Qatar fire coach Metsu after Asian Cup failure on home soil

DOHA: Qatar fired charismatic coach Bruno Metsu on Thursday because of the team’s Asian Cup quarter-final loss to Japan.

The desert nation, who will host the World Cup in 2022, was widely expected to hire a big-name coach who will be tasked with overhauling a side ranked 90th in the FIFA world rankings. A replacement for Metsu, who had a contract through 2014, was to be named in the next week.

Metsu has struggled since taking over in 2008 from Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati. The team missed out on the 2010 World Cup and last year fell in the quarter-final stage at the Gulf Cup, which sent their ranking tumbling to 114th – their worst ever.

The country improved to 90th after their Asian Cup performance but it was not enough to save the job of Metsu, a Frenchman who guided Senegal to the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup.

Qatar were praised for overcoming an opening loss to Uzbekistan to reach the quarter-finals but Metsu also angered fans after his team squandered a 2-1 lead against 10-man Japan.

“We thank him for his efforts. But we feel this is a time to move on so we mutually agreed to end the contract,” Qatar Football Association President Sheikh Hamad Khalifa said.

Metsu said it was difficult to build a team with so few prospects in a country of 1.6 million.

“It is not easy to build a strong team when there is a small player base in the country,” Metsu said. “But Qatar football is looking better because they now have a 12-team league and that means more players and improved infrastructure of football in the country.”

Before taking over the Qatar national team, Metsu coached in the country’s professional football league.

Metsu is the latest coach to be fired by Qatar after failing to impress at the Asian Cup. In 2004, Qatar fired Phillipe Troussier during the Asian Cup in China.

  

Japan reinforce their heavyweight status

DOHA: Japan reaffirmed their status as a heavyweight football nation with victory at the Asian Cup and coach Alberto Zaccheroni believes there are bigger and better things to come.

Substitute Tadanari Lee scored an extra-time winner as his side edged Australia 1-0 to win a pulsating final on Saturday and become the most successful team in the history of the competition.

Lee sent a stunning left-foot volley past the diving Mark Schwarzer in the 109th minute to hand his country their fourth title at the continental showcase, a feat no-one else has achieved.

The win, following their successes in 1992, 2000 and 2004, carried the added bonus of an automatic place at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil – the traditional World Cup warm-up tournament.

“It is a great victory. We have a really great team. They were united and won the title against such strong opponents,” said Zaccheroni, who singled out Lee for praise.

“I knew he would do it. What is great about this team is that players who started on the bench could produce results on the pitch.”

Zaccheroni, who was recruited after last year’s World Cup and tasked with bettering their last-16 performance in Brazil in 2014, said it was a tribute to his players that they won after a gruelling semi-final.

“We improved throughout the tournament. Our attack played with great speed and accuracy. That’s a great feature of this team at the moment. To get into the final, physically we were very exhausted,” he said.

“So to play against a tactically and physically very good Australian team and win is a great achievement.

“This is an excellent team with fantastic players and I’m really proud of myself to be managing them.”

In an indication of Japan’s quality, CSKA Moscow star Keisuke Honda was voted the tournament’s most valuable player.

“It hasn’t really sunk in,” said the midfielder, who has reportedly attracted the interest of several English clubs.

“I am not personally satisfied with my performance and I want to improve myself more and more and want to show an improved Honda to the people of Japan.”

Asked what winning the tournament meant for Japanese football, he replied: “I have seen Japan win this title a number of times since I was a child.

“But I personally think this victory is more valuable than previous ones. We beat Qatar, we beat South Korea and we beat Australia to win the title.

“The value of this victory is something unseen in our previous Asian Cups.” 

  

Ticket holders denied entry to Asian Cup final

DOHA, Qatar (AP): Organizers of the Asian Cup acknowledged that as many as 3,000 fans were denied entry to the final match but insisted that many did not have tickets and those that did should have come earlier.

Scenes of angry spectators outside the stadium during the final between Australia and Japan marred what otherwise had been a successfully organized tournament for Qatar which will be hosting the 2022 World Cup.

Organizers said the gates were closed five minutes after the match started and never opened again. They said the tight security was in place because members of the emirate's royal family attended the match.

Local organizers said they would discuss with the Asian Football Confederation the possibly of refunds.

   

Australia's golden generation miss out on title

DOHA, Qatar (AP): Australia's so-called golden generation of footballers reflected on a split-second lapse of concentration against Japan that cost them victory in Saturday's Asian Cup final and a rare chance to lift an international trophy.

