Sports & Entertainment
FIFA World Cup Qatar Asian Qualifiers draw to be held next month
  • | Xinhua, Reuters | June 18, 2019 05:06 PM
Asia's top football teams will soon start their quest for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 after they find out their opponents when the draw of Asian Qualifiers Round 2 is to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next month.



The 40 teams will be drawn into eight groups of five teams and compete in a double round robin format both home and away, with matches to be held from September 5, 2019 to June 9, 2020, the Asian Football Confederation said Monday.


* Ferrari have formally asked for the decision that cost Sebastian Vettel victory in the Canadian Grand Prix to be reviewed. a team spokesperson said on Monday. Vettel was handed a five-second time penalty during the race on June 9 for going off track and returning in what was deemed to be an unsafe fashion. The German had led the race from start to finish but lost out to Mercedes’ championship leader Lewis Hamilton after the addition of the penalty.

* Kevin Anderson rallied from a set down to beat Briton Cameron Norrie 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4 in the opening round of the Queen's Club championships on Monday, marking a successful return from an elbow injury that had kept him out since March. Daniil Medvedev, seeded fourth, powered past Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco 6-2 6-4 to move into the next round where he was joined by Marin Cilic who staved off a late comeback attempt by Cristian Garin to prevail 6-1 7-6(5).

* AS Roma's former captain and record goalscorer Francesco Totti left his job in the management team on Monday, bitterly complaining that the club's US owner had never given him a proper role. During a dramatic news conference at the Italian Olympic Committee, the 42-year-old Roma great said during his two years in a technical role he was repeatedly excluded from strategic decisions and felt obliged to walk out of his only club.

* Third seed Karolina Pliskova cruised into the second round of the Nature Valley Classic on Monday. Czech Pliskova won 86% of her points on her first serve and needed only two break points to beat Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-3 6-4 in a match that lasted just 69 minutes.

* Former Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg has been appointed as Unai Emery's new assistant first-team coach as part of a change in the coaching staff, the Premier League club announced on Monday. Ljungberg, who returned to Arsenal to coach the Under-23 side last year, was part of "The Invincibles" side that won the north London club's last league title in 2004.

* Aston Villa have completed the signing of defender Kortney Hause from Wolverhampton Wanderers, the promoted Premier League club said on Monday. The 23-year-old, who has represented England at under-20 and under-21 level, had joined Villa on loan in January and made 12 appearances in the second-tier Championship.

* Perth has been named host city for this year's Fed Cup final between Australia and France, which will be held from Nov. 9-10 at the RAC Arena. The final will mark the first time in a decade Perth has hosted a Fed Cup tie and is also Australia's first home final since 1978.

* Uruguay midfielder Matias Vecino will miss the rest of the Copa America because of a hamstring injury, the Uruguayan Football Association said on Monday. The 27-year-old was forced off in the 79th minute of Uruguay's 4-0 win over Ecuador in their opening match of the tournament here on Sunday and scans confirmed the Celeste's worst fears.

* Ajax and Bayer Leverkusen have agreed on a move of Dutch footballer Daley Sinkgraven to Germany, the Dutch club announced on Monday. The left-footed player, who played on midfield and defense for Ajax, had a contract until 2020 at Ajax.

* Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa, who won marathon silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016, has been suspended for four years for doping. According to Athletics Integrity Unit, Kirwa, who resides in Kapsabet town, Kenya, had her blood sample turn positive for prohibited blood-booster EPO. Her four-year suspension is backdated to May 7.

* Recruitment of torch relay runners for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics began on Monday, with people of all genders and nationalities invited to become torchbearers. Recruitment of Tokyo 2020 torch relay runners will be conducted by four sponsor companies and all 47 prefectures in the country.

* Already-qualified France preserved their perfect record to top Group A at the women's World Cup with a 1-0 win against 10-woman Nigeria thanks to Wendie Renard's 79th minute penalty on Monday.

* Two penalties were enough to book Norway's ticket to the last 16 at the women's World Cup after an uninspiring 2-1 win against a feisty Korea Republic team that restored some pride after losing their first two games.

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