Andre Onana has found himself making some unexpected journeys these last few days.
There is his sudden shuffle from number one goalkeeper at Manchester United to discarded, late-transfer window loanee at Trabzonspor. Then there was his desperate sprint, over 90-odd metres of a small Atlantic island, to try to salvage a lost cause.
Onana had run from Cameroon’s penalty area to the edge of a six-yard box stoutly defended by Cape Verde, the so-called Blue Sharks, a team whom all logic would cast as football minnows.
Yet in Praia, the capital of an archipelago nation of just over half a million citizens, Cape Verde on Tuesday took a first-half lead against Cameroon. And they held it.
Under two minutes of stoppage time remained when Onana left his goal to join the thicket of tall men lining up to meet a corner. He leapt high, made contact but with insufficient power. The last chance of an equaliser had fizzled.
Within a few seconds, jubilant islanders were eyeing a place at the next World Cup.
Cape Verde have never been at a World Cup finals before. Cameroon have been to eight of them and famously set a new bar for the African continent by reaching the quarter-finals in 1990.
But qualifying for the 2026 edition, to be staged across North America and with the format expanded to accommodate 48 national teams, now has the Sharks in pole position and Cameroon, aka The Indomitable Lions, in danger of sinking.
The islanders lead Group D of African qualifying by four points with two matches remaining, the last of which, for Cape Verde, is at home to bottom side Eswatini who have no prospect of securing even second place, which, for the best four runners-up of the nine groups, would be a ticket into a fraught set of play-offs.
Cameroon, second in Group D, are not even among those four right now and given their remaining pool matches are against Libya and Angola, both of whom could leapfrog them in the table, these are anxious Lions.
The increased representation at the 2026 World Cup has been a spur to countries like Cape Verde, who only reached their first Africa Cup of Nations finals a dozen years ago.
There are nine automatic spots – up from five – for Africa among the 48 countries who will travel to the USA, Mexico and Canada in June. “For a team like us, the expansion a very good thing,” the Cape Verde manager, Pedro Leitao Brito, known to all as ‘Bubista’, told The National. “It’s been a great stimulus.”
He praised the “character and resistance” of his players, a group drawn heavily from the country’s broad diaspora, and from clubs in various continents, none of them household names unless that household happens to be the home of, say, Al Bataeh supporters in Sharjah.
The Al Bataeh defender, Diney Borges, now in his third season in the UAE Pro League, had a fine game against Cameroon, and he has contributed significantly to the World Cup dream, scoring two of Cape Verde’s 10 goals in qualifying so far.
Dailon Livramento, the Netherlands-born striker, struck the decider against Cameroon, via a zippy counter-attack that began in his own half, had him outpacing the chasing Bryan Mbeumo and planting a firm shot past a static Onana.
Thus, two celebrated employees of Manchester United were left reeling by a forward whose last senior club goal, for Italy’s Verona, was scored more than a year ago.
Livramento has just started a loan spell with Casa Pia in Portugal, from where he can now set his sights on spearheading his country on the greatest stage in his sport, a World Cup.
He may even secure his ticket before Africa’s finest footballer, Mohamed Salah, books his place in the finals with Egypt, who were held to a 0-0 draw in Burkina Faso.
The Burkinabe trail Salah’s group-leaders by five points. The Pharaohs will guarantee top place with two points from their remaining matches, which ought to be a formality given they play rock-bottom Djibouti next.
Whether they have Omar Marmoush, who was withdrawn early in the Burkina Faso stalemate with a knee injury, available then remains to be seen.
North Africa can anticipate at least four World Cup finalists. Morocco, semi-finalists at the 2022 finals in Qatar, became the first qualifier for Africa and, having confirmed their place, extended their run of form to 14 successive victories by beating Zambia.
That record excludes the sequence of games that took Morocco’s home-based team to victory in the African Nations Championship last month. There is great strength-in-depth among the Atlas Lions.
Tunisia booked their ticket to North America thanks to Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane’s 94th minute winner in Equatorial Guinea.
But Algeria laboured, their goalless draw in Guinea meaning that in order to secure top place in a Group D where Uganda and Mozambique trail the Desert Foxes by four points, there is still work to be done – and fans to appease.
Coach Vladimir Petkovic, despite overseeing nine wins and single defeat in the 12 competitive matches since he took on the job 18 months ago, faced shrill criticism on his return from West Africa on Tuesday, as did captain Riyad Mahrez.
Nigeria’s joust with South Africa to qualify from Group C remains a cliffhanger, until next month – and possible beyond.
The South Africans maintained their six point lead over Nigeria with a 1-1 draw against the Super Eagles in Bloemfontein. But hanging over South Africa, the group leaders, is a pending Fifa decision on what sanction, if any, will be imposed on them for having fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their March victory against Lesotho.
Nor is the battle for the qualifying and play-off berths a two-way contest. Benin, three points behind South Africa, occupy second spot.
In the remaining groups, African champions Ivory Coast kept their narrow lead over Gabon, the two teams sharing a 0-0 draw, Ghana hold a three point advantage over Madagascar, while Senegal breathed a sigh of relief, coming from 2-0 down in Kinshasa against Democratic Republic of Congo to win 3-2 and move above the Congolese into the automatic qualifying place.
The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The years Ramadan fell in May
The lowdown
Bohemian Rhapsody
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee
Rating: 3/5
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Honeymoonish
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Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Company%20Profile
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ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
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Men from Barca's class of 99
Crystal Palace - Frank de Boer
Everton - Ronald Koeman
Manchester City - Pep Guardiola
Manchester United - Jose Mourinho
Southampton - Mauricio Pellegrino
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
Full list of Emmy 2020 nominations
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
OUTSTANDING VARIETY/TALK SERIES
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Steve Carell, The Morning Show
Brian Cox, Succession
Billy Porter, Pose
Jeremy Strong, Succession
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Zendaya, Euphoria
OUTSTANDING REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Masked Singer
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Jeremy Irons, Watchmen
Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
Paul Mescal, Normal People
Jeremy Pope, Hollywood
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Regina King, Watchmen
Octavia Spencer, Self Made
Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
Little Fires Everywhere
Mrs. America
Unbelievable
Unorthodox
Watchmen
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dead to Me
The Good Place
Insecure
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Schitt’s Creek
What We Do In The Shadows
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Killing Eve
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Stranger Things
Succession
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
The%20specs
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