Sport | Football

Asian champions Iraq and China draw 1-1

Asian champions Iraq, down to 10 men for the final 20 minutes, battled to a 1-1 draw with a new-look China here on Wednesday in their opening game of the qualifying campaign of the 2010 World Cup.

  • Gulf News Report
  • Published: 21:30 February 6, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Vazhisojan/Gulf News
  • Iraq and China players battle for the ball during the Asian World Cup qualifier at Al Ahli Club in Dubai on Wednesday.
Image 1 of 3
123

Dubai: Asian champions Iraq, down to 10 men for the final 20 minutes, battled to a 1-1 draw with a new-look China here on Wednesday in their opening game of the qualifying campaign of the 2010 World Cup.

After a scoreless first 45 minutes, Iraq, fielding a team based on the squad that won the Asian Cup last year, took the lead through a 50th-minute penalty from Hawar Taher.

But China, with a team rejigged by newly-installed Serb coach Vladimir Petrovic, hit back with 15 minutes of the game remaining through on-form captain Zheng Zhi, the Charlton Athletic midfielder.

Gulf News
The UAE’s Hamdan Al Kamali and India’s Je Je fight for the ball during the first-leg of the Asian qualifier for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, at the Al Ain
Club’s Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday. Al Kamali opened the account for the hosts with a penalty in the 21st minute, followed by another spot kick converted by Mohammad Al Shhehi in the 29th minute. Ismail Al Hammadi then completed the tally in the 80th minute of the match.

Football

Feature of Kamali breakthrough

Martin Kaymer of Germany lines up a putt on the 18th green on the second day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic golf
championship at Emirates Golf Club on Friday.

Golf

Long wait over

Winning Desert Classic as close to McIlroy's heart as Wozniacki

Cricket

On the backfoot

Sport Editor's choice