Five lessons for the UAE to learn from the 2018 World Cup qualifying victory over Thailand

Following the UAE’s 3-1 victory over Thailand in their latest 2018 World Cup qualifying match, John McAuley looks at the big talking points as the national team prepare for their next showdown, against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Tariq Ahmed deserves another start

Amer Abdulrahman usually anchors the UAE midfield alongside Khamis Esmail, however the Al Ain star has been out of form for some time. Against Thailand on Thursday, Mahdi Ali opted for Tariq Ahmed instead, reward for the midfielder’s consistent performances at Al Nasr. Ahmed, pictured bottom right, may not possess Abdulrahman’s passing ability – which, admittedly, has not been in evidence lately – but he is both industrious and combative, a persistent runner who offers added protection to the defence. Whether Mahdi Ali sticks with Ahmed in what is sure to be an intimidating atmosphere in Jeddah remains to be seen. Yet the Nasr man has certainly done enough to merit another crack.

UAE must be more clinical

Ali Mabkhout scored twice against Thailand, the first fortuitous, the second a textbook break away and thunderous finish. He should have had at least one more, though, especially when he struck the crossbar with a first-half header. Despite the double, Mabkhout, pictured third left, seemed a little below par, with his control uncharacteristically letting him down at various times. His teammates, too, were not as clinical in the final third as they should have been. Mahdi Ali said as much post-match, but was quick to point out that his side still scored three times. Against Saudi, they might create fewer chances. Thus, they will need to make them count.

Ahmed Khalil’s return to fitness is vital

As expected, Ahmed Khalil began Thursday’s match on the bench. The UAE striker, pictured left, had not trained for four days, and with Saudi looming, Mahdi Ali chose not to risk injury to his lead forward. Introduced in the 75th minute, Khalil scored the UAE’s third goal right at the death. It took his tally in qualification for this World Cup to 14 goals, and comes after his double in last month’s victory against Japan. The reigning Asian player of the year, Khalil provides a real presence up front, someone the Saudis will no doubt be concerned about. He scored the last time the two teams met in Jeddah, last year.

Right-back continues to be an issue

Mohammed Ahmed’s injury against Australia last month, and subsequent surgery, has left Mahdi Ali with a slight problem at right-back. Abdulaziz Haikal is the obvious replacement, but he reverted to the bench on Thursday, with Mohammed Fawzi starting. The Al Jazira right-back helped create the UAE’s opener – his cross eventually found its way to Ali Mabkhout – however he was caught out of position for Thailand’s goal. Sometimes prone to lapses in concentration, Fawzi will need to be fully focused if he starts against Saudi, while Haikal’s temperament can also be questionable. No matter who plays, they will need support from midfield.

Fresh legs required for Saudi

From just after the hour on Thursday, the UAE struggled to dictate against Thailand, with the visitors scoring and then having numerous opportunities to equalise. At that point, the hosts looked tired, something Thai manager Kiatisuk Senamuang noted post-match. Fortunately for the UAE, they have a number of players to come back into the side if needed, such as Ahmed Khalil, Amer Abdulrahman and Abdulaziz Haikal. Habib Fardan can also freshen up the attacking midfield positions, while the experienced Walid Abbas could return in defence.

A five-day turnaround is not too tough, but the Saudi match requires a huge effort. The UAE must be at the top of their game.

jmcauley@thenational.ae

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Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

if you go

The flights
Flydubai offers three daily direct flights to Sarajevo and, from June, a daily flight from Thessaloniki from Dubai. A return flight costs from Dhs1,905 including taxes.
The trip
The Travel Scientists are the organisers of the Balkan Ride and several other rallies around the world. The 2018 running of this particular adventure will take place from August 3-11, once again starting in Sarajevo and ending a week later in Thessaloniki. If you’re driving your own vehicle, then entry start from €880 (Dhs 3,900) per person including all accommodation along the route. Contact the Travel Scientists if you wish to hire one of their vehicles.

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries

Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
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Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000

Killing of Qassem Suleimani

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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble

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Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile

Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE

Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:

• Buy second hand stuff

They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.

• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres

Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.

• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.

Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.

• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home

Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.

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Date started: January, 2014

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Based: Dubai

Sector: Education technology

Size: Five employees

Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.

Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)

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Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

FIXTURES

Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan

The top two teams qualify for the World Cup

Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.

Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off