At what point, a supporter of Algeria is entitled to ask, does familiarity become a flaw. As a speculative shot from distance ricocheted awkwardly in the Algerian penalty area on Monday night, a loose ball in search of a quick-witted, alert defender to clear it or an attacking player to pounce, minds went back to a previous night of heartbreak for Les Fennecs, the Desert Foxes.
The scenario, late in the first half of Algeria’s last group game at the Africa Cup of Nations against Mauritania, was enough of a copy of the portentous moment that swung the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off to spread a shudder of dread.
The original version took place in the 124th minute of the second, home leg of the play-off against Cameroon. Algeria were 2-1 ahead on aggregate, all but ready to book their tickets to Qatar.
The ball then floated into their box. It dropped to nobody in particular, but the player with the sharpest focus was not an Algerian but Karl Toko Ekambi, there first and most alert, to spear in the shot that sent Cameroon to the World Cup finals instead.
Monday’s enterprising match-winner would be Mauritania’s captain, Yali Dellahi, a figure now with a permanent place in the sporting history of a nation who have always been at the back of the Maghrebi queue for glory. He was first to a loose ball in Bouake, Ivory Coast, turning a long-range drive that had ricocheted off Algeria’s Mohamed Amine Tougai past goalkeeper Anthony Mandrea.
Unlike against Cameroon in 2022, there was still over an hour to go in Bouake, still plenty of time for Algeria, the 2019 African champions, to hoist themselves up from the foot of Group D, to record their first victory of the tournament, or at least eke out a third draw in as many games and put themselves in the frame to progress to the knockout phase.
But Algeria fell back on the familiar. There was more deja vu. Again and again, there was the long ball approach that has been a default often during this frustrating campaign. Mauritania soaked those up and when a route behind Delalli’s back line was found, goalkeeper Babacar Niasse had the answers.
Like Delalli’s goal, Niasse’s whiplash reaction, to extend a long left arm and keep out Aissa Mandi, set off cheers from Nouakchott to Nema.
Algeria fell back on the very familiar when they brought Riyad Mahrez off the bench for the second half, his demotion from the starting line-up a reluctant commentary from manager Djamel Belmadi on the Al Ahli player’s ineffective tournament overall.
On came Islam Slimani, the 25-year-old centre-forward, with half-an-hour or so left. Into the fray came Youcef Belaili, another old ally, but no saviour on a night when it would be tempting to report that Algeria hit a nadir.
Tempting but inaccurate. Losing to neighbours Mauritania in a major tournament is a novel blow to pride, but in the context of this Cup of Nations, where the so-called ‘little teams’ stand up big and broad and the so-called giants are rendered meek, it is a lesser issue to the fact Algeria are going home at the first hurdle for the second time in a row.
As defending champions two years ago, they scored a single goal, won a single point and lost to Equatorial Guinea, Mahrez, Slimani and Belaili among the several left asking how on earth title-holders could fall so sharply.
This time around, they are more wearily perplexed. Belmadi, reviewing a second successive Afcon debacle, scarcely hides the knowledge that the huge bank of credit he built up by skilfully steering Algeria to the 2019 title, in Egypt, has been all but exhausted.
Belmadi reached out for alibis, like the penalties awarded against his team at bad moments, which allowed Angola, who topped the group, to retrieve a 1-1 draw, and Burkina Faso, who finished in second place, to regain the lead on matchday two, ahead of Baghdad Bounedjah’s stoppage time equaliser in the 2-2 draw.
Bounedjah has been Algeria’s only goalscorer at this Afcon. None of his three goals here have anything like the same sheen as souvenirs as the one that won the final in 2019.
“We feel stunned, sunk,” said Mandi, a 2019 veteran and captain on the night following the demotion of Mahrez to the bench. “It’s such a disappointment. We had prepared well, mentally and physically but it seemed like whatever we tried, it wasn’t going to work. I’m told we had 20 shots at goal in the tournament. We put everything into it.”
Mahrez, as the superstar, has been a magnet for shrill critiques, and if Belmadi’s dropping him showed that the coach’s loyalty had its limits, the theory that Mahrez’s shift in the direction of his club career – he left Manchester City with a treble to add to his many domestic medals from English football in the summer to move to Saudi Arabia – has blunted his edge is countered by his nine goals and seven assists in 20 games for Al Ahli.
Nor is their compelling evidence that the Saudi Pro League habitually softens its new recruits. The spine of Senegal’s team, from Sadio Mane to Kalidou Koulibaly to Edu Mendy, all moved to clubs there last year. And, in Ivory Coast, Senegal are looking like Afcon champions well capable of keeping their title. Belmadi’s Algeria never did.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- 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
The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