Substitute Tadanari Lee was left completely unmarked in the box to volley past Mark Schwarzer in extra time and earn Japan its fourth Asian Cup title.

"We felt solid and strong and then one lapse in concentration, a moment of fatigue, has gifted them a goal," captain Lucas Neill said.

"We felt like (we could win the title) from when we came in. We were always quietly confident. Today we felt good going into it. It was all there, but it wasn't to be."

Neill, Schwarzer, Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill have been Australia's leading lights for a decade, and the country's switch to the Asian confederation in 2006 offered them a chance to win a major title.

Australia's disappointing Asian Cup debut in 2007 ended in a penalty shootout loss to Japan, and while the team's performances were much better this year, Japan again defied the Socceroos.

"I thought we were probably the stronger team," Cahill said. "But in the end, over 120 minutes, they've won the cup and there's not much you can say except congratulations to Japan.

"We definitely had a chance of winning it and that's why it hurts a bit more."

Cahill is now 31 and it will be a surprise if he, Schwarzer (38), Neill and Kewell (both 32) are still playing for Australia when it hosts the next Asian Cup in 2015.

Kewell, who missed several chances for Australia on Saturday, said none of the players had any immediate plans to quit international duty.

"Everyone's keen to keep playing," he said. "We showed we've got a good team bond, and I'm quite sure you'll see some more good football from us.

"You just got to start from scratch. We got to the final, we were unlucky, but we've got to keep going now."

Kewell's Galatasaray teammate, Neill, also said he wanted to continue representing Australia.

"My future is simple, if my body keeps feeling the way it does, I'll play as long as I can until someone doesn't pick me in the squad," Neill said.

"We've got some fantastic talent here, it's been around for a long time and it's probably another reason why today feels a bit unjust. A lot of the hard work hasn't been capped with a title, but you don't always get what you deserve."

Victory for Australia would also have given a boost to the country's football fans after missing out on the chance to host the 2022 World Cup — beaten by Asian Cup host Qatar.

However, Neill insisted the "future is bright for Australia" after a tournament in which Brisbane Roar midfielder Matt McKay forced his way into the team, and 22-year-old striker Robbie Kruse came off the bench several times and scored his first goal for Australia.

Midfielder Tommy Oar, 19, traveled with the squad but did not get any playing time.

McKay's form meant Brett Emerton, another of the Australian old guard, was left on the bench for Australia's final two matches.

"I guess it was a great tournament for myself, but to come so far and miss out on the silverware is a bit depressing," McKay said. "But there were a lot of positives to come out of it.

"A lot of players have emerged and the experienced players really gave it their all. They've been incredible. They've been really influential in how the side's performed."

Defender Sasa Ognenovski was another new face in the Australian side, having waited until the age of 31 to make his debut. His part in Australia's run to the final capped an impressive year in which he won the Asian Champions League with Korean side Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and was named Asian Player of the Year.

"I'd trade it all to have a winners' medal today," he said Saturday.

Australia will next meet up for a friendly against Germany in March. As host, it has already qualified automatically for the 2015 Asian Cup.

  

Ticket-holders denied entry to Asian Cup final

DOHA, Qatar (AP): Thousands of ticket-holders at the Asian Cup were denied entry into the final Saturday after police shut the gates minutes before the match began between Australia and Japan.

Witnesses said irate fans — some holding their tickets in the air and shouting — were forced to watch the match on a television behind a a fence that encircled the 40,000-seat Khalifa Stadium.

Some fans complained that baton-wielding police roughly pushed the crowd and ordered them to leave because the stadium was sold out, although there were empty seats inside. Fights reportedly broke out as fans tried to push their way through the gates.

"We came from another country to watch our team but no one is talking to us," said Hedo Nawashimi, a 42-year-old Japanese national who had flown over from Dubai and had tickets. "This is very bad. It is not right to keep us outside. Is that the way to organize Asian Cup? Is that a way to organize a final match?"

There were conflicting reports that the gates were opened later in the match. But dozens of ticket holders interviewed in the 70th minute of the match were still standing outside a security fence. Police were refusing them entry on what they said were orders from their superiors.

When a reporter approached, the crowd of European, South Asian and Gulf Arab fans all held up their tickets, including one woman who had eight. They talked of crowds that reached 5,000 all barred from entering and then spending the next several hours going from gate to gate in an unsuccessful bid to gain entry. At one point, several hundred had tried to enter via the tournament's media center but were turned back.

