One of the things that struck Vincent Kompany, the head coach of Bayern Munich, was the sheer strength of Omar Marmoush. Last Sunday in Frankfurt, Kompany had a very close view of it, Marmoush operating on the left wing for home team Eintracht as Kompany patrolled the adjacent technical area.
Kompany looked on, stunned, as the lean, lithe, Egyptian muscled his way past Bayern’s France international central defender, Dayot Upamecano, or ‘Upa’ to his colleagues. “It’s not normal,” Kompany remarked. “To push past Upa with [that sort of] strength? No one has done that before throughout the whole season.” From the Marmoush-Upa duel would quickly follow a second Eintracht goal, erasing Bayern’s earlier 1-0 lead.
Kompany had already listed other aspects of Marmoush’s performance in what turned out to be an engrossing, see-saw of a Bundesliga afternoon with six goals shared between leaders Bayern and the increasingly convincing challengers Eintracht and with one stand-out star. That was 25-year-old Marmoush, who on Friday takes his stellar club form into international service as Egypt meet Mauritania, in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, in Cairo.
The other aspects that had struck Kompany forcefully, watching Marmoush live, had been the pace and the poise. “Sometimes he looks quite relaxed,” noted the Bayern coach. “Then he gets going and he’s really fast.”
Witness Marmoush’s opening goal, Eintracht’s first equaliser, for 1-1 against Kompany’s men, sprinting on to a pass and outpacing Joshua Kimmich. After that, it was all about, as Kompany saw it, “making the right decision at the end, the quality in his strike.”
It was clear-eyed, clinical. Kompany saw that again in the 94th minute of the contest, a feverish climax for almost everybody on the pitch and among the 58,000 in the stadium, but not apparently for the goalscorer, who again had run clear of his pursuers, and facing the imposing -Manuel Neuer, calmly lifted his shot over the Bayern goalkeeper for 3-3.
This club season has already seen plenty of what Kompany highlighted while lavishing praise on Marmoush, an opponent who had just cost Bayern two points. So flattering was Kompany’s assessment that it almost sounded like an invitation to Marmoush to think about joining Bayern at some point in the future was being prepared. “He has many great qualities,” enthused Kompany.
He has great stats, too. Eight goals from six games in Germany’s top division so far this term, averaging close to one every hour. His brace against Bayern was the third double he has registered in the Bundesliga. Across competitions, he’s contributed six assists, and, as with the pass he delivered after bouncing away from the rugged Upamecano, he has established a fruitful attacking partnership with teammate Hugo Ekitike.
He’s off the mark in Eintracht’s Europa League campaign, thanks to his winning and converting a penalty at Besiktas last week. And it takes real poise to keep a cool head and strike a spot-kick with the authority Marmoush showed facing up to the noise and whistles of a partisan Istanbul crowd.
Across the top five leagues in Europe, only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski have netted more goals than Marmoush since mid-August, and as he touched down in Cairo for the matches – home Friday, and away next week – against Mauritania, Marmoush found himself in the unusual position of attracting as much attention as Mohamed Salah.
Marmoush has always looked up to Salah as an exemplar, and will note that he is the same age now as his hero was when Salah was making his first impact at Liverpool, adding exceptional skill as a finisher to his brilliance as a sprinter and dribbler.
At Frankfurt, who became Marmoush’s fourth Bundesliga employer last year, finessing the quality of his finishing has been a priority. Marmoush, adept at playing anywhere across the forward line, has always supplied goals to his club teams since he left Wadi Degla, scouted at 18, for Wolfsburg, but his confidence in pressure situations, one-on-ones, his readiness not to shoot too hastily, to take an extra touch has been a conspicuous feature of this run of scoring form.
“The fact that he then can face up to Manuel Neuer – twice – and finish the way he did against Bayern is obviously a nice thing for us to see,” noted Timmo Hardung, the Eintracht director of sport.
For Egypt, Marmoush has occasionally shown that poise across his 32 caps so far. There was the goal in Abidjan that kept a troubled Afcon campaign alive in January, when, with the Pharaohs trailing 1-0 against Ghana, having already dropped points in their opening group match and with Salah off the field injured and out of the tournament, Marmoush pounced on a stray Ghanaian pass, and, coolly rounding the goalkeeper, equalised.
Egypt would be eliminated in the tournament’s first knockout round, but Marmoush had played a critical part in avoiding an earlier, humiliating exit. And when he returned to Frankfurt, he was on the scoresheet in three successive fixtures.
A hint there of the momentum to come. Against Bayern at the weekend, Marmoush was playing his 50th game for Eintracht. He’s had 38 goal involvements in that half century of appearances, and scored at rate better than a goal every two outings. “He’s told me how appreciated he feels here by his team and the fans,” said Dino Toppmoller, the Eintracht head coach, “and that’s important for him to thrive.”
Hardung, the club’s sports director and Toppmuller, the coach, are now bracing themselves for hefty bids from more prestigious clubs for Marmoush should he continue to sweep through the best Bundesliga defences. There’s Bayern’s unconcealed admiration. There’s loose talk of Liverpool eyeing up Marmoush as a long term successor to 32-year-old Salah, whose Anfield contract expires next June.
There’s also a growing expectation that Egypt, losing finalists in two of the last four Afcons, might, with Salah and Marmoush attacking from right and left, be well set to go to the next Cup of Nations in Morocco in 14 months time with as potent and balanced a forward line as at any time in the Salah era. They’re both off the mark in qualifying, with a goal apiece so far and six points from the next two games would confirm Egypt’s ticket to those finals.
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
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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
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
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
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
