Sharjah's players celebrate after Khalid Bawazir scores the decisive goal in the Asian Champions League Group B match against Air Force Club. AFP
Sharjah's players celebrate after Khalid Bawazir scores the decisive goal in the Asian Champions League Group B match against Air Force Club. AFP
Sharjah's players celebrate after Khalid Bawazir scores the decisive goal in the Asian Champions League Group B match against Air Force Club. AFP
Sharjah's players celebrate after Khalid Bawazir scores the decisive goal in the Asian Champions League Group B match against Air Force Club. AFP

Sharjah win, Al Wahda lose on mixed first day for UAE in Asian Champions League group stages


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE’s representatives endured a mixed start on Day 1 of the Asian Champions League group stages on Wednesday night, with Sharjah defeating Air Force Club 1-0 and Al Wahda losing by the same scoreline to Persepolis.

Making their third appearance in the competition, Sharjah began their Group B campaign with a narrow victory against their Iraqi rivals at Sharjah Stadium – all the pool's matches will be played in the emirate – with Khalid Bawazir's second-half goal decisive.

The UAE side, still by default the country’s reigning league champions after last season’s Arabian Gulf League was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, had survived an earlier scare, when Ali Kadhim’s header from a corner on the half hour struck the crossbar.

However, on 62 minutes, the home side grabbed their winner. Winger Caio, deployed in a lone role up front, advanced down his team's right and crossed for Bawazir, who drilled the ball into the roof of the Air Force Club goal.

Sharjah then had goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani to thank for a series of saves to guarantee the points. Air Force Club, three-time AFC Cup winners, played out the final moments with 10 men, after Humam Tareq was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Caio. Sharjah next face Iran’s Tractor FC on Saturday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Wahda’s Group E bid got off to a disappointing start with their single-goal defeat to Persepolis in Goa, India. The Abu Dhabi side, who came into the match unbeaten in seven Champions League games, were outdone by Seyed Jalal Hosseini’s goal five minutes before half-time.

Persepolis, runners-up in 2018 and again last year, sealed the points at the Pandit Jawaharial Nehru Stadium when Mehdi Torabi exchanged passes with Ehsan Pahlavan and then found his captain to stroke home. The Iranians had earlier struck the woodwork.

Wahda, managed once more by recent appointment Henk ten Cate, have a chance to rebound on Saturday, against hosts FC Goa.

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The%20specs
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The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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MATCH INFO

Everton 2 (Tosun 9', Doucoure 93')

Rotherham United 1 (Olosunde 56')

Man of the Match Olosunde  (Rotherham)

Fixtures

Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs

Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms

Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles

Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon

Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile%20
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Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

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Famous left-handers

- Marie Curie

- Jimi Hendrix

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- David Bowie

- Paul McCartney

- Albert Einstein

- Jack the Ripper

- Barack Obama

- Helen Keller

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Five personal finance podcasts from The National

 

To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes 

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How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies 

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Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?  

US households add $601bn of debt in 2019

American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.

Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.

In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.

The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.

"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
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  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Schedule
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sun jukebox

Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)

This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.

Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)

The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.

Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)

Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.

Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)

Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.

Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)

An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.

Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)

Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.

The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars