AL AIN // Zlatko Dalic has told his Al Ain side to forget about their recent domestic disappointment and concentrate on qualifying for the knockout stages of the Asian Champions League.
Al Ain, the only UAE representative to capture the continental crown, begin their Group D campaign Wednesday against Qatar’s El Jaish at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Al Ain come into the match having just relinquished top spot in the Arabian Gulf League for the first time since early season, following Thursday’s 2-1 home defeat to Al Shabab. Al Ahli, runners-up in Asia last year, now lead the standings by one point with seven matches remaining.
Read more from John McAuley:
Al Ain, Al Jazira and Al Nasr in Asian Champions League: Everything you need to know
UAE clubs should have realistic expectations for Asian Champions League after recent success
However, Dalic has urged his players to prove Thursday was simply a blip, as they seek to improve upon last year’s Champions League performance. After winning their group, Al Ain were eliminated in the last 16 by Ahli.
“It’s a new competition, different from the league and the players are ready for this competition,” Dalic said. “They know how special this is to Al Ain.
“We didn’t deserve to lose two points in the last game. But I agree that this is not an easy time for us. It’s better if we play against Jaish after a win, but we need to get back to winning ways and win this next game, because we have many games coming and this is the first in the Champions League.”
Two errors by goalkeeper Khalid Essa handed an injury-time victory to Shabab last week, with Dalic understandably keen to ensure no repeat against Jaish.
“I have been in the Champions League the past four years, I have experience, I know how we can pass the group,” he said. “I’m just worried about mistakes. Last time, we then paid the price for each personal mistake. We must not make them.
“My players know they have a big support from my side, I’m behind them and I will always give everything to make them give their best.”
Al Ain are attempting to win the tournament for the second time, having taken the title in 2003. Since then, they again contested the final, in 2005, while two years ago they reached the semi-finals. Last season’s exit at the first knockout round still rankles.
Read also: Henk ten Cate's Al Jazira can be this season's Al Ahli in the Asian Champions League
“We need to forget about what happened last year and focus on 2016,” said Dalic, who confirmed Danilo Asprilla misses the Jaish encounter with injury, although Ahmed Barman should return to midfield.
“The first goal will be to pass the group, after we go step-by-step. But, of course, Al Ain always want to take the maximum, always want to take the trophy.”
Jaish represent Al Ain’s first obstacle, although a defeat against Lekhwiya in last Thursday’s Qatar Stars League match meant they missed the opportunity to leapfrog their rivals into second. They also have several injuries to contend with, chiefly to Sardor Rashidov, their influential Uzbek midfielder.
“We know it’s not easy; tomorrow we face the best team in the Middle East,” said Sabri Lamouchi, the Jaish coach. “It’s a very tough game, but an important test. I hope we’re ready for this competition.”
Asked if Al Ain’s defeat to Shabab will make the hosts more dangerous, Lamouchi replied: “Of course. They’ll want a reaction. I know their quality.”
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
Wednesday, 7pm, BeIN Sports
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5-litre%2C%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E410hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E495Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Estarts%20from%20Dh495%2C000%20(Dh610%2C000%20for%20the%20F-Sport%20launch%20edition%20tested)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
