Al Ain defender Khalid Al Hashemi dedicated the club’s Asian Champions League success to the UAE’s leadership, saying he could “see the flames of desire” in the players’ eyes as they delivered a second continental crown for the country.
The Adnoc Pro League side, Asian champions in 2003, rebounded on Saturday night from a first-leg defeat to triumph 5-1 against Yokohama F Marinos in the second leg of the final at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
With the 6-3 aggregate win, Al Ain became Asian champions for the first time in 21 years. They represent the only Emirati side to have captured the continent’s premier club crown.
“To begin with, I’m thankful for everything,” Al Hashemi told The National. “I'm over the moon as they say. I would like to give this competition, this trophy, this gold medal to our president, [President] Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. Thankfully, we won this, and we give him this happiness.
“Also, I would like to give this to our [club] president Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed [Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi] and also [Al Ain vice-chairman] Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan and the board members and everyone included in this club – fans, technical staff. Everyone, literally.
“We did well in this competition, and we well deserved it. What a run we had, especially after the knockout stage. We did amazing in each game, especially at home. Well deserved, thankfully.”
On Saturday, both Soufiane Rahimi and Kodjo Laba struck twice – Laba, not selected for the quarter-finals and semi-finals, was a second-half substitute – with Kaku registering Al Ain’s other goal, from the penalty spot. Yan Matheus had scored for Yokohama five minutes before half-time to level the tie at 3-3.
However, the visitors’ hopes of emerging from their first Champions League final with the title were dealt a huge blow when goalkeeper William Popp was shown a straight red card deep into first-half stoppage-time. At the time Yokohama were level on aggregate.
On the secret to Al Ain’s title success, Al Hashemi said: “What I saw from everyone, the desire. The more you desire, the more bad you want it, you'll take it. This is a secret that I take myself in my life. How bad you want it, you'll take anything.
“I saw this in the eyes of the players. I saw the desire that they want to win the trophy and thankfully we won it. I saw the fire, the flame in their eyes, and we won it.
“Five-one, it's not an easy game, not an easy result as well, but a big result. Thankfully, we did it.”
Champions in 2003, Al Ain have finished runners-up twice since, most recently in 2016. The similarities between then and this year’s final were striking; as was the case eight years ago, Al Ain lost 2-1 away to an East Asian team – South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors – having scored first.
They then failed to overturn the result at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, drawing the second leg 1-1 to lose out on the trophy 3-2 on aggregate.
Asked about handling the pressure on Saturday given the club’s near-misses in 2005 and 2016, Al Hashemi said: “To be honest, in the beginning we had a bad reaction, especially after 2016.
“Everybody remembered that scenario they had there in [South] Korea, 2-1, and again [this year] in Japan, 2-1. So, most people were afraid that we might repeat the scenario.
“But thankfully we thought positive about it, and we talk positively about it as well. We challenged ourselves to turn the table on our side and we did it well.
“To be honest, what a performance from everyone. And I'm really happy for the guys, our captains, Khalid Essa, Bandar [Al Ahbabi], Ahmed Barman; especially also Laba, after being out in four games and to be back and score two goals in maybe 40 minutes.
“I'm so happy for the guys. They deserve it. And we are young here, a new generation. Inshallah, we get to have many more trophies.”
Al Hashemi, 27, was pivotal in the club making history once more. He featured in all but one of Al Ain's Champions League matches this season and was one of the star performers in the quarter-final, when he helped shackle Cristiano Ronaldo, and the semi-final against a talent-packed Al Hilal side on a 34-match winning run.
Al Ain became the last team to win the Champions League in its current guise – the tournament takes on a different format from next year – while the 2003 team lifted the inaugural title after the competition’s rebrand in 2002.
“Luckily, I'm the guy, the player, that won the last version of this competition and luckily the [2003 side] won the first version,” Al Hashemi said. “That means it’s something meant to be for us.
“And I remember also in 2016 I had a tweet that I was wishing Al Ain good luck in the final and they lost. And now today I won as an Al Ain player.
“You see, life is full of opportunities, full of wonder. I don't want that we want to wait another 20 years to win another Champions League. No, Inshallah. With the upcoming leagues, Champions Leagues, that we win also more.”
Al Hashemi added Al Ain’s victory would be celebrated as one for the UAE, saying: “I want the other clubs to do it. We represent also the UAE. We don't just represent Al Ain.
“Here we represent the country and I hope that Al Ain wins more and also that other clubs win to represent the country in the best way possible.”
Asked how he would celebrate the moment, Al Hashemi replied: "I'm going to sleep now. I'm so tired.”
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• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Key facilities
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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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.
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Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Where to submit a sample
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
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Schedule
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
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SPECS
The burning issue
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Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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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
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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FIXTURES
December 28
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Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
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December 30
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'Nope'
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Where to donate in the UAE
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.
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 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, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
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.
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.
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 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.
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).