"My father's inside and I can't get to him," said A.J. Smith, a 15-year English fan living in Doha. "There are empty seats everywhere. You can just look at the television for proof. It's not fair."

Sameh Abu Assi, a 33-year-old Saudi national standing nearby, said he had driven 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) from Saudi Arabia to attend the match and spent more than $2,000 on hotels and tickets.

"We should be allowed to enter," Abu Assi said. "How do they expect to organize the 2022 World Cup? They can't even organize this."

Ali al-Hamdani, a spokesman for the Asian Football Confederation, said the AFC and the local organizing committee would investigate the matter.

Many saw Qatar's organizing of Asia's premier football tournament as a dry run for the 2022 World Cup, which it won the hosting rights for in December.

The tournament had gone without incident until the ticket mix-up which is likely to raise questions about the government's security plans for large events and its crowd control measures.

"I came here for a vacation," said Abdullah al-Qahtani a translator for the U.S. Army in Saudi Arabia, who ripped up his tickets in front of confused police officers. "I'm really sad. It's really a shame. I will leave now."

  

South Korea to depend on young guns now

DOHA: Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo’s retirement from international football puts the onus on South Ko­­rea’s new generation, and both players are confident they have what it takes.

South Korea coach Cho Kwang-rae said midfielder Ji-sung, 29, was calling it quits on Friday after the team beat Uzbekistan 3-2 to secure third place at the Asian Cup and an automatic berth at the 2015 tournament in Australia.

Leftback Young-pyo, 33, had already announced his own decision to step back from international football earlier in the week.

It is a big loss for South Korea, with the two players the squad’s bedrock for the last decade, both featuring at three World Cups, starting in 2002 when they were part of the team that made the semi-finals under Guus Hiddink.

It was that performance that launched their careers, with Ji-sung moving to PSV Eindhoven from Japan’s Kyoto Purple Sanga and then on to Manchester United, where he continues to wow the crowds.

Young-pyo also went to PSV and followed Ji-sung to the English Premier League, making 70 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur before moving to Borussia Dortmund and finally securing a 1mil-a-year contract with Al-Hilal.

Ji-sung, the South Korea captain, plans to hold a press conference in Seoul tomorrow but said after the game in Doha against the Uzbeks that he held out a lot of hope for the young Korean team that have impressed at the Asian Cup.

“At the moment the young players are very talented and skilful, their technique is great,” he said.

“They just need some experience and I think this tournament has been very important for them in terms of that.

“I think some of the players can go to Europe and gain experience there, then they will be even stronger than now.”

Asked what the future held for him, he replied: “My future? I will try to do my best at my club and just do what I can to help them win everything.”

Young-pyo, who won 127 caps, said it had been a pleasure to play alongside Ji-sung, his country’s most iconic sportsman.

“I wanted Park to play for his country a little more but there must be something personal in his mind so we should respect his decision,” he said of a player who earned 100 caps.

“He sacrifices himself for the team. The younger generations will remember him sacrificing himself for the team and his love of football.”

Young-pyo also sacrificed himself, experiencing highs and lows in his 12 years of international duty, which included 12 World Cup games.

“This is the time to step down from the national team. I wanted to give a chance to the younger generations. The young players are very skilful and very good,” he said.

“I want the Korean fans to support the next generation of players like they supported me. If they are in a bad situation, I’d like them to encourage the players to help get them through the situation.”

Like Ji-sung, he felt the 2002 World Cup was the highlight, proving to be a pivotal moment for Asian football.

“Every single moment in the national team was very important, but personally the 2002 World Cup was a turning point for Korean football,” he said.

“Even the players couldn’t believe the achievement of the Korean team, it was our most historic achievement.

“In that tournament we showed the world that Asian football could do something at the World Cup.”

While Ji-sung plans to prolong his career at Manchester United, Young-pyo will continue with Al-Hilal. 

  

Tadanari stars for Blue Samurai

DOHA: Tadanari Lee scored an extra-time winner as Japan edged Australia 1-0 yesterday to win a pulsating Asian Cup final and become the most successful team in the history of the competition.

The unmarked substitute sent a stunning left-foot volley past the diving Mark Schwarzer in the 109th minute to hand his country their fourth title at the continental showcase, a feat no-one else has achieved.

The win, following their successes in 1992, 2000 and 2004, carried the added bonus of an automatic place at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil – the traditional World Cup warm-up tournament.

It followed a deadlocked match at 90 minutes that sent the game into extra-time, with penalties looking likely until Lee worked his magic.

