On the pitch, at least, Qatar’s World Cup had run its course.
Exit already confirmed by successive defeats, the tournament hosts suffered a third on the bounce on Tuesday. It rounded off a crushingly underwhelming campaign.
The Netherlands landed the final blow, the three-time runners-up too strong and too streetwise for the finals debutants, eventually triumphing 2-0 at Al Bayt Stadium.
Having for a third time this tournament made the 35-mile trek north of Doha to Al Khor, you’d excuse Qatar for not wanting to go back. Ecuador saw them off there on opening night, rendering Felix Sanchez’s side the first host nation to lose the curtain-raiser. Senegal overpowered them. Then the Dutch delivered the parting shot.
Goals from Cody Gakpo and Frenkie de Jong did the damage, but did not quite detail the dominance. Qatar, as has been too often the case, had no sustained response.
So the Asian champions depart without a solitary point, the first host team to lose three matches at a single World Cup. The Netherlands, who still had progression to secure with a win or draw, advance to the knockouts as Group A winners.
The "Total Football" proponents have not yet totally clicked, but they bound on unbeaten, seven points from a possible nine. Maybe they are just hitting their stride. After declaring his team are in with a shot of becoming champions, manager Louis Van Gaal says his players “have become convinced” of it, too.
Qatar, though, are hardly the yardstick. The Netherlands, with Memphis Depay deemed fit enough for a first start, were superior throughout, even if they had by half-time only Gakpo’s fine strike to show for it.
On 26 minutes, a slick move involving Depay allowed Gakpo and Davy Klaassen to trade a one-two, before the in-form PSV Eindhoven forward curled low into the Qatar net.
It marked Gakpo’s third goal is as many games, lifting him to exalted company. Only three Dutchmen have scored in three consecutive World Cup games: Johan Neeskens, in 1974, Dennis Bergkamp 20 years later, and Wesley Sneijder, during that last run to the final, in 2010. Not a bad list to join.
You would imagine Gakpo, linked heavily with Leeds United and the Premier League in the summer, will have a few more suitors this winter.
Shortly after half-time, De Jong doubled the lead. Qatar failed to clear, Depay’s shot was saved well at close range by goalkeeper Meeshal Barsham, and De Jong was on hand to poke home.
Probably sensing more, Sanchez sent on a succession of substitutes. He would be thankful that Steven Berghuis was denied a Netherlands third by Gakpo's handball in the build-up, and perhaps grateful of his opposite number also. For, as Van Gaal made use of his bench, his team lost their tempo. Maybe minds had turned already to the last 16.
Still, Berghuis seemed determined to stake his claim for a place in the first XI. In injury-time, he shaped a shot from distance on to the Qatar crossbar.
And that was that. The Netherlands move on from the group summit, belief presumably growing that they can go even further than the sides of 1974, 1978 and 2010. In 2014, their most recent World Cup, they finished third.
In contrast, Qatar can for now only look back. Their first global finals, their World Cup, concluded at the first juncture. It was devastatingly disappointing.
Granted, Mohammed Muntari sealed his place forever in the record books, grabbing his country’s opening World Cup goal in the loss to Senegal. But, as Sanchez had since said, this felt the end of a cycle. The initial project was done.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate
Read more about the coronavirus
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
RESULTS
Men – semi-finals
57kg – Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) beat Phuong Xuan Nguyen (VIE) 29-28; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) by points 30-27.
67kg – Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Huong The Nguyen (VIE) by points 30-27; Narin Wonglakhon (THA) v Mojtaba Taravati Aram (IRI) by points 29-28.
60kg – Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Amir Hosein Kaviani (IRI) 30-27; Long Doan Nguyen (VIE) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 29-28
63.5kg – Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Truong Cao Phat (VIE) 30-27; Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Norapat Khundam (THA) RSC round 3.
71kg – Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ) beat Fawzi Baltagi (LBN) 30-27; Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Man Kongsib (THA) 29-28
81kg – Ilyass Hbibali (UAE) beat Alexandr Tsarikov (KAZ) 29-28; Khaled Tarraf (LBN) beat Mustafa Al Tekreeti (IRQ) 30-27
86kg – Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Mohammed Al Qahtani (KSA) RSC round 1; Emil Umayev (KAZ) beat Ahmad Bahman (UAE) TKO round
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
More coverage from the Future Forum
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adil%20El%20Arbi%20and%20Bilall%20Fallah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWill%20Smith%2C%20Martin%20Lawrence%2C%20Joe%20Pantoliano%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
