed that the rejuvenated Scots,
who had been on a six-match unbeaten
streak before the Germany defeat, must
add to the tally as they marauded towards
the Georgians’ goal for much of the game.
In between their best chances, spurned
by James Morrison and Steven Naismith,
the home side seemed increasingly nervy
as the game became stretched in the dying
minutes and relief filled the Glasgow stadium as Irakli Dzaria struck Georgia’s only
clear-cut chance of the game way wide in
the 79th minute.
Armenia 1, Serbia 1
In Armenia, a late Zoran Tosic
piledriver gave Serbia a 1-1 draw away to
an injury-hit Armenia after the home side
took the lead against the run of play in a
lively Euro 2016 Group I qualifier on
Saturday.
The Armenians went ahead in the 73rd
minute thanks to a Robert Arzumanyan
header after Serbia goalkeeper Vladimir
Stojkovic failed to deal with a corner and
Taron Voskanyan delivered a perfect cross
from the left for the central defender.
Stojkovic redeemed himself several
minutes later after he saved Marcos
Pizzelli’s penalty and the Brazilian-born
striker’s close-range rebound before Tosic
blasted home after 89 minutes.
The result left both sides on one point
after Armenia were beaten 2-1 in their
opener in Denmark last month while it
spared the blushes of Serbia’s Dutch coach
Dick Advocaat on his competitive debut
for the Balkan nation.
The home team, without injured
Borussia Dortmund forward Henrikh
Mkhitaryan, stayed afloat thanks to some
rugged defending and a string of superb
saves from their 40-year old goalkeeper
Roman Berezovski.
“We are disappointed not to have taken
all three points as we are surely the better
side but having salvaged a last-gasp draw,
we really can’t complain,” Tosic told
Serbian television.
“Now we have to look ahead with a positive approach and beat Albania in our next
match on Tuesday.”
Advocaat said: “We have plenty of
attacking talent but didn’t really show that
today and we will have to improve.
“It was a difficult match and Armenia
showed that they are a well-organised team
but we really should have done better with
all the possession we had.”
Hungary 1, Romania 1
In Bucharest, Balazs Dzsudzsak’s perfectly executed free kick gave Hungary
welcome relief as they fought back to draw
THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT
Editor-in-Chief
AHMED AL JARALLAH
er Buck Showalter said.
Baltimore, who trailed 4-0 and 5-1,
caught the Royals with three runs in the
fifth and another run in the sixth.
An RBI double by Nelson Cruz and
a two-out, two-run single by Ryan
Flaherty sparked the fifth-inning outburst.
Baltimore scored an odd run in the
sixth to tie it, when Royals catcher
Salvador Perez appeared to have
Jonathan Schoop picked off second
base only to have the runner dash for
third. Shortstop Escobar’s throw to
third hit Schoop in the back allowing
him to reach the base. Alejandro De
Aza followed with a soft blooper that
dropped behind the mound for a gametying single.
It remained 5-5 until the 10th, when
the Royals produced more extra-time
magic.
Unbeaten in the playoffs so far,
Kansas City became the first team to
win four extra-inning games in a postseason. “It’s just one of those things in
baseball,” Moustakas said. “It’s kind of
crazy.”
Royals manager Ned Yost explained:
“We just find ways to win ball games.
Sometimes it’s hitting home runs,
sometimes it’s stealing bases and manufacturing runs. Most of the time it’s
with good pitching and defense.
“These guys will find a way to get it
done.”
RABAT, Oct 11, (AFP): African football’s governing body CAF insisted
Saturday next year’s Africa Cup of
Nations finals would go ahead as
scheduled despite the hosts Morocco
demanding it be postponed over the
deadly Ebola epidemic.
Moroccan health officials fear the
biennial, 16-nation, three-week
African football showpiece could trigger a spread of the deadly virus.