Both teams had scored 13 times before the final and Australia looked most likely to add to that early on.

Harry Kewell had the first shot on target in the opening minute, an ambitious long-range drive that didn’t trouble Eiji Kawashima, while Matt McKay sliced a decent opportunity from inside the box just seconds later.

Schwarzer, who marked a significant milestone by surpassing Alex Tobin to set a new record for the most capped Socceroo ever on his 88th appearance, also found himself in action at the other end. The 38-year-old, though, had Kei­suke Honda’s half-chance easily covered.

Australia were looking strong with Japan missing the spark of Shinji Kagawa, who broke a bone in his foot in their penalty shootout win over South Korea in the last four.

The Australians should have gone ahead on 15 minutes when Brett Holman whipped a low cross into the area but the stretching Carl Valeri could not connect.

In a dangerous period for Japan, Tim Cahill’s header forced a desperate one-handed save from Kawashima moments later as the Socceroos upped the ante.

Lucas Neill, Cahill and Kewell then linked well on the half-hour mark, only for the former Liverpool man’s half-volley to hit the side-netting.

Holger Osieck’s side had only conceded one goal ahead of the final and Japan were struggling to penetrate their defence until Ryoichi Maeda finally found himself in space on the edge of the area, only to hook his shot over the bar.

Japan were working hard to build attacks, but they were breaking down too easily.

As they did in the first half, Australia came out after the break with real verve and almost took the lead on 49 minutes when Luke Wilkshire’s cross hit the bar and Cahill tried to bundle in the rebound.

Australia claimed a goal but it was not given and replays showed the ball did not go over the line.

Japan also had their chances, with Yuto Nagamoto turning Wilkshire inside-out and delivering a perfect cross to Shinji Okazaki, whose header skimmed just past the post with Schwarzer stranded.

It was anyone’s game, and Kewell will have kicked himself for not doing better on 71 minutes when he had just the goalkeeper to beat, but Kawashima stuck out his right boot to save a certain goal.

He was Japan’s saviour again as the clocked ticked down when he rushed out to collect a loose ball ahead of the charging Kewell, as the match headed into extra-time.

Tiredness was creeping in and Kewell went off to be replaced by Robbie Kruse, who almost made a dream start with Kawashima tipping his header on to the bar with the young striker’s first touch of the game.

Honda went close at the other end before the dangerous Nagamoto weaved down the left and found the unmarked Lee at the back post, the 25-year-old cleanly hitting his volley for his first international goal. 

  

Australians putting hopes on Asian Cup

DOHA, Qatar: After an early exit from the World Cup and a decisive Ashes defeat, sports-mad Australians are rallying around the Asian Cup as their best hope of winning silverware.

Despite its status as Asia's premier tournament, Australia has until recently ignored the competition. They started taking part only in 2007 and appeared to treat their inaugural appearance with disdain. They were knocked out by Japan in the quarterfinals — also their opponent in Saturday's final — and were criticized for failing to hustle on the pitch and discord in the changing room.

This time around, the Australian media and fans have rallied around the team, which is one win away from picking up its first major football trophy. Television crews have flown in for the final and newspapers are giving the tournament prominence over the Australian Open. The country will host the next Asian Cup in 2015.

"Football in Australia has probably taken a little bit of a hit recently, and if we were to do something special at the weekend it could give it that momentum to get it kickstarted again," said forward Harry Kewell, who has three goals in the tournament.

Captain Lucas Neill said winning on Saturday will not make up for all of the country's recent sporting setbacks.

"It's disappointing not to be hosting the World Cup. We've lost out to Qatar who have showed so far they can put on a very good tournament and I'm sure the dreams they have in 11 years' time will lead to a fantastic tournament," Neill said.

"But for Australia, this is a great opportunity for us to win a trophy. I don't think we've ever been able to say that as a nation. We're not going to say this will make up for the loss of the World Cup. This is about Australia as a team going out and trying to win the tournament. It would be great to host the next Asian Cup as defending champions."

Australia's football team is long overdue some success.

After its Asian Cup debacle in 2007, things only got worse in 2010 when Australia was knocked out in the first round in South Africa. The campaign started with a 4-0 loss to Germany and was nothing like the promising run to the round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

But Australia is still the top-ranked team in Asia and is counting on a good showing in the final to build the team's confidence as it begins its qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Neill, one of the team veterans, said the championship would be a highlight in their careers, "although we are not yet ready to step down."

