Former UAE international Zuhair Bakhit has expressed his concerns about the national team’s preparations for the 2019 Asian Cup, but backed under-fire Alberto Zaccheroni to remain as manager.
The UAE host the continent’s showpiece event for only the second time in January, when an expanded 24-team tournament takes place across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain and Sharjah.
As hosts, the UAE open the tournament on January 5 against Bahrain at Zayed Sports City Stadium, before completing their Group A campaign against Thailand and India. The final, again at Zayed Sports City, is slated for February 1.
Alberto Zaccheroni’s side are hoping for a strong showing, with the Football Association openly targeting a place in the final. Such a result would at least mirror the national team's runner-up finish in 1996, the only other time the Asian Cup has been held in the Emirates.
However, the UAE have struggled since Zaccheroni took charge 12 months ago and, despite reaching the Gulf Cup final last January, have won once in their past eight matches. Currently, they are ranked ninth in Asia by Fifa.
Recent friendlies, against Andorra, Trinidad and Tobago, Laos, Honduras and Venezuela have contrasted with those undertaken by some of their Asian rivals, with Saudi Arabia taking on Brazil last week and Japan playing Uruguay.
Speaking at an event for du Football Champions, Bakhit, a former forward who featured in three Asian Cups between 1988 and 1996, conceded he is troubled somewhat by the UAE's recent form.
“In the Asian Cup there are many good teams, especially Japan, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia - they are very strong teams and are playing very strong friendly games,” he said. “But our national team don’t play really strong games. So this is difficult for us.
“I’m worried. Because if you want to reach semi-finals or final you have to play against strong national teams. I hope they reach the final. In ’96 we reached the final, but with this national team I don’t know. I hope they go forward, but to the final? I don’t want to say it’s difficult, but there is many strong teams.”
Zaccheroni has largely born the brunt of the UAE fans’ ire, with speculation rife lately the Italian, an Asian Cup winner with Japan in 2011, would be replaced. However, the FA has publicly reiterated their support for the former AC Milan and Juventus manager.
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Bakhit agrees, while also downplaying rumours compatriot Mahdi Ali could be reinstated in the role he held until March last year.
"People talk too much about Zaccheroni, but we are not really professional here,” said Bakhit, a member of the UAE's 1990 World Cup squad. “Zaccheroni is Italian, he’s a big professional. We cannot talk about Zaccheroni, we have to talk about our players and our league here. This is the problem.
“The team went a little bit down after coach Mahdi. He was a good coach, but then we changed two times [Edgardo Bauza and Zaccheroni] - this is problem. Also, the players are becoming a little old now. Before they were young. And there are many injuries. This is also a problem.
“There is no time for Mahdi to come back. He’s my friend, a good coach and also a good man. He’s local and the players like him. But Zaccheroni is a big name, has another strong mentality. We have to follow Zaccheroni to reach in front. It’s too late [to change].”
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
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.
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
