Mohamed Salah won’t stop at 40 for the season, says Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp

Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring against Bournemouth on Saturday. The Egyptian now has 40 for the season. (AFP)
Updated 15 April 2018
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Mohamed Salah won’t stop at 40 for the season, says Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp

  • Egyptian became first Liverpool player since Ian Rush to reach 40-goal mark
  • Klopp: 'What a number. Wow'

LIVERPOOL: Jurgen Klopp believes Mohamed Salah has not finished in his efforts to rewrite the Liverpool goalscoring record books after the Egyptian international took his tally for the season to 40 goals in a 3-0 Premier League victory over Bournemouth.
But the German manager also insists that Salah will not be distracted by his quest for the Golden Boot award, for the Premier League’s leading scorer, as Liverpool seek to end a memorable season by winning the Champions League.
Salah, in his first season at Anfield, became the first Liverpool player since Ian Rush in 1986-87 to reach the 40-goal mark and only the third from the club ever to reach that landmark after Rush and 1966 England World Cup winner Roger Hunt.
But Salah has reached his 40 quicker than either of his predecessors and, with potentially seven games remaining for his team, may yet challenge the all-time club record, currently held by Rush who scored 47 goals in a blistering 1983-84 campaign.
“Really it’s 31 years? He doesn’t look that old. He must have been 14 when he scored his 40 goals,” joked Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp about Rush, when told Salah had become the first Liverpool player since the Welshman to hit 40.
“But Mo knows what this means and the way we play suits him. For him, for the boys, it’s fantastic and today he certainly didn’t look like he doesn’t want to score in the next few games.
“It’s all about him, all about us and how we finish the season. Normally, in that situation, to be top of the goalscoring list at the end and win the Golden Boot, or whatever it’s called, means you have been successful as a team, but we can’t force it. But it’s good, impressive. What a number. Wow!“
There was certainly a “wow” factor about the manner in which Salah claimed his 40th, and the 30th in the league this season, after 69 minutes.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s hanging cross into the Bournemouth area allowed Salah to peel away from his marker Nathan Ake and flick the most perceptive of finishes with his head over keeper Asmir Begovic.
Either side of Salah’s goal were efforts from Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, taking their respective Liverpool tallies for the season to 25 and 17, meaning the prolific front three have now combined for an astonishing 82 goals between them this season.
Firmino’s 90th minute third goal made it 300 for Liverpool in well under three seasons since Klopp took over, but he insisted they can still improve in attacking areas by not always looking for Salah.
“What a number we’ve scored as team over the whole season,” added Klopp.
“That’s really good and we have to carry it on for a few games to come. I have seen the boys looking for Mo but we have to mix it up a little bit.
“He’s the threat but it’s good to analyze it with the boys afterwards, we show them and they listen. A lot of times we are in a position shooting and they cannot always give the ball to him. So we can still improve in this situation to use his threat and pass the ball somewhere else.”
With Anfield in the mood to celebrate the superb midweek Champions League victory over Manchester City, Mane gave the home crowd something to cheer about when he met a seventh minute cross from Jordan Henderson.
Begovic did well to save the initial header but Mane reacted quickly to blast in the loose ball.
And after Salah took center stage, Firmino rounded off a fine afternoon for the hosts when he converted clinically from 18 yards after being picked out by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Bournemouth took four points from Liverpool last season, but having been swept aside in both meetings this campaign, Eddie Howe believes Liverpool’s improvement makes them serious contenders to win the Champions League.
“Comparing Liverpool to last season, they have really improved, grown as a team, as they have shown through the season,” said Howe. “Of course they can win the Champions League.”


Saudi taekwondo athlete Donia Abu Taleb wins Best Arab Achievement Award

Updated 56 min 10 sec ago
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Saudi taekwondo athlete Donia Abu Taleb wins Best Arab Achievement Award

  • Taleb, the first Saudi athlete to directly qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics, receives honor from Egyptian sports minister
  • Saudi Taekwondo Federation named Best Arab Federation in recognition of its achievements both locally and internationally

RIYADH: Saudi taekwondo standout Donia Abu Taleb has been honored with the Best Arab Achievement Award at a ceremony in Cairo celebrating the achievements of Arab athletes.

About 40 athletes from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Tunisia, Jordan, Algeria, Qatar and Morocco were honored, along with businessmen from various Arab countries.

Egypt’s Minister of Youths and Sports, Ashraf Subhi, handed the recognition to Taleb, the first Saudi athlete to directly qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The Saudi Taekwondo Federation was also awarded the Best Arab Federation in recognition of its achievements both locally and internationally, particularly Taleb’s qualification for the Paris Olympics.