"We've been together as a group for several years now and it would be a nice reward to put a championship next to your name and CV," Neill said on Friday. "You don't get many chances to win a title."

But neither Neill nor coach Holger Osieck were getting ahead of themselves, insisting the team still needed to win the match against a tough Japanese side which is the second-best in Asia. Osieck, who won the Asian Champions League with the Urawa Red Diamonds, said it did not necessarily give him an edge on understanding the Japanese side.

"Knowledge is one thing and transferring that knowledge into action is another one," Osieck said.

"To know is good but to make things happen is not easy," he said. "Japan has a strong team, a new generation coming up. A lot of talent. So I expect tomorrow to be an interesting and challenging game." 

  

South Korea beats Uzbekistan 3-2 at Asian Cup

DOHA, Qatar: Two goals from Ji Dong-won helped South Korea beat Uzbekistan 3-2 Friday to claim third place in the Asian Cup and automatic qualification for the 2015 tournament.

The win was overshadowed by the announcement that the team's star striker, Park Ji-sung, is retiring from international football to concentrate on his Manchester United career. He joined defender Lee Young-pyo who earlier this week also announced his retirement.

"Park and Lee are going to retire by today," Coach Cho Kwang-rae said. "I want to say they did remarkable job ... It would be better if I could hold both of them in the national team. These players did an excellent job and the Korean fans want to congratulate them."

South Korea, beaten by Japan on penalties in the semifinals, struck first when Lee Yong-rae sent a low ball to a streaking Koo Ja-cheol who scored in the 17th minute for his tournament-leading fifth goal.

The Koreans doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Koo nudged a pass over to an unmarked Ji Dong-won, who slotted past the lunging keeper Ignatiy Nesterov.

Uzbekistan, which lost 6-0 to Australia in the tournament's most lopsided semifinal, appeared to be heading for another embarrassing defeat when the Koreans went 3-0 up. Ji powered a header past goalkeeper Nesterov from Hong Jeong-ho's 39th minute cross.

The Uzbeks, however, launched a comeback right at the end of the first half thanks to a dubious penalty call when Korean defender Hwang Jae-won tangled with striker Olim Novkarov on the edge of the area. Alexander Geynrikh scored from the spot to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Geynrikh added a second in the 53rd minute, taking a cross just outside the area, turning defender Lee Jung-soo inside out and then firing a shot past onrushing keeper Jung Sungryong. It was his third goal of the tournament.

But Uzbekistan couldn't find a goal to level the match. Their best chance came in the 62nd minute when midfielder Viktor Karpenko found Novkarov but he only managed a weak shot that Sungryong grabbed easily.

After the win, the South Korea team tossed both Park and Lee into the air as part of their postgame celebrations.

Cho said the two-time Asian champions started strong but ran out of steam in the second half, partly because two of its last three matches had gone into extra time.

"In the first half, it was the performance of our team was very good, excellent," Cho said. "But in the second half, the players showed their fitness level was almost zero so that caused quite a lot of difficult situations."

Cho said he "was not satisfied" with third place and blamed himself for the team's semifinal loss to Japan on penalties. He came under fire for allowing younger players to take the first spot kicks and the team lost 3-0.

"The players have never lost any game in the Asian Cup," he said. "In the penalty shootout, I as head coach by my misjudgment lost to Japan."

Uzbekistan's coach Vadim Abramov seemed to want to continue talking about the beating his team took against Australia, rather than its hard-fought defeat to South Korea.

"The 6-0 against Australia was a shock to my players," Uzbekistan coach Vadim Abramov said. "I told my players at halftime, play as you can. Uzbekistan can play much better than you've seen here."

Despite finishing fourth, Abramov said he expects better from his players in the future.

"I believe the players can play much better than what you saw now," Abramov said. "Uzbekistan has many young players. My dream is for Uzbekistan to go for the World Cup. I believe it can go, no problem."

___

Lineups:

Uzbekistan: Ignatiy Nesterov, Shavkatjon Mulladjanov, Azizbek Haydarov, Server Djeparov, Odil Akhmedov, Olim Novkarov (Shavkat Salomov, 77), Stanislav Andreev, Alexander Geynrikh, Sanjar Tursunov, Sanjar Temur Juraev, Anzur Ismailov, Sakhob Juraev, Odil Akhmedov, Timur Kapadze, Viktor Karpenko

South Korea: Jung Sungryong; Hwang Jae-won, Lee Yong-rae, Ji Dong-won, Lee Young-pyo, Koo Ja-cheol (Yoon Bit-garam 53), Lee Jung-soo, Hong Jeong-ho (Kwak Tae-hwi, 79), Ki Sung-yueng, Lee Chung-yong (Son Heung-min, 60) Cha Du-ri 

  

Park Ji-sung retiring after 100 matches for S. Korea

DOHA, Qatar: South Korea captain Park Ji-sung is retiring from international football, coach Cho Kwang-rae said Friday.

