Saudi Arabia's troubled 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign hit a new setback as they were beaten 2-0 by Indonesia in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Marselino Ferdinan, who plays his football in England with Oxford United, scored either side of half-time to earn the hosts a first win in Group C and leave the Saudis with work to do if they are to reach the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Poor results cost former boss Roberto Mancini his job, while the returning Herve Renard will now have to pick his players up after this latest disappointment.
Fortunately for the Green Falcons, the qualification race remains wide open.
Leaders Japan hammered China 3-1 to go a staggering 10 points clear and move to the cusp of sealing their place at the finals, but the tussle for second is far from over.
Tuesday afternoon's results left Australia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and China all on six points ahead of Bahrain, who have five. Australia are away to Bahrain in the late game.
Headers from Koki Ogawa and Ko Itakura put runaway leaders Japan two goals up at half-time before Lin Liangming pulled one back for China early in the second half.
Ogawa then snuffed out China's hopes of a comeback with his second to silence a crowd of 45,000 in Xiamen, where fans without tickets gathered outside the ground to watch the action on their phones.
Loud booing greeted the Japanese national anthem before kick-off and the game was briefly stopped in the first half when a fan invaded the pitch.
"It was tough at times and we knew that the opening goal was going to be key," said Netherlands-based striker Ogawa.
Japan were playing their first senior international in China in nine years and there is a long history of rivalry between the two countries.
There was a heavy police presence outside the Xiamen Egret Stadium, where about 750 Japan fans were expected to be in attendance.
"All the players got us this win today," said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu. "The players on the pitch, the players on the bench and those that weren't on the bench today – it was down to their energy that we won."
In Group B, Palestine – nominally hosts for a game taking place in Jordan – grabbed a surprise 12th-minute lead over South Korea thanks to Zaid Qunbar.
The advantage lasted just four minutes, talisman and skipper Son Heung-min firing in from close range to bring the Koreans level with his 51st goal for his country.
It was all South Korea after that and Son had a goal chalked off for offside late on, but Palestine held on for a valuable point that helps keep them in the hunt.
Despite the 1-1 stalemate the Koreans are firmly on course for the World Cup at the top of the group with four games to go.
Youssef Amyn scored the only goal of the game in Muscat as Iraq claimed a vital 1-0 away win over Oman. The result keeps Iraq firmly in second spot behind the Koreans. Kuwait host Jordan in the late game in the group.
In Group A, talented 21-year-old Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored the only goal to give Uzbekistan a 1-0 win over North Korea in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
It cemented the Uzbeks' place in the top two, along with table-toppers Iran, who were 3-2 winners in Kyrgyzstan.
North Korea are rooted to the bottom of Group A – which also features UAE and Qatar – and are yet to win in six games in this phase of qualifying.
Only the top two from each of three sections will seal their place at the expanded 48-team tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico. The six third and fourth-placed teams will be split into two groups of three with the winners of each group playing off for a spot at the finals. The loser of that game will get one last chance in the intercontinental play-off.
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Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
if you go
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
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Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
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West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
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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
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
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
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Oppenheimer
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The five pillars of Islam
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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