Japan playmaker Keisuke Honda has warned his teammates they must be at their best to defeat the UAE when the two sides face each other in the Asian Cup quarter-finals on Friday.
Defending champions and tournament favourites Japan won Group D with a flawless record, while the UAE were pipped to top spot in Group C by Iran’s 91st minute winner.
It means Mahdi Ali’s men face arguably the toughest last-eight game in the competition, although the UAE’s impressive form and style of play has not gone unnoticed by onlookers, including Honda.
“UAE are playing very well,” warned the AC Milan midfielder. “I don’t think they will fear Japan at all. Hopefully we can continue creating as many chances as we have been.”
Honda revs up
While Honda is full of praise for the UAE, the same cannot be said of the Asian Cup organisers, who he has criticised for the schedule.
Japan’s final group game against Jordan - a 2-0 win - means they have a day less to prepare for the UAE game, and the 28-year-old is less than impressed.
“Two days is too short a recovery time,” said Honda, who has already been fined $5,000 for letting rip at the referee in Japan’s 4-0 win over Palestine earlier in the competition.
“I don’t agree with such a tough schedule. It’s too much and it’s a concern.”
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
