The UAE’s bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup has plunged further into difficulty after two key players were thrown out of the squad and heavily fined for disciplinary issues.
Khaled Al Dhanhani and Sultan Adil have been stood down from the squad travelling to Kyrgyzstan for Tuesday’s final match of the third round of Asian qualifying.
They will also be banned from domestic football for five matches for an unspecified “violation” during the current international window.
“The disciplinary committee of the UAE Football Association has decided to suspend Sharjah player Khalid Al Dhanhani and Shabab Al Ahli player Sultan Adil for five local matches, and to impose a fine of Dh500,000 on each,” the FA said in a statement on Sunday.
“They have also been removed from the senior national team list after committing a violation inside the national team training camp on June 7.”
The issue is a major blow for Cosmin Olaroiu, the new coach, who has seen the newfound optimism over his appointment rapidly dissipate due to events over the past four days.
Morale around the national team had soared after the Romanian – who turns 56 on the day the UAE play Kyrgyzstan – had replaced Paulo Bento as national team coach.
The match against Kyrgyzstan itself is meaningless in terms of the bid for qualification. The national team’s chances of automatically qualifying for the World Cup as one of the top two sides in the group were quashed when they drew with Uzbekistan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday night.
However, Olaroiu is trying to build a side ready to compete for a place offered at a week-long, three-team round of matches in October.
His contact time with the players is limited by the international schedule, and the game in Bishkek is a chance to impress his ideas on his new charges.
Although the crime of the duo has not been disclosed by the FA, Olaroiu is likely to be furious about any breach of discipline, given the stakes.
He will feel particularly let down by Al Dhanhani. The right-back is one of the mainstays of the national team, as shown when he scored a stunning goal in the UAE’s shock win over Qatar in Doha in the first match of round three of qualifying.
Just as pertinently, Al Dhanhani was a key figure in the Sharjah side which thrived under Olaroiu’s management over recent seasons.
Amid all the triumphs they had, the full back would noticeably seek out his coach first to celebrate.
When Sharjah became just the second UAE club to win a major continental trophy, with the AFC Champions League Two final success in Singapore last month, Al Dhanhani and his young son euphorically toasted the win with Olaroiu.
Al Dhanhani limped away from that 2-1 win against Lion City Sailors with his right ankle packed with ice. And yet Olaroiu has such faith in him that he named in his first starting XI, against the Uzbeks, just three weeks later.
Adil, by contrast, did not feature against the Uzbeks, which has been typical of an injury-ravaged season.
Olaroiu's predecessor, Bento, despaired at the continued absence of Adil due to a recurring knee injury. At one point, he even speculated that the young centre-forward might never play football again.
That frustration was born from how highly Bento regarded Adil. The Portuguese coach had seen the Kalba-born striker thrive with a flurry of goals after giving him his debut in international football.
Adil also provided the final, glorious moment of Bento’s spell in charge, when he headed the winning goal late in stoppage time in the side’s win against North Korea in March.
Bento was sacked straight after that win, but Adil’s productive 45-minute cameo as a substitute suggested he was at least on the path back to fitness. Now, though, he is set for another absence due to indiscipline.
It is a major blow for Olaroiu, who will face questions on the subject when his side have their final training session in Bishkek on Monday evening.
Olaroiu rued the fact that his side lacked a physical presence as they chased a vital win against the Uzbeks on Thursday night.
As a strapping, target-man centre forward, Adil would have helped solved that issue, but he is now unavailable to the new coach.
The five pillars of Islam
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 523hp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh469,000
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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.
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
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The burning issue
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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EA Sports FC 25
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Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
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The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
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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.
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PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Plastic tipping point
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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UAE-based players
Goodlands Riders: Jamshaid Butt, Ali Abid, JD Mahesh, Vibhor Shahi, Faizan Asif, Nadeem Rahim
Rose Hill Warriors: Faraz Sheikh, Ashok Kumar, Thabreez Ali, Janaka Chathuranga, Muzammil Afridi, Ameer Hamza
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Guide to intelligent investing
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
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Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
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Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
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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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The specs
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
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- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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