Club World Cup: Al Ahly focused on Fluminense after statement win over Al Ittihad


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

Al Ahly “showed who we are” in their superb Fifa Club World Cup victory against hosts Al Ittihad, but are focused only on Fluminense despite the carrot of meeting Manchester City in the final, according to midfielder Taher Mohamed.

The African champions, making a ninth appearance in the tournament, triumphed 3-1 on Friday night in their second-round clash against Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Co in Jeddah.

Ahly raced to a 3-0 lead just after the hour at a King Abdullah Sports City packed with more than 56,000 fans, with Ali Maaloul, Hussein El Shahat and Emam Ashour getting the goals.

Benzema, who had earlier missed a penalty with the score at 1-0, pulled one back for the Saudi champions deep into injury-time, and Ahly had Anthony Modeste sent off, but they ran out deserving winners to set up a semi-final on Monday against Brazil’s Fluminense.

It marked a remarkable result for the Egyptians, who came into the Club World Cup with a solitary win in five games – and only three in their past 11 outings.

“It was a crazy game, a fantastic game, the crowd was unbelievable today, with the Al Ahly fans and Al Ittihad fans,” Mohamed said. “We knew it was going to be a big game and a challenging one, but we fought until the end.

“We made a big score against a big team, with big players.”

Mohamed, who entered the match as a second-half substitute, described Mohamed Al Shenawy’s save from Benzema’s penalty right at the end of the first half as “the twist” in the encounter.

However, having taken huge confidence from victory, he said Ahly are not yet dreaming of a possible final with City. The Premier League and European champions enter in the last four, when on Tuesday they take on 2022/23 Asian Champions League winners Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan.

“You know anything can happen in football," Mohamed said. "Today everyone was saying that Ittihad was going to make it, even their fans, but we showed them who are Al Ahly and, with our fans, they gave us a big motivation.

“We’re not focusing on Manchester City yet; we’re just focusing on Fluminense. We want to make it to the final – we’ve never played the final before [they have been third three times] – so this year we have a really good chance to make it. We have just to pass Fluminense first.”

Mohamed, 26, said he knows some of the Fluminense players, such as former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo and former Juventus and Inter Milan midfielder Felipe Melo. He added that previous Club World Cup matches against fellow Brazilians Palmeiras – Ahly lost the 2021 semi-final to the Sao Paulo side in Abu Dhabi – should help on Monday.

Asked how Ahly turned around their poor form to push through to the semi-final, Mohamed said: “We had very high motivation, we have experience of this tournament. We played a lot. A lot of players have played four or five times this tournament. So it gave us confidence.

“Like I said, whenever we travel to an Arab country the Al Ahly fans are everywhere, so I hope they come with more fans to the next game so they can motivate us and give us a really big boost.”

On the importance of the Club World Cup to his continent, Mohamed added: “It means a lot to the fans in Egypt and to African football. It’s like a recognition to African football; people don’t know much about it, the African league, the Egyptian league.

“So, whenever we have the chance to come here, we have a good opportunity to show our quality. Everyone shows ability in how they play football.”

Goalscorer Maaloul said of the Fluminense test: “We certainly have enough time to prepare for the next match and read the opponent well.

“Today we rejoice and celebrate, and tomorrow we begin preparing for the that. We know we have a big match ahead of us against a Brazilian club.

“I hope the fighting spirit that was present today will be there in the next match.”

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.

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
LIVING IN...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

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The lowdown

Badla

Rating: 2.5/5

Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment 

Director: Sujoy Ghosh

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Score

Third Test, Day 1

New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat

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

The specs

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Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

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Famous left-handers

- Marie Curie

- Jimi Hendrix

- Leonardo Di Vinci

- David Bowie

- Paul McCartney

- Albert Einstein

- Jack the Ripper

- Barack Obama

- Helen Keller

- Joan of Arc

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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books

Key Points
  • Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
  • Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
57%20Seconds
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War and the virus
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

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Herc's Adventures

Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

On sale: now  

 
The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5

Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder /  3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,600rpm / 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km

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Ant-Man and the Wasp

Director: Peyton Reed

Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas

Three stars

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

About Proto21

Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

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Updated: December 17, 2023, 4:59 AM`