Fifa Arab Cup 2021: Groups, fixtures and how to watch on TV


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

The Fifa Arab Cup 2021 kicks off in Qatar on Tuesday, with the UAE one of 16 teams competing. Here’s a breakdown on the rebranded tournament, which is viewed as a prelude to the 2022 World Cup.

What is it?

The Fifa Arab Cup, a 16-team tournament. Taking place in Qatar almost exactly a year before the World Cup, it is viewed as an important opportunity to test operations and facilities ahead of the Middle East’s first global finals. All teams involved compete under the auspices of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) or the Confederation of African Football (Caf). Although the tournament dates back to 1963, this year’s event represents the first under the Fifa banner.

When is it?

November 30 to December 18. The final takes place on Qatar’s National Day, just like next year’s World Cup.

Where is it?

The 32 matches will be played at six venues used for next year's World Cup: Al Bayt Stadium (Al Khor), Al Janoub Stadium (Al Wakrah), Al Thumama Stadium (Al Thumama), Stadium 974 (Doha), Khalifa International Stadium (Doha), Education City Stadium (Al Rayyan), Ahmad bin Ali Stadium (Al Rayyan).

Who plays who?

The draw was made in Doha in April. As hosts, Qatar were automatically seeded in Pot 1. The UAE were seeded in Pot 2. The nine highest-ranked teams in the Fifa rankings were then joined in the final tournament by the seven winners from the qualifying stage.

Group A: Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Bahrain.

Group B: Tunisia, UAE, Syria, Mauritania.

Group C: Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine.

Group D: Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan.

The top two teams in each group proceed to the knockout stage, which begins with the quarter-finals on December 10 and 11. The semi-finals fall on December 15, with a third-place play-off and the final played three days later.

Fixtures

November 30

Tunisia v Mauritania, 2pm

Iraq v Oman, 5pm

Qatar v Bahrain, 8.30pm

UAE v Syria, 11pm

December 1

Algeria v Sudan, 2pm

Egypt v Lebanon, 5pm

Morocco v Palestine, 8pm

Saudi Arabia v Jordan, 11pm

December 3

Bahrain v Iraq, 2pm

Oman v Qatar, 5pm

Mauritania v UAE, 8pm

Syria v Tunisia, 11pm

December 4

Jordan v Morocco, 2pm

Lebanon v Algeria, 5pm

Sudan v Egypt, 8pm

Palestine v Saudi Arabia, 11pm

December 6

Syria v Mauritania, 7pm

Tunisia v UAE, 7pm

Oman v Bahrain, 11pm

Qatar v Iraq, 11pm

December 7

Jordan v Palestine, 7pm

Morocco v Saudi Arabia, 7pm

Algeria v Egypt, 11pm

Lebanon v Sudan, 11pm

Quarter-finals

December 10

Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A

Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B

December 11

Winner Group D v Runner-up Group C

Winner Group C v Runner-up Group D

Semi-finals

December 15

Third place play-off and final

December 18

Past champions

There have been nine previous iterations of the event, with the most recent competition played in 2012, in Saudi Arabia. Morocco were crowned champions for the first time, meaning they have one title alongside Egypt and Tunisia. Iraq are the tournament’s most decorated team, with four titles. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, have two. The UAE have only once previously appeared in the event, when they finished fourth in 1998.

How to watch

All Fifa Arab Cup 2021 matches will be broadcast live on BeIN Sports.

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

The biog

Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates

Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.

Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.

Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.

Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile 

Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran

Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience

by David Gilmour

Allen Lane

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

Timeline

1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line

1962
250 GTO is unveiled

1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company

1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens

1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made

1987
F40 launched

1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent

2002
The Enzo model is announced

2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi

2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled

2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives

2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company

2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street

2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary

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 

When is VAR used?

Goals

Penalty decisions

Direct red-card incidents

Mistaken identity

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
McLaren GT specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 620bhp

Torque: 630Nm

Price: Dh875,000

On sale: now

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

Without Remorse

Directed by: Stefano Sollima

Starring: Michael B Jordan

4/5

 

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
​​​​​​​Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile

Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi

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The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre, six-cylinder

Transmission: six-speed manual

Power: 395bhp

Torque: 420Nm

Price: from Dh321,200

On sale: now

Book%20Details
%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EThree%20Centuries%20of%20Travel%20Writing%20by%20Muslim%20Women%3C%2Fem%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEditors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiobhan%20Lambert-Hurley%2C%20Daniel%20Majchrowicz%2C%20Sunil%20Sharma%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIndiana%20University%20Press%3B%20532%20pages%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
AUSTRALIA SQUADS

ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Twenty20 squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Fighting with My Family

Director: Stephen Merchant 

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell        

Four stars

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5