Mohammed Al-Shehri, executive director of the federation, accepted the award on behalf of the sports group.


Japan beats Uzbekistan in stoppage time in U23 Asian Cup final

Updated 04 May 2024
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Japan beats Uzbekistan in stoppage time in U23 Asian Cup final

  • Substitute Fuki Yamada broke the deadlock in the first minute of stoppage time

AL-RAYYAN, Qatar: Japan left it late to win its second Under-23 Asian Cup after beating Uzbekistan 1-0 in the final on Friday.
Substitute Fuki Yamada broke the deadlock in the first minute of stoppage time at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium and Japan goalkeeper Leo Kokubo saved a penalty to preserve the lead.
Uzbekistan, the 2018 champion, almost took an incredible lead just before halftime. Ruslanbek Jiyanov, just inside the Japanese half, tried to send a long cross into the area but, instead, the flight of the ball deceived Kokubo and bounced off the crossbar.
For the goal, Ryotaro Araki backheeled the ball to Yamada just outside the area, and he fired low into the left corner.
Just five minutes later, Uzbekistan was awarded a penalty after a VAR review when Hiroki Sekine handled in the area. Kokubo made a diving save to his right to push out Umarali Rakhmonaliev’s powerful shot.
Both finalists and third-placed Iran also qualified for Paris Olympics men’s football. Fourth-placed Indonesia has one more chance to make it to a first Olympics since 1956 with a playoff against Guinea next Thursday.


Munoz leads LIV Golf Singapore, Fireballs and Smash share team lead

Updated 04 May 2024
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Munoz leads LIV Golf Singapore, Fireballs and Smash share team lead

  • Colombian’s 6-under 65 at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course gives him a 1-shot advantage over a group of 6 players

SINGAPORE: After suffering a “little low point” a week ago in Australia, Torque GC’s Sebastian Munoz produced his best round of the 2024 season on Friday to take the first-round lead at LIV Golf Singapore.

Munoz’s 6-under 65 at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course gives him a one-shot advantage over a group of six players: Smash GC captain Brooks Koepka, Cleeks GC captain Martin Kaymer, Iron Heads GC captain Kevin Na, RangeGoats GC’s Thomas Pieters, HyFlyers GC’s Cameron Tringale and Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer.

Another eight players are two shots back, including Munoz’s captain Joaquin Niemann, the current Individual points leader.

The team leaderboard is just as crowded. Fireballs and Smash share the lead at 11 under, with three teams just one shot back: Cleeks, RangeGoats and Stinger GC.

For Munoz, Friday’s round was a welcome relief after his struggles in the first round in Adelaide. He suffered five bogeys, including three straight, in his final 10 holes to shoot a one-over 72. It was his fourth over-par score in five rounds to that point.

“(It) kind of hit me hard,” Munoz recalled. But his Torque teammates gathered together after the round to offer support. “We kind of had a deep talk,” he said. “Just having good, solid teammates can help you a lot.”

Munoz bounced back with two solid rounds to finish up in Adelaide, then fed off that momentum on Friday in Singapore, setting the tone with birdies on two of his first three holes.

Munoz added: “(I’m) really happy where the game is right now and kind of trending.”

Koepka, who was celebrating his 34th birthday on Friday, found his putting stroke that had been mostly absent this season. He opened with five birdies in his first seven holes, and then saved par with a 12-footer after his birdie attempt had rolled off the green. A three-putt on the par-4 16th was his only blemish.

“I thought I putted OK,” Koepka said. “Speed was off, but the ones that I needed to make, I felt like I made.”

Pieters has found his form recently with a tie for ninth in Miami and a tie for 14th in Adelaide. His bogey-free 66, including an eagle at the par-5 18th, was his sixth consecutive sub-par round.

He said: “I’ve been putting a lot of work into it over the last few months. I just had a rough time last year personally, and I finally found the time and the focus to kind of refocus on my game. I’ve been working on every aspect, and it’s kind of showing now.”

Ancer also continued his hot stretch that included his first LIV Golf individual win two months ago in Hong Kong. He suffered an early bogey, but then found his rhythm the rest of the way, including a stretch of three consecutive birdies to finish up his first nine holes.

After finishing 47th out of 48 players in Singapore last year, Ancer was happy with the strong start to this week.

He said: “I was not in the same spot with my swing last year. (I was) not playing confident at the time. I feel a lot better today. Big difference.”

Kaymer was coming off his best LIV round, an 8-under 64 on Sunday in Adelaide, and continued to show positive signs with his 66. Na, like Munoz, played well in the last two rounds in Adelaide after a tough start and was bogey-free for his first 15 holes on Friday.

