A familiar sight after a match at Al Wahda is young fans staying back after a victory to chant the name of the club's cult hero, Papa Waigo.
It was Waigo who was hoisted on to the shoulders of Wahda supporters after the club's 2-1 President's Cup quarter-final victory over Al Jazira on Sunday - despite the fact the Senegalese striker did not score.
Saeed Al Kathiri, the Emirati international who came on as a late substitute, scored the winner after the Brazilian Marcelo Oliveira had put them ahead in the victory over their arch-rivals.
Fahed Al Mansouri, the burly cheerleader of the club, said Waigo is popular among the fans because he is considered their top foreign player as well as their best at celebrating goals.
"That is the main reason he is so popular among the fans," Al Mansouri said. "He can play at every position he has been tasked with and then delivers. The other is the manner in which he celebrates his goals. He knows how to get the crowd behind him with his antics, which has caught on well with the fans, particularly the young.
"This guy knows how to entertain. He is amazing to watch after he has scored. The crowd loves it.
"He always turns to the crowd as if to say the goal is for us. That reaction is an excellent gesture, to give something back to the fans who come to the stadiums."
His celebration after scoring is known as the "Waigo Dance", which has been remarked upon throughout his career, both in Italy and England. His dance has been viewed tens of thousands of times on YouTube.
One video teaches the dance, describing it as the thrusting out of the left arm while striding with the right leg, extending the right arm while striding with the left, then back to the left arm and right leg, capped by Waigo patting himself twice on the neck.
"Whatever it may be, the crowds love it," Al Mansouri said. "Fans come for the matches not only to back the team but also to enjoy some spectacular moments, and Waigo has provided that to them.
"I have seen many players celebrating in different ways after scoring but Waigo does it better. It is spectacular and funny. I think everyone enjoys the occasion, be it live at the stadium or on TV."
Despite his eccentric celebration, Waigo otherwise is all business on the pitch.
"Apart from his good work in training he has loads of skills, talent and strength, both physically and mentally," said Branko Ivankovic, the Wahda coach.
"He is versatile and can play any role. We play him on the wing but he's not restricted to play that role alone because he has the permission to change positions as required during the game.
"His athleticism is incredible. He is tall, strong and quick. He can score as well as draw the defenders out of their positions to create space for his teammates.
"He has been our main scorer and a key foreign player for us in the first half of the season. I feel he will get better with the experience and hopefully score more for us."
Waigo tops the club's scoring charts with a dozen goals in 22 games in all competitions.
At the age of 29, he counts 15 caps for his country. He spent most of a decade in Italy: three seasons with Verona, two with Cesena and half a season with Genoa before joining Fiorentina in 2008. The Florence club loaned him three times, including to Southampton in England for the 2009/10 season when he scored five goals in 35 appearances.
On his return from the loan period, Waigo was transferred to the Serie B side Ascoli in 2011 before moving to Wahda on a two-year contract in the summer.
Abdullah Salem, the former Wahda captain and now the team manager, said Waigo made friends with all the players in no time.
"He's everyone's favourite and he gets the first invite whenever the players have a get-together," Salem said. "As a person, he's a real character. He can make everyone laugh with his jokes and play-acting. He keeps all of us entertained and that's good for the moral of the team.
"He doesn't carry all these on to the pitch though. He is a different person when he's on the pitch, very serious about his work, whether it is in training or game.
"Being a fan favourite, the Pro League stands a better chance of drawing more crowds to the stadiums with more Papa Waigo-like signings. For us, he is not only a good players but a super entertainer for our fans."
apassela@thenational.ae
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Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
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Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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.
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
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
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Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
