Paulo Bento’s start with the UAE could barely have gone any better.
Facing his first competitive assignment since his July appointment, the Portuguese built upon a trio of friendly victories with two wins to open qualification to the 2026 World Cup.
The UAE cast aside Nepal, as admittedly they were expected to do, in Dubai. Then they came through against Bahrain in Riffa, in what should represent the toughest test of their second-round campaign.
In triumphing 4-0 and 2-0, the national team sit top of Group H with maximum points and no goals conceded. It extended Bento’s winning streak with his new side to five.
For sure, as the second-lowest ranked side of Round 2, and at 173rd in the Fifa standings more than 100 spots below their hosts, Nepal provided a welcome introduction to competitive life for the UAE manager.
After slowly working their way into the contest at Al Maktoum Stadium, by half-time the UAE were four goals to the good. Points secure, and with Bahrain to come five days later, Bento rested some of his starters and offered opportunities to others.
But it was in Bahrain where it felt like Bento began to truly stamp his authority on the team. Much to the majority's surprise, Bento dropped captain Ali Mabkhout, the UAE’s all-time top scorer, to the bench. Against Nepal, Mabkhout had added another two goals to his international tally.
Yet Bento opted for Al Ain loanee Sultan Adil, who, at just 19, was making his full debut for the UAE. Fabio De Lima, another of the country’s chief attacking threats and scorer of the fourth against Nepal, was also named among the substitutes.
However, it worked. Adil led the line well, offering the UAE a real physical presence up front. Mabkhout even came off the bench late on to net the game’s second goal, making safe the result. Bento's judgement call was justified.
So, qualification double-header expertly negotiated, and the road to World Cup 2026 paused until March, attention shifts now to matters closer to home.
The 2023 Asian Cup, relocated and thus rescheduled, takes place in Qatar from January 12. Drawn in Group C alongside Iran, Hong Kong and Palestine, the UAE have not been granted the easiest of passages to the knockout stages. Hosts Qatar, the reigning champions, could wait in the last 16.
After semi-final appearances in the past two tournaments – a vibrant UAE took bronze in Australia in 2015, but the 2019 side were beaten heavily at their home event by Qatar – a similar target, or even better, has been mooted.
Caution, though, should be exercised. By the time the UAE open their Asian Cup bid against Hong Kong on January 14, Bento will have been in position for six months; still then, those matches against Nepal and Bahrain would mark his only two official games with the national team.
Patently, and despite the fast start, the UAE remain very much a work in progress. In defence, Khalifa Al Hammadi looks a settled presence in the centre, but his partnership with Khalid Al Hashemi clearly needs time. Multiple options are required, also, at left-back; Abdullah Idris, the enterprising Al Jazira defender, looked shaky this past week in the qualifying double-header.
In front of the backline, Ali Salmeen and Abdullah Ramadan were reunited for the Bahrain encounter. Preferred by Bert van Marwijk, one of Bento’s many recent predecessors, they appear the most reliable axis in central midfield.
Keeping Salmeen fit, however, has been a worry dating back to qualification for Qatar 2022. Salmeen, 28, has started three of Al Wasl’s seven league matches this season. Of the options to replace him, Yahia Nader, who played against Nepal in Salmeen’s absence, and Majid Rashid have yet to show they deserve to usurp the Wasl stalwart.
Fortunately for Bento, he has no lack of competent options in attack. The hope is a long-standing overreliance on Mabkhout – with 84 goals for the UAE, he sits some way out in front as record holder – has been reduced somewhat by the emergence of Adil, albeit still largely unproved, and Caio Canedo’s ability to play centrally.
In behind, or out wide, Bento can call upon De Lima, Ali Saleh, Yahya Al Ghassani and Tahnoun Al Zaabi. Harib Abdallah, meanwhile, might well be the standout youngster in what continues to be transitional team. Much is expected of the Shabab Al Ahli winger, still a few days short of his 21st birthday.
UAE supporters are right to be buoyed by the beginning of Bento's tenure, although you suspect the former Portugal and South Korea manager will most certainly not be getting carried away. Expectation must be tempered, especially now the UAE fix their focus on a testing Asian Cup quest.
Given the past four years of upheaval - Bento is the UAE's sixth permanent manager in that time - progress, slow and steady, would be an appreciated path to plot.
Bahrain 0-2 UAE - in pictures
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
SPECS
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Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
The%20specs
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Squads
Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam (vc), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The%20specs
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
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
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
