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Guardiola backs Qatar bid to hold 2022 World Cup

Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola said on Thursday he had become an ambassador for Qatar’s bid to become the first country in the Middle East to host the World Cup in 2022.

“I am here to inform you that I have reached an agreement to be an ambassador for Qatar’s candidacy to host the 2022 World Cup. My support stems basically from the fact that I lived there,” he told a news conference.

“They really insisted and since they treated me and my family well, I decided to accept the proposal.”

The 39-year-old, who played for Qatar’s Al Ahli between 2003 and 2005, also said he hoped Spain and Portugal’s joint bid to host the 2018 World Cup would succeed.

As an ambassador, Guardiola will attend events to voice his support for Qatar’s World Cup ambitions, as well as giving leaders of the bid technical advice on staging the world’s biggest tournament.

“Everywhere he goes, Josep will bring across our message that a World Cup in Qatar in 2022 will give sporting hope to millions of children across the Middle East,” said Qatar’s bid committee CEO, Hassan Abdulla Al Thawadi.

Australia, England, Indonesia, Japan, Netherlands/Belgium, Russia and Spain/Portugal have bid to host both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, while Qatar and South Korea are bidding just to host the event in 2022.

England and Spain/Portugal are viewed as the leading contenders for 2018, while the United States, hosts in 1994, are seen as a top candidate for 2022.

A World Cup in Qatar would be the first global sporting event ever to be hosted in the Middle East.

BARCELONA, Spain (AFP)

Tags: 2022 world cup, abdulla, Abdulla Al Thawadi, Al Ahli, ambassador, ambitions, Australia, Barcelona, barcelona spain, Belgium, bid committee, ceo, England, hassan, Indonesia, Japan, josep guardiola, Middle East, netherlands, news conference, portugal, proposal, Qatar, russia, south korea, Spain, spain portugal, technical advice, world cups

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Reds owners dismiss selling talks

Liverpool’s co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have issued a joint statement rubbishing reports that either party are preparing to sell their stake in the club.

The American billionaires, who each own 50% of the Anfield outfit, have however reiterated their desire to bring in fresh investment.

Reports gathered pace after Prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdulla of Saudi Arabia expressed a desire to buy a 50% stake.

The club have been involved in negotiations with Prince Faisal – and on Monday it was announced academies would be established in conjunction with his sports investment company F6 – but Gillett and Hicks say suggestions of a buy-out are wide of the mark.

The statement read: “The owners have jointly retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Rothschild to evaluate the possibility of new investors injecting equity into LFC.

“However, the process is at an early stage, there is no agreement with any party and reports to the contrary are wholly inaccurate.”

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: abdulla, America, anfield, billionaires, conjunction, contrary, f6, George Gillett, george gillett and tom hicks, gillett and hicks, investment company, investment reports, lfc, Liverpool, merrill lynch, negotiations, pace, prince faisal, reds, rothschild, saudi arabia, stake, tom hicks

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Aussies limp bast Bahrain

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia laboured to beat Bahrain 2-0 in a muted celebration of their World Cup Asian qualification here on Wednesday.

The Socceroos, fielding only four survivors from the team that booked their ticket to South Africa 2010 in Qatar at the weekend, were frustrated by the fast-breaking visitors and needed second-half goals to grind them down.

Mile Sterjovski broke the deadlock in the 55th minute after he punished a defensive error inside the six-yard box and beat goalkeeper Sayed Mohamed for his eighth top-level goal.

David Carney doubled the lead in the 88th minute after Jason Culina’s spectacular overhead kick ricocheted off an upright for Carney to ram the ball home for his second international goal.

Bahrain had the ball in the net during the second half from an Abdulla Marzooq header but the defender was ruled offside.

It would have been the first time Australia had conceded a goal in their last seven qualifying games.

Australia hold on to their lead at the top of Asia Group A and will play regional rivals Japan in Melbourne next Wednesday, with both teams already through to the World Cup finals.