Dubbing Ebola “a major health
problem”, an advisor to Moroccan
Sports Minister Mohammed Ouzzine
reiterated the country’s reluctance to
host the tournament.
“The overall interest of Morocco,
Moroccan and African citizens, counts
above all,” advisor Hamid Faridi told
Atlantic Radio on Saturday.
“Morocco drew up its request on the
basis of very serious health recommendations.
“We cannot, in any case, move
towards taking a risk. The principle of
precaution must prevail.”
Organisers CAF, the Confederation
of African Football, later insisted that
there would be no change in the scheduling of the tournament.
CAF “confirms that there is no
change in the schedule of its competition and events. We would like to note
that since the first edition of the Africa
Cup in 1975, this cup has never been
delayed or cancelled”, the Cairo-based
body said in a statement.
The demand to delay the continent’s
footballing showcase has been lodged
with CAF.
And Faridi, speaking before CAF’s
statement, hinted that Morocco’s
request would be accepted by the body,
with whom a meeting has been set for
“next week”.
“I think CAF was expecting this
request and that everyone’s working
intelligently and in a manner in which
the festival of African football remains
a festival,” Faridi said.
However, CAF later added that it
had been conscious of the “health risks
from Ebola virus and it has implemented the precautions as required by the
World Health Organisation”.
CAF contradicted Faridi by saying
SOCCER
1-1 at neighbours Romania amid a feverish, feisty affair both on and off the pitch in
their Euro 2016 Group F qualifier on
Saturday.
In a game which witnessed crowd trouble and 12 yellow cards brandished, Raul
Rusescu gave the hosts a deserved lead on
the stroke of halftime, putting the
Hungarians, who were beaten 2-1 at home
by Northern Ireland in their group opener,
under even more pressure.
Yet the visitors breathed a sigh of relief
when Dzsudzsak gave keeper Ciprian
Tatarusanu no chance with his precise shot
eight minutes from time.
Romania, who began their campaign
with a 1-0 win at Greece, are top with four
points from two matches but Finland and
Greece, who have three points each, play
their matches later on Saturday.
There was an electric feel at the National
Arena, with both teams’ vociferous fans
creating a deafening roar and letting off
dozens of firecrackers and flares shortly
before kick off.
Following their shock opening defeat,
Hungary’s players had decided to make it
up to their fans by buying them 1,200 tickets to the match in Bucharest.
the request made by Morocco would
be “discussed during the next meeting
of CAF’s executive committee on
November 2 in Algiers”.
The Algiers meeting will be followed a day later by a meeting
between Moroccan officials and CAF,
the governing body said.
Should the tournament be shifted
from Morocco, South Africa could
potentially step in to stage it, having
twice before come to the rescue of the
tournament organisers, replacing cashstrapped Kenya in 1996 and strife-torn
Libya last year.
Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia are other
countries with the infrastructure and
expertise to possibly host the competition at three months’ notice.
Ebola has claimed more than 4,000
lives this year, according to the World
Health Organisation, with virtually all
the victims coming from west African
countries Guinea, Liberia and Sierra
Leone.
Guinea and Sierra Leone are
involved in the qualifying competition
for the 2015 tournament, but have been
barred from playing at home.
The Guineans, ironically, play home
matches in Moroccan city Casablanca
while the Sierra Leoneans play home
matches at the ground of their opponents.
Both will be in action Saturday with
Guinea hosting Ghana and Sierra
Leone meeting Cameroon in Yaounde.
Were South Africa chosen, they
would become the first country to host
back-to-back Cup of Nations tournaments.
South African Football Assocation
boss Danny Jordaan told AFP he had
received a call from CAF president
Issa Hayatou without divulging the
details.
“I will meet the CAF president next
week in Namibia, where he is attending the African women’s championship,” Jordaan said.
South African officials are attending
an annual meeting of the national football association.
Egypt have staged the championship
a record-equalling four times, Tunisia
three times and Algeria once.
See Also Page 48
See Also Page 49
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