The 29-year-old Park won his 100th cap in the Asian Cup semifinal loss to Japan on Tuesday and was widely expected to announce his retirement after the tournament.

The Manchester United player has called a news conference in Seoul on Monday, but speaking after South Korea beat Uzbekistan 3-2 to claim third place in Qatar, Cho confirmed that Park and defender Lee Young-pyo will both retire.

"Park and Lee are retiring today," Cho said. "I want to say they did a remarkable job. I love both of them."

Park, who sat out Friday's match as a precaution after concerns about his fitness, refused to say whether he would retire, but his teammates hinted at the decision when they threw both him and Lee into the air after the final whistle on Friday.

"It would be better if I could keep them and convince them to continue playing for the team," Cho said. "But the players have done well for South Korea and we have to accept their decision.

"I am sure that football fans would want to thank them for their contribution to South Korean football. There are also many new players coming through."

Cho singled out tournament top scorer Koo Ja-cheol as someone who might help fill the gap left by Park, who is one of Asia's most successful players.

In 2009, the midfielder became the first South Korean to play in a Champions League final when Manchester United lost to Barcelona. He has also won three Premier League titles and three League Cups with the English club.

He made his international debut in 2000 and was part of the team that reached the World Cup semifinals in 2002 on home soil, the best performance by an Asian team in the competition. He went on to play at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010.

Asked about his future, Park said: "I just try to do my best at our club and to help the team to win everything."

Lee, the former PSV, Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund fullback, won 127 caps for South Korea after making his debut in 1999.

The 33-year-old defender said Park had left a strong legacy for South Korea's young players.

"Personally I want Park Ji-sung to play for this country a little bit more," he said. "But we should respect his final decision about his retirement.

"Since we were young, I've played together with Ji-sung. I believe he has a great passion, a love for football. The young generation they will remember his sacrifices for the team and his passion for football forever. It will have a positive effect on future generations."

Lee said the highlight of his 12-year international career was South Korea's run at the World Cup in 2002, which he described as a "turning point" for Korean football.

"Even the Korean players couldn't believe the achievement of the Korean team," Lee said. "It was a historic moment.

"From the tournament, we showed the world that Asian football can do something in the World Cup. It was very remarkable for my international career. It was quite special for me."

Midfielder Ki Sung-yueng paid tribute to both Park and Lee and described South Korea's win over Uzbekistan as a "present" for the departing players.

"They are really great players for 10 years and I am really proud of them," he said. "They showed to the people all over the world that Korean football is getting better."

  

Asian Cup raises US$330,000 for flood victims in three nations

DOHA: Ticket revenue from the Asian Cup semi-finals raised around US$330,000 for flood victims in Australia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, competition organisers revealed on Thursday.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Qatar Football Association (QFA) had earlier announced that money from ticket sales would go to help people affected by devastating floods in the three countries.

Tournament director Tokuaki Suzuki said organisers would now seek to transfer the money to an organisation capable of distributing it to victims.

“There is an organisation for the flood victims and we will communicate with them to distribute the money,” he said, without specifying the name of the organisation.

The Asian Cup semi-finals saw Japan beat South Korea 3-0 on penalties after a 2-2 draw following extra time, while Australia thrashed Uzbekistan 6-0.

A joint statement by AFC president Mohamed Hammam and QFA chief Sheikh Hamad Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al Thani earlier this week said the flooding had been tragic.

“Our thoughts and wishes go to all those who suffer in our fellow Asian nations of Australia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, recently struck by flooding and national disasters,” it said.

“It is the joint decision of the AFC, the QFA and the organising committee of the Asian Cup to offer the proceeds of the semi-final matches of the AFC Asian Cup to a disaster relief fund in order to help those affected.

“Our condolences are offered to those who have lost their loved ones during these tragic events.”

Recent flooding across Australia has wrought unprecedented damage with at least 22 people dead, while more than one million people have been affected by monsoon floods in Sri Lanka, with some 43 people perishing.

In Thailand, thousands of people were affected by floods in the south this month.