DUBAI // Baniyas' season is in a downward spiral. If three consecutive defeats in the Arabian Gulf League and the four-goal loss to Kuwaiti club Al Qadsia in the Asian Champions League play-off were not enough evidence, their performance against a Dubai reserve team on Sunday night should be a confirmation.
Dubai are a team languishing at the bottom of the league table, with only nine points, and they had just one point from five previous League Cup matches. With nothing to play for, the hosts decided to field a reserve team.
And that must have enthused Baniyas. The Abu Dhabi team were looking for a win to confirm their place in the semi-finals of the League Cup, alongside Sharjah. Even a draw would have sufficed, provided that Al Jazira lost to Al Wahda at home in the other Group A match.
However, looking ragged and uninspired, the visitors crumbled to a 2-1 defeat with their sole bright spot of the 90 minutes being Luis Farina’s equaliser, four minutes after Ahmed Yousuf had opened the score in the 14th minute. There seemed to be no urgency in their play after that, and Mohammed Ibrahim made sure they returned home embarrassed with a sharp finish in the 69th minute.
"I really wanted us to win this match, because it would have given us a big boost moving forward," said a disappointed Adnan Hamad, who has lost all three matches since replacing Jorge da Silva as the Baniyas manager last month.
“Unfortunately, the players showed no spirit, focus or character on the pitch. I did not see any commitment from my players. In fact, when Dubai scored their first goal, I was happy because I thought that would jolt my team out of their slumber, but that never happened.
“The players seem to be suffering from a lack of belief at the moment and we need time to get them out of this phase. We have a few days now before the next game and we will work hard to correct our problems.”
The hosts, with no hopes of advancing, decided to rest virtually their entire first team. Only three players from their starting XI in their last league match against Al Jazira – Jabir Abdullah, Ahmed Yousuf and Yousuf Hassan – were on the pitch last night.
The club’s four foreign professionals were not and, with the manager Umberto Barberis on his way out, according to club sources, his assistant Salem Rabea assumed the coaching duties.
Baniyas had virtually an unchanged squad, except for Mohammed Fawzi and Haboush Saleh, who are on UAE national team duty. Given the difference in experience between the two teams, the visitors should have been in control and dictating play.
Instead, they looked jaded, struggling to string together any significant moves and, in the end, the result looked anything but a shock.
A delighted Rabea saluted his young players after the game.
“The players did everything we asked of them,” he said. “They are young players with a lot of heart and showed a lot of spirit in the middle. Ahmed Yousuf and Mohammed Ibrahim were outstanding, and I believe they have a very good future ahead of them. They can play against any team. They have the confidence and the right attitude.”
Results fall just right for Al Jazira
Al Jazira booked their place in the League Cup semi-finals thanks to a 1-0 win over Abu Dhabi rivals Al Wahda, securing second place in Group A at the expense of Baniyas. January signing Ismail Al Jasmi scored the only goal to send Walter Zenga’s side through.
They join already-qualified Sharjah, who cemented their place at the top of the group with a 1-0 victory over city rivals Al Shaab, courtesy of Salim Khalfan Saif’s strike. Mohammed Ahmed was sent off in the 54th minute for Shaab.
arizvi@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Inside%20Out%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKelsey%20Mann%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Amy%20Poehler%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%2C%20Ayo%20Edebiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
