Al Wasl duo Fabio De Lima and Caio Canedo have dedicated the team’s first UAE league title in 17 years to everyone connected to the club, but they called for it to spark a prolonged period of success.
The Dubai side were confirmed as Adnoc Pro League champions on Sunday night, when they defeated second-placed Shabab Al Ahli 3-0 at a packed Zabeel Stadium to claim the crown with two rounds to spare.
Having earlier this month clinched the President’s Cup, Wasl emulated their 2006/07 side in completing the double – the last time the club had won either trophy. The title win lifted Wasl to second on the all-time list for top-flight trophies, level with Shabab Al Ahli on eight. Al Ain, crowned Asian champions on Saturday, have 14.
De Lima has been integral to Wasl’s title success, his goal against Shabab Al Ahli making it 16 for the campaign. He sits behind only Al Wahda’s Omar Khribin (17 goals) in the race for the Golden Boot.
Having spent almost a decade at Wasl since joining in the summer of 2014, De Lima is the club’s all-time leading scorer in the league, with 164 goals.
Speaking after the title was sealed, the Brazil-born UAE international said: “I’m waiting, the fans wait, the people who love Al Wasl wait a long time. We deserve this moment. You see the party the fans do before the match, outside the pitch, outside the club. I never see this before in my life.
“The two trophies are for our fans, for our [club president] Sheikh Ahmed [bin Rashid Al Maktoum], our chairman Ahmad Mohammad bin Shafar. They make a good season, they make a good job, they support us until now. We are very happy with these two trophies – we make a great season.
“I do my best, we do our best one more time, and in the end, God helps us with two trophies.”
De Lima, 30, said he had been playing the latter part of the season with a knee injury. Throughout his time with Wasl, the forward has been linked with a number of clubs, both domestically and regionally.
However, he said on Saturday: “You will stay where you feel good. I feel good the whole time here with Al Wasl. The last four, five years, I receive a lot of offers but in the end when I go home and think about life … here in the club there are a lot of people I love. Great people.
“I feel comfortable to stay with Al Wasl and I feel like I finish my career here at Al Wasl. I know I don’t have much more – two, three years maximum – but thanks God, I gave some things to this club.
“If I go back to my country or my home tomorrow after one year, I’m very happy. I gave everything, I did my best.”
Like De Lima, Canedo joined Wasl in 2014 and, after spending then almost four years at Al Ain, returned to the club last summer.
“God is beautiful, Allah is beautiful,” he said. “Look how he draws everything. Same situation as 2007, we can repeat now 17 years later.
“I’m just so happy – the first year coming back to the club, I’m blessed with two titles. I’m just happy that I could help a little bit throughout the season. I just want to celebrate.
“I want to dedicate this to the fans, you see how much this means, they’ve been very supportive. It’s like we say, we have the championship here [stuck in their throat], so we wanted to shout we were still waiting.
“And I told Fabio, ‘My God, the season doesn’t finish. We win, Shabab Al Ahli win, Shabab Al Ahli win, we win. These guys are so annoying, in a respectful way. They have a great team. But thank God everything happened towards us.”
Canedo, 33, was also born in Brazil, but as with De Lima, has represented the UAE since the beginning of 2020. Having now won a second UAE title – he helped Al Ain to the 2021/22 championship – the striker is urging his teammates to ensure this season’s success is not a one-off.
“We have to plan for the future,” Canedo said. “Next year we want more. Because the expectation is going to be very high; all the eyes will be on Al Wasl.
“So we need to be ready, our team needs to be more together, compact, as a true family. Because many difficult competitions are coming.”
Echoing Canedo’s sentiments, De Lima said: “Next season, there will be a lot of pressure because we should continue what we do in this season. I have good plans with the club, with the national team – we have the [Arabian] Gulf Cup [in December], we have to qualify for the [2026 Fifa] World Cup.
“I try to prepare well, stay good physical and mentally, so I can do my best for the club and for the country.”
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%3A%20Zywa%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202021%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Nuha%20Hashem%20and%20Alok%20Kumar%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20UAE%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%243m%3Cbr%3ECompany%20valuation%3A%20%2430m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
