Judged by the last time the sides met in a big match in the UAE, it would be easy to assume Afghanistan’s match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup would be a taut engagement.
Lose, and it would extinguish Afghanistan’s chances of reaching the final of a competition they have done so much to illuminate.
It was similar when they met in Dubai last year at the T20 World Cup. Some Afghan fans found the tension too difficult to bear, rushed the gates, and attempted to gain entry without tickets.
Similarly, at the 2019 50-over World Cup in England, the Afghanistan and Pakistan fixture had also brought with it crowd unrest.
And yet the two groups of supporters have a strong affinity, according to Rahim Sediqi, who is arguably Afghanistan’s most recognisable supporter.
“We are friends, but some people make trouble,” Sediqi said. “Not all of them. And cricket brings smiles to people’s faces.
“Here, there is such a large population of Afghans and they all want to show their support for the Afghan cricket team.
“At Sharjah today, there will be a full crowd, and there will be more Afghans than Pakistanis. Our nation is crazy about cricket, and they all want to support the team.”
As he speaks on the morning of the game, Sediqi has good reason to say nice things about the opposition.
The New Zealand resident has been touring the world for the past decade supporting the Afghan national cricket team.
On each match day he has a different motif daubed on his back, chest and face. Wherever he is in the world, he searches out an artist especially for the job.
And for matches in the UAE, the man tasked with the commission is Pakistani.
We know how to play in Sharjah, and Inshallah we will beat them
Afghanistan fan Rahim Sediqi
Ahead of the match against his homeland, Faisal Mahboob charges Dh500 for a piece of work which takes around three hours to complete.
From a simple head shot he has googled on his smartphone, Mahboob creates an intricate portrait of Rashid Khan on Sediqi’s back.
“I want to give more energy to him, so that he has a good game,” Sediqi said of the reason for picking the champion leg-spinner as his image du jour.
“It’s not like he had a bad match last time [when Afghanistan lost their opening Super 4 match to Sri Lanka], but I wanted to draw his picture this time because it is such a big match for us.
“We need to beat Pakistan today [to stand a chance of reaching the final]. We know how to play in Sharjah, and Inshallah we will beat them. But I don’t want to make him [artist, Faisal] angry!”
Sat on the floor of his apartment in Hor Al Anz, Mahboob seems perfectly content in his work.
The artist and his human canvas agree on the design as they go, with Sediqi tracking the progress live via his smartphone, which is relaying it via his own TikTok channel.
When Mahboob started his work, there were 2,000 viewers tuned in live to the Afghan superfan’s broadcast.
After completing the image, they agree on the slogan: “Pride of Afghanistan.” To which Mahboob smilingly says: “So I’ll just write, ‘Pride of Pakistan,’ here, OK?”
The room full of Afghans play along with the joke.
“He is a very nice man,” Sediqi said. “We have always been coming to him for these paintings and we like him as a brother.”
Mahboob has been an artist for the past 14 years. His body of work extends to murals and other private commissions, including occasionally body painting.
“It depends on the work – sometimes I do this, but more often I’ll be doing designs on walls in hotels or cafes,” Mahboob said.
“I’m proud of all my paintings as this is my profession, but my preferred style is traditional landscape painting, particularly of my home in Lahore.”
After the job is complete, Sediqi and his friend head to Al Mamzar Beach for some shots to use on his Facebook page with the Sharjah skyline in the background.
Given the hot weather, he admits the paintings are unlikely to last in perfect condition much past the first innings.
But he is sure to be back tomorrow for the next instalment, ahead of Afghanistan’s final Super 4 match against India.
“I just want to bring smiles to people’s faces, and they all love these pictures,” Sediqi said.
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
UAE Team Emirates
Valerio Conti (ITA)
Alessandro Covi (ITA)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Sebastian Molano (COL)
Maximiliano Richeze (ARG)
Diego Ulissi (ITAS)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20CarbonSifr%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202022%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Onur%20Elgun%2C%20Mustafa%20Bosca%20and%20Muhammed%20Yildirim%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Climate%20tech%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%241%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
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.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
SOUTH%20KOREA%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKim%20Seung-gyu%2C%20Jo%20Hyeon-woo%2C%20Song%20Bum-keun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDefenders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKim%20Young-gwon%2C%20Kim%20Min-jae%2C%20Jung%20Seung-hyun%2C%20Kim%20Ju-sung%2C%20Kim%20Ji-soo%2C%20Seol%20Young-woo%2C%20Kim%20Tae-hwan%2C%20Lee%20Ki-je%2C%20Kim%20Jin-su%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMidfielders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPark%20Yong-woo%2C%20Hwang%20In-beom%2C%20Hong%20Hyun-seok%2C%20Lee%20Soon-min%2C%20Lee%20Jae-sung%2C%20Lee%20Kang-in%2C%20Son%20Heung-min%20(captain)%2C%20Jeong%20Woo-yeong%2C%20Moon%20Seon-min%2C%20Park%20Jin-seob%2C%20Yang%20Hyun-jun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStrikers%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHwang%20Hee-chan%2C%20Cho%20Gue-sung%2C%20Oh%20Hyeon-gyu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20with%2048V%20mild%20hybrid%20system%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E544hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%20at%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh700%2C000%20(estimate)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Elate%20November%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
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
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
HOW TO WATCH
Facebook: TheNationalNews
Twitter: @thenationalnews
Instagram: @thenationalnews.com
TikTok: @thenationalnews
NBA Finals results
Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
Game 4: In Cleveland, Sunday (Monday morning UAE)
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
MATCH INFO
Bangla Tigers 108-5 (10 ovs)
Ingram 37, Rossouw 26, Pretorius 2-10
Deccan Gladiators 109-4 (9.5 ovs)
Watson 41, Devcich 27, Wiese 2-15
Gladiators win by six wickets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
