When Mumbai City were drawn in the same group as Al Hilal ahead of the new Asian Champions League season, their players responded with such joy it went viral in cyberspace.
Neymar was on his way to the Riyadh side, as well as a host of other big-name stars, as Saudi football was in the process of shaking up the sport's established order.
The challenge for the Mumbai side of toppling a giant was going to be laced with even more stardust.
Now the plum fixture in Group D is upon them, with the sides set to meet at King Fahd International Stadium on Monday night, but the Indian champions will be deprived of the chance to pit themselves against Hilal’s headline act.
Neymar is set to be sidelined for months having ruptured his cruciate ligament while on international duty for Brazil last week.
And yet the game is still a mouthwatering one, according to Des Buckingham, the Mumbai City coach.
“To pull out Al Hilal, the most successful side in this competition, is a real challenge,” Buckingham said.
“As a player and coach, you want to challenge yourself against the best. This certainly is the biggest game of football in our club’s history. I would argue that it could be one of the biggest games at club level in India’s history.”
Neymar might have been the most eye-catching signing, but Hilal’s summer spending also landed them the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Ruben Neves.
“Look at the disparity between the two clubs,” Buckingham said. “For example, the goalkeeper, Yassine Bono, is valued at twice as much as our actual squad.
“Our players have grown up watching many of these players, both from Saudi but certainly some of the foreign players who have recently come in. They have grown up watching them through the last 10 or 15 years.
“There was excitement drawing out Al Hilal because of the history they have in this competition. It is almost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these players to take to the field with Asia’s best, and some of the world’s best players, and pitch themselves against them.”
Buckingham himself is giving away much in the way of experience to his own opposite number.
In the Hilal dugout is Jorge Jesus, the 69-year-old Portuguese coach who includes the likes of Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and Flamengo among his former clubs.
At 38, Buckingham is five days younger than Cristiano Ronaldo, that other star import to Saudi football, yet he has been coaching for 22 years.
This certainly is the biggest game of football in our club’s history. I would argue that it could be one of the biggest games at club level in India’s history
Des Buckingham,
Mumbai City manager
India is the fourth country in which the Englishman has plied his trade, having previously coached in England, New Zealand and Australia.
Although Mumbai City do not attract quite the numbers that are likely to be there in Riyadh on Monday, he says his players are used to playing in fervent atmospheres.
“Across India, football is a huge sport and really well supported,” Buckingham said.
“We see the support Al Hilal gets. We might be facing 50-60,000 in the stadium. There are some grounds we go to in India where the attendance figures aren’t too different to that.
“We faced that last year in some of the away games we played. The desire and fanfare in India is huge, and in Mumbai it has certainly grown.”
While the Cricket World Cup may be dominating the sporting landscape in Mumbai at present, Buckingham is certain football is progressing rapidly – and he says his side are doing their bit in spreading the word.
“You see many young fans walking around with football shirts on as well as cricket,” he said.
“It is certainly progressing. Yes, cricket is without doubt the No 1 sport, just as when I was in New Zealand rugby was, but football is very quickly closing in.
“It is about trying to do as well as you can in the job you are in. If you can do that, you will be successful.
“Success can mean many things. From our side, to go and do what we did last year in terms of winning the [Indian Super League] in the manner we did – amassing more points and scoring more goals than has been done before – we know full well that brought more fans to the stadium.
“It also got more eyes on the TV watching our games. You can talk about the sport, but you have to have the success.”
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
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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
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
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