Their pride battered in one of their worst seasons, Al Wahda are on mission to restore the respect of a team that won the league three times and had the runner-up status three times in the last decade.
They struggled to avoid relegation in the league last season and only a late flourish saw them finish with a respectable 30 points to finish eight in the Etisalat League. It was a traumatic season for them in which they fired the Brazilian coach Ivo Wortmann with whom they began on high hopes and then sacked his replacement Dutchman Jo Bonfrere.
Ahmed Abdulhaleem, who came in as caretaker, has been given the job to continue as head coach in the Pro League. The former Egypt international saw them through the troubled period by winning the last five games in the league and took them to the Asian Champions League semi-final.
"Having worked with the players from the middle of last season I have got to know them better," said Abdulhaleem. "It is a new start and takes time for any team to get the right combination.
"I am fortunate to work with a strong team and with a very proud record. They were just not lucky enough to win matches early last season and that in turn put the pressure on the players.
"The good thing is they finished strongly and now it is a matter of taking that confidence forward. I am very fortunate to be in charge of such a talented side where half the line-up is members of the current national team."
Wahda has retained the Brazilians Pinga and Alecsandro Barbosa, and roped in the Moroccan international Mourad Ainy to strengthen the defence. Josiel da Rocha, one of the big signings of last season, has been loaned to his native Brazilian club Flamingoes for one year.
They also have a couple of under-23 players, Tunisian Karim Aouadhi and Abdulla al Dhakeel from Bahrain as backups for the main foreign trio.
Pinga was impressive last season, and it was no surprise he has be retained ahead of Josiel. Alecsandro played in the last four games after missing much of last season because of an injury.
Ismail Matar remains their most influential player and will spearhead the attack with his national teammate Mohammed al Shehhi, whose outstanding performance last season earned him the UAE Player of the Year award.
They are joined by other national team members - Abdulraheem Jumaa, Haider Ali and Abdulla Noobi - on the midfield, and Fahad Masoud returns as right wing attack after a season with Qatar Club - the first UAE player to play as a pro abroad.
Basheer Saeed will be joined by Ainy in defence, the Moroccan fills the void left by the veteran Abdulla Salem, who retired following injury. Abdulla Rabea remains the first choice goalkeeper with the recent purchase of Ali al Amir from Al Wasl.
Abdulhaleem saw no weaknesses in the defence. He added, "The defence was good and now it is better with Ainy, who plays as the libero. We also have a lot of options with a strong bench."
Wahda's record in the past decade has been impressive with three league titles, a President's Cup and Super Cup, besides reaching the semi-finals and the last eight in the Asian Champions League in 2007 and 2004 respectively. They were also runner up three times and finished third and fourth in the 10 years.
Abdulla al Junaibi, the chairman of the club's executive committee, believes it was natural that any leading side has a slump after 10 years.
"But we were not bad as it so often happens with all the leading clubs," said Junaibi. "Most good teams take about 2 to 3 years to recover but we recovered towards the end of the season with five consecutive wins and reached the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League.
"We are looking forward to carry on from where we left. I feel we have a strong squad and the chemistry of this team remains good. With the new competition and the challenge league in place, we can put the reserves to good use."
The challenge league is played with the reserves in the following day of the Pro League on the same order of the Pro League fixtures.
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UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
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Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Dunki
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Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
How%20champions%20are%20made
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Honeymoonish
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Brief scoreline:
Burnley 3
Barnes 63', 70', Berg Gudmundsson 75'
Southampton 3
Man of the match
Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Day 2, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dinesh Chandimal has inherited a challenging job, after being made Sri Lanka’s Test captain. He responded in perfect fashion, with an easy-natured century against Pakistan. He brought up three figures with a majestic cover drive, which he just stood and admired.
Stat of the day – 33 It took 33 balls for Dilruwan Perera to get off the mark. His time on zero was eventful enough. The Sri Lankan No 7 was given out LBW twice, but managed to have both decisions overturned on review. The TV replays showed both times that he had inside edged the ball onto his pad.
The verdict In the two previous times these two sides have met in Abu Dhabi, the Tests have been drawn. The docile nature of proceedings so far makes that the likely outcome again this time, but both sides will be harbouring thoughts that they can force their way into a winning position.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands