Canberra // The UAE got their 2015 Asian Cup campaign off to a dream start after coming back from a goal down to thrash Gulf Cup of Nations champions Qatar 4-1 yesterday.
Mahdi Ali’s men matched Australia’s scoreline against Kuwait on the opening night to leave the coach delighted with the result.
“I am very happy with this win. Usually, a coach is optimistic when he sees the players doing their best, how disciplined they are, how much effort they are putting in their training, doing what I want,” he said.
“That is one of the main reasons I was confident for this game, I was sure they will play well and do their best. But, of course, this is football you can never expect the result.”
The UAE were the more energetic side from the start but fell behind in the 22nd minute to a superb volley by Khalfan Ibrahim, last year’s AFC Player of the Year runner-up.
The Emiratis did not panic, though, and almost equalised straight away from an Ahmed Khalil header that was saved by Qassem Burhan.
“Before the game I had told the players, there are 90 minutes and we play to the final whistle,” Mahdi Ali said. “Whatever happens we try to do our best and stick to our task.”
Omar Abdulrahman had started on the right wing in Mahdi Ali’s surprise 4-4-2 formation and initially seemed to be off the pace after a long injury lay-off.
As he began to drift into the centre, things improved for the Emiratis. After 37 minutes Abdulrahman started the move – and later reclaimed possession – that led to Abdulaziz Sanqour crossing for Khalil. His header was cleared off the line but the rebound hit his chest and went in for the equaliser.
The UAE pressed their advantage at the start of the second half. Khalil scored again with an excellent free kick, inside the far post from the left corner of the box, in the 52nd minute.
Four minutes later, the Qatari goalkeeper failed to hold Khamis Ismail’s dipping free kick and Ali Mabkhout tapped in from close range.
Mabkhout ended a memorable day for Mahdi Ali’s team with a goal in the final minute after several interchanges with Omar Abdulrahman.
“We worked very hard for this match, because it was the key game in the competition,” Mahdi Ali said. “We have three steps in the first round and the first one is very important because it gives the team more confidence and more motivation to do their best in the second game.”
The Emiratis face Bahrain on Thursday. Mahdi Ali said the players remain focused.
“We always think about improvement, because we define success as being better than yesterday,” he said.
“We played a good game; there were so many good things from the team. But also we have to work hard.
“I don’t want to say it in the press conference, but there are many things we can work harder on if we want to go far in the competition.”
Qatar coach Djamel Belmadi took “no positives” from the match as they were left staring at an early exit. “When you lose 4-1 in the first game there’s nothing to take, there’s nothing positive,” an angry Belmadi said.
“Now we have to play against Iran, who qualified for the last World Cup. We are already under pressure after the game today and we have to make it a massive match. When you analyse the goals there were a lot of individual mistakes.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
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What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
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Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
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