One of the standout players in the UAE league conspired to push World Cup qualification further from the national team’s reach, as he inspired Iran to a 2-0 win in Tehran on Thursday night.
Sardar Azmoun, the imported star striker for Dubai’s table-topping club Shabab Al Ahli, scored the opening goal for the home team.
Mohammed Mohebi put the game beyond the UAE in the second phase of an eventful qualifier in the Iranian capital.
With three games left in the group, the national team’s hopes of claiming one of the two automatic qualification places for the main event in the United States, Canada and Mexico are starting to fade.
The result leaves them nine points behind first-placed Iran. In a game that kicked off simultaneously, Uzbekistan beat Kyrgyzstan 1-0. That extended their advantage in second place over the UAE to six points.
The Uzbeks have to travel to the UAE in the last window of this round of qualifying, in June. The national team also have fixtures against North Korea and Kyrgyzstan in which to try to cut the deficit.
Paulo Bento, the UAE coach, had been creative in his attempt to shock the group leaders, and finals regulars, Iran.
Most notably, Fabio De Lima, the Al Wasl playmaker who scored four goals in the last qualifier, against Qatar in November, had to make do with a place on the bench.
Caio Lucas debuted, nearly nine years after he first arrived at Al Ain from Kashima Antlers, at the tip of the UAE attack. He would have plenty of work to do as the lone striker in a 5-4-1 set up.
Lucas Pimenta, Al Wahda’s Brazil-born defender, also made his first appearance for the national team, at the centre of the new-look five-man backline.
That included Mackenzie Hunt on the left, where he usually plays his club football for Fleetwood Town in the English fourth tier. More often for the UAE in his budding career so far, though, he has played as a central midfielder.
If the UAE line-up was novel, the threats posed by their opposition were well known.
During the pre-kick off formalities, Azmoun was the last player in the Iran line-up. As the sides greeted each other, he was met with a big smile by many, especially from Yahya Al Ghassani and Harib Abdalla, his teammates at Adnoc Pro League title-chasers Shabab Al Ahli.
In the fifth minute, the two UAE-based forwards for Iran combined to create the first opening of the game.
Mehdi Ghayedi, the Ittihad Kalba winger who scored the goal which separated the two sides in the corresponding fixture earlier in the group, crossed from the left.
Azmoun chested the ball into the path of Mohebi. Somehow, he managed to shoot at Khalid Essa when it seemed easier to score, and the ball bounced away to safety off the goalkeeper’s knee.
The match was delayed in the 11th minute when one of the floodlights at the Azadi Sports Complex failed. As the ground staff attempted to fix the fault, the crowd flashed the torches from their mobile phones as an impromptu solution.
Fourteen minutes after the delay started, the referee directed the players off the field and to the dressing rooms.
Until that point, the two sides had tried to keep themselves warm in the cool and wet conditions by kicking balls around between themselves. For some of the time, Al Ghassani and Azmoun were giggling between themselves about the situation.
Almost as soon as the players had made it to the dressing rooms, the malfunction was rectified. But by the time the light was back up to full beam and play resumed, the delay had been 29 minutes.
It was UAE who settled best after the disruption. Lucas had the chance to mark his debut in style, but fired a fierce drive just wide. And Hunt, after one of many fine overlapping runs from full-back, shot straight at the goalkeeper.
All the promise from the away side dissipated when, with 73 minutes on the clock – but still just before half-time – Azmoun found himself totally unmarked six yards out.
Where Mohebi failed from similar range earlier on, Azmoun could not miss, and he headed the hosts into the lead.
Mohebi did have the ball in the net straight after the interval, latching on to a long ball out of Iran’s defence, outpacing Pimenta, then shooting past Essa. The away side were reprieved by the offside flag, though.
Mohebi finally did get his goal in the 70th minute. The UAE had just reshuffled their shape, bringing De Lima and Jonatas Santos, another debutant, on to chase a goal.
All it served to do was to leave more space at the back. Mohebi made the most of it immediately, racing through and forcing the second goal past Essa.
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
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.
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
