He was, for the great and the good of elite football, simply “the No 8”.
“I’m sorry but I forget his name,” exclaimed Luis Enrique, after the Spain team he coached had just been knocked out of the World Cup by Morocco, “but the No 8 was a very impressive surprise. He never stopped running. He played so well”.
Then there was Jose Mourinho, who knew a few more details about the awesome No 8. The Roma manager, whose native Portugal would be next on Morocco’s list of conquests through their history-making run to the semi-finals of Qatar 2022, revealed his admiration. “The No 8, who plays for Angers, was absolutely incredible,” Mourinho said in an interview.
“My word,” sighed Luis Enrique, “where did this guy come from?”
The answer to that is its own fairytale, because 22-year-old Azzedine Ounahi, Morocco’s industrious, creative and bold No 8, was, barely 19 months ago, playing in the French third division for Avranches. The rise in the last six weeks has been meteoric. The real question now is not so much "Where did this guy come from?" but "where is he going next?"
It is unusual for a modern World Cup to be a genuine shop window for talent. Most clubs who invest heavily in transfers have broad scouting networks devoted to identifying potential while players are still teenagers, armed with television footage of even the most remote youth tournaments and data analyses supplied by specialist agencies.
But Morocco’s lesser-known talents surprised many coaches other than Luis Enrique during the World Cup. Several Moroccans are about to animate the winter transfer window when it opens at the beginning of January.
At Angers, Morocco’s success is a double-edged sword. Under contract at the club are Soufiane Boufal, the winger who gave constructive flair to Walid Regragui’s well-organised and confident team through the eye-catching wins over Belgium, Spain – on penalties – and Portugal, as well as Ounahi, who the club had the foresight to sign from Avranches in the summer of 2021 and, a year later, to extend his deal until 2026.
Boufal, whose contract expires in 2024, has indicated he wants to depart, and at 29, to move quickly to a club that will give him a better platform for the last of his peak years. Ounahi, meanwhile, has been the subject of numerous enquiries.
Morocco stars welcomed home
“We’ve had approaches from big clubs and medium-sized clubs,” the Angers president Said Chabane told the French broadcaster RTL. “They are coming from all over: Italy, Spain, England, France.”
The Angers plan, Chabane added, would be a sale agreement for summer 2023, with Ounahi remaining at Angers on loan for the remainder of this season.
Angers need Ounahi. They are bottom of Ligue 1, already five points from relegation safety. But the club also need liquidity, being under tight restrictions on their spending from the body that monitors and controls club finances in French professional football. An offer representing a vast profit on Ounahi, who Angers signed for under €100,000, will probably be irresistible, even if it comes without a loan-back arrangement.
Removing the restless Boufal, one of the higher earners at Angers, from the wage-bill and gaining a transfer fee – the club hope for as much as €10m – would also relieve the financial pressures.
Chabane admitted: “You can never keep a player who wants to leave,” and he recognises Ounahi’s ambition.
The more ardent suitors are believed to include Leicester City. Chabane has set an optimistic asking price of €45m, although offers of €25m and upwards will be favourably considered. Because of the unusually short period between the end of this World Cup – staged in winter and finishing two weeks ahead of the shorter of the calendar’s transfer windows, with just January to complete deals – there is an extra urgency to advance negotiations.
Morocco's path to the semi-final
At Fiorentina, where the lauded Sofyan Amrabat, 26, is under contract until 2024, enquiries are also being heard. Amrabat’s superb World Cup as enforcer of Morocco’s midfield had heightened interest from English clubs who had previously identified Amrabat’s energy and strength as suited to the Premier League.
Antonio Conte, the Tottenham head coach, was already an admirer from when he coached Inter during two of Amrabat’s three and half seasons in Italy. The player is reported to be enthusiastic about apparent Liverpool interest in him. Atletico Madrid are also keen, although they would not enter any auction at the top of Fiorentina’s lofty valuation of €50m-plus.
Other more established heroes of Morocco’s historic run are in demand. Captain Romain Saiss, who left Wolverhampton Wanderers for Besiktas only in August, is reportedly a target for France’s Lille and Spain’s Valencia.
Morocco vice-captain Hakim Ziyech has meanwhile returned to Chelsea, where he was open to being transferred out in the summer, more determined that if he continues to see as little first-team action as he did in the first three months of the club season – just one Premier League start out of a possible 13 – Chelsea should consider letting their World Cup semi-finalist explore alternatives.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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
Understand What Black Is
The Last Poets
(Studio Rockers)
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
If you go:
Getting there:
Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.
Getting around:
Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
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2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
CREW
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