Standings and counting scores for Friday’s opening round of the team competition at LIV Golf Singapore. The three best scores from each team count in the first two rounds while all four scores count in the final round. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.

T1. FIREBALLS GC -11 (Ancer 66, Chacarra 67, Garcia 69)

T1. SMASH GC -11 (Koepka 66, Gooch 68, McDowell 68)

T3. RANGEGOATS GC -10 (Pieters 66, Wolff 68, Uihlein 69)

T3. CLEEKS GC -10 (Kaymer 66, Meronk 67, Bland 70)

T3. STINGER GC -10 (Burmester 67, Oosthuizen 67, Grace 69)

6. TORQUE GC -9 (Muñoz 65, Niemann 67, Ortiz 72)

T7. RIPPER GC -8 (Herbert 67, Leishman 67, Smith 71)

T7. LEGION XIII -8 (Hatton 68, Vincent 68, Rahm 69)

9. HYFLYERS GC -7 (Tringale 66, Steele 68, Mickelson 72)

10. IRON HEADS GC -5 (Na 66, Vincent 70, Lee 72)

11. 4ACES GC -4 (Johnson 67, Reed 71, Varner III 71)

T12. CRUSHERS GC -1 (Casey 69, Lahiri 70, DeChambeau 73)

T12. MAJESTICKS GC -1 (Poulter 70, Horsfield 71, Westwood 71)


Luton gains valuable point from home draw with Everton

Updated 04 May 2024
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Luton gains valuable point from home draw with Everton

  • Luton remained third to last

LUTON, England: Luton got a valuable point in its fight to avoid relegation after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with visiting Everton in the English Premier League on Friday.
Luton remained third to last, below 17th-placed Nottingham Forest only on goal difference. Luton has two games left. Everton has already guaranteed its survival.
Everton took the initiative when Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored from the penalty spot after 24 minutes.
A video review ruled Teden Mengi held Jarrad Branthwaite, and Calvert-Lewin notched his fourth goal in his last five appearances.
Luton bounced back quickly thanks to Elijan Adebayo. The striker scored five in five games before he was injured in February, and almost three months out did not seem to have affected his eye for goal. In his first start since returning, Adebayo collected his 10th goal of the season.
Luton substitute Andros Townsend saw his shot blocked on the line in the dying seconds.


Mitchell Starc shows class as Kolkata Knight Riders notch IPL win in Mumbai

Updated 03 May 2024
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Mitchell Starc shows class as Kolkata Knight Riders notch IPL win in Mumbai

  • Kolkata's first win at the Wankhede ground in 12 years and seventh from 10 games this season

MUMBAI: Mitchell Starc picked up four wickets as a disciplined bowling performance helped Kolkata Knight Riders seal a 24-run victory over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League on Friday.
Chasing a below-par 170, Mumbai lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 145 off 18.5 overs at the Wankhede Stadium.
Suryakumar Yadav raised hopes with a 35-ball 56 but his dismissal in the 16th over tilted the scales in favour of Kolkata.
This was Kolkata's first win at the Wankhede ground in 12 years and seventh from 10 games this season.
Mumbai slumped to ninth position in the 10-team competition after their eighth loss in 11 games.
Kolkata are placed second and well poised to make it to the play-offs.
"Obviously we couldn't form partnerships and kept losing wickets," said Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya.
"There are a lot of questions that will take time to answer. But for now, not much to say."
Mumbai were off to a shaky start, with Starc flattening the leg-stump of Ishan Kishan (13) and Varun Chakravarthy sending back Naman Dhir (11).
The home team got another big jolt when Rohit Sharma, who came in as an impact sub, miscued a shot to be caught off Sunil Narine for 11.
Pandya's poor run of form continued as he was out for one, much to the disappointment of the strong home crowd.
Yadav hit his third half-century of the season and Tim David chipped in with 24 but Kolkata did well to rein in the five-time champions.
Earlier, Kolkata lost five quick wickets including that of the prolific Phil Salt (five) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (six) after being put in to bat.
Tottering at 57-5, Venkatesh Iyer (70) and impact sub Manish Pandey (42) steadied Kolkata with an 83-run stand and ensured a respectable total on the board.
Iyer, who hit a century at the same ground last season, hit three sixes and six fours in his fighting 52-ball knock.
"It's an extremely good feeling, because we haven't won at Wankhede for 12 years," said Kolkata's Varun Chakravarthy.
"This is a very special win because we were down and out in the first innings. The way Venkatesh and Manish pulled it back was great."
Jasprit Bumrah and Sri Lanka's Nuwan Thushara were the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets each and troubling the batsmen with their line and length on a lively wicket.