The Socceroos could have had a third goal but incredibly the ball stayed out after Harry Kewell and Sterjovski had goalbound chances blocked on the line in the 75th minute.

But for the most part, before just under 40,000 fans at a half-filled Olympic stadium, the Australians played like strangers, with little rhythm and wayward passing.

The surprise omissions from the Australia team were English Premier League stars Tim Cahill and Vince Grella, with Cahill left out entirely and Grella on the bench. Grella came on in the 62nd minute.

Coach Pim Verbeek said Cahill had stiff muscles and would not be risked.

Bahrain, needing a point to lock up third spot in the group and with it a potential World Cup playoff against Oceania champions New Zealand, looked the livelier in the first half.

Skipper Mohamed Salmeen had a free header off an Abdulla Abdi corner in the 24th minute but the chance went over the bar.

Celtic striker Scott McDonald had a glorious chance to break his international goal drought in his 12th game minutes later after being put clear by Brett Holman but he blazed his volley over the bar for the hosts.

Bahrain continued to press and Mahmood Abdulrahman’s free-kick was flicked on, only for goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to fumble the ball and regather at the second attempt on his line.

Sterjovski had a free header comfortably taken by goalkeeper Sayed Mohamed before Salman Isa blazed just over the bar nearing halftime.

Tags: abdulla, Abdulla Abdi, Abdulla Marzooq, asia group, Australia, australia team, bahrain, david carney, English Premier League, harry kewell, international goal, Japan, jason culina, league stars, mark schwarzer, Melbourne, mile sterjovski, New Zealand, offside, olympic stadium, overhead kick, Qatar, Salman Isa, scott mcdonald, South Africa, south africa 2010, stiff muscles, SYDNEY, tim cahill, time australia, vince grella, World Cup, world cup finals

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Japan edge past Bahrain in World Cup qualifier

SAITAMA, Japan (AFP) – Japan took a big step towards the 2010 World Cup when they defeated Bahrain 1-0 in an Asian qualifying round Group A match on Saturday.

After a scoreless first half, Japan got off to a flying start to the second half with Celtic star midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura opening the scoring in the 47th minute.

Forward Keiji Tamada was brought down just outside the Bahrain area.

Nakamura tapped a short ball on a free kick to Yasuhito Endo, then received the ball back again and walloped it into Abdulla Marzooq, the ball looping over goalkeeper Sayed Mohamed Jaafar into the net.

Earlier, with three forwards, the Japanese played aggressive from the beginning but found it difficult to break the last line of defence.

The best chance for the home side in the first half came in the 25th minute when skipper Yuji Nakazawa jumped for a header off Endo’s corner, only to see defender Mohamed Hubail clear.

Bahrain’s best chance was a counter-attack in the 14th minute as midfielder Abdulla Fatadi’s sizzling shot went wide — their first clear-cut shot on goal.

After taking the lead, defender Atsuto Uchida was free in front of the Bahrain goalmouth, but failed to hit a shot in the 54th minute, while forward Tatsuya Tanaka’s shot was saved by Jaafar four minutes later.

In the 64th minute, Japan countered well but Uchida’s shot hit the bar.

The Japanese have now three wins and two draws for 11 points to lead in the five-team Group A competition, overtaking Australia’s 10 points.

Australia were to play Uzbekistan at home next week.

Bahrain stood with one win, one draw and three defeats for four points.

The top two teams in the group will qualify for the World Cup in South Africa, while the third-placed team will have to survive playoffs.

In their next games, Japan will play Uzbekistan away on June 6, while Bahrain will meet Qatar at home on April 1.

Written by: AFP

Tags: abdulla, Abdulla Fatadi, Abdulla Marzooq, april 1, Australia, bahrain, celtic star, forwards, four minutes, four points, free kick, games japan, Jaafar, Japan, japan edge, line of defence, midfielder, mohamed, Qatar, saitama japan, shunsuke nakamura, skipper, South Africa, tanaka, Tatsuya, team group, World Cup, world cup qualifier, yasuhito endo

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