Al Jazira manager Marcel Keizer has called on his players to rise to the challenge of the "must-win game" against Mumbai City FC as the Abu Dhabi club aim to get their Asian Champions League campaign up and running.
Jazira have lost both matches in Group B so far, going down 2-1 in their opener to Air Force Club before a 3-0 defeat to Al Shabab. Mumbai City, meanwhile, enter the match after claiming the first Champions League win in the club's history.
With four matches still to go in the double round-robin group stage, Jazira have time to turn around their fortunes, but Keizer has urged his team to start getting points on the board.
“We are just disappointed about the results, especially after losing against Al Shabab,” Keizer said ahead of Thursday's match at King Fahd International Stadium.
“It’s a must win game now against Mumbai City. They are a strong team and we know what we have to do to beat them. We will try hard to get that first win and hopefully better results will follow in the next few games.”
Jazira will be without the services of experienced centre-back Milos Kosanovic because of injury, and while admitting it is a setback, Keizer believes Jazira have the depth to cope.
“Yes, we miss Milos. He has been a big player for us. But I still think we have good defenders," he said. “We have some younger players in the squad and it’s good for them to play at this level of competition. Defending in a game is not just limited to defenders but lies with the whole team.
“We are facing a very good footballing side in Mumbai City. I’ve seen them play here as well as watched them in the domestic league. They are an attacking team and I will not underestimate them.”
Jazira would indeed be wise not to underestimate Mumbai City. After beginning their campaign with a 3-0 defeat against Shabab, the Indian Super League side bounced back to beat Air Force Club 2-1 and sit second in the group.
Following the historic achievement of winning their first ever Champions League match, Mumbai City manager Des Buckingham wants his team to stay focused against Jazira.
“It’s a game we’re looking forward to, our third game in over eight days and it’s good that we’re getting some rest and recovery ahead of the match,” the Englishman said.
“The mood in the squad is good and we have the majority of the players available and we’re getting ready for the game as best we can.
“We have spent six months playing in the domestic league and several weeks in Abu Dhabi preparing for the tournament and we’re here trying to achieve what an Indian team has not achieved before in this competition.”
Over in Group C, Shabab Al Ahli take on leaders Al Gharafa of Qatar at the Prince Abdullah bin Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, and manager Mahdi Ali believes his team can use their experience to their advantage in pursuit of their first victory of the campaign. The Dubai side have drawn their opening two matches, while Al Gharafa enter the game with one win and a draw.
“It is important because you need a good result against the leading team,” the Emirati said. “They are a good team technically but we are more experienced in this type of competition. We have analysed their matches and hopefully we can take advantage of their weak points.”
Gharafa manager Andrea Stramaccioni has urged his players to continue their encouraging start, saying: “International competitions are different as compared to the leagues. The quality of opponents are higher so the team must be almost perfect and not make a single mistake.
“We have shown that we are a solid team waiting for the right moment to be dangerous. It will be a tough game [against Shabab Al Ahli]. Our opponent has the characteristics and individual quality to make it a difficult match.
“In my opinion, they are the best team in front in terms of quality and skills. For us to be successful, we must give a perfect performance."
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
