DUBAI // Mahdi Ali says the upcoming King’s Cup provides the perfect opportunity to assess potential graduates to the UAE squad for the final stage of 2018 World Cup qualification.
The national team manager has left his more prominent players at home for the three-day tournament in Thailand, which begins on Friday when the UAE face Jordan in Bangkok.
Instead, Mahdi Ali plans to evaluate his second-string side as he hopes to eventually promote players to the regular first-team squad. A 23-strong group, comprising a large contingent from the Under-23 Olympics team, travelled to Thailand on Monday.
See more from John McAuley on 2018 World Cup qualifying:
• UAE to face Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia in final 2018 World Cup qualifying round
• Saudi Arabia again the most likely obstacle for UAE to overcome on road to Russia 2018
• UAE FA president backs Mahdi Ali's men to rise to challenge of qualifying for 2018 World Cup
The UAE will play two matches – the tournament also features the hosts and Syria - before the full squad are involved next month in a training camp in Spain. The national team begin their Group B qualifying campaign for the World Cup away to Japan on September 1, before hosting Australia five days later.
Mahdi Ali said the need to inject fresh blood into that squad was significant, citing the King’s Cup as a welcome chance to run the rule over the next generation of players.
“It’s very important because it’s a good opportunity to see new players for the future and to prepare some players for that,” Mahdi Ali said. “We have to look for new players, for young players to complete the cycle for this age-group.
“Of course, when you have more selection it makes it easier, as it will be a good challenge for the players to force their way into the 23 for the World Cup squad. This will give them more motivation and more of a challenge to be in the group, while also for us it’s a good opportunity to select the best squad for the first team.”
No doubt seeking to impress in Thailand will be Salem Saleh, Al Nasr’s in-form striker, Al Wahda’s Mohammed Al Akberi, the 2015/16 Arabian Gulf League young player of the season, Al Ain’s Ahmed Barman and a clutch of Al Jazira youngsters, including playmaker Khalfan Mubarak. Wahda’s Hamdan Al Kamali, the former UAE captain, has been recalled to the squad.
“I’m sure that within one or two years there’ll be some of the young players in the World Cup squad and the first-team,” Mahdi Ali said. “But I’ll have to see in this tournament how they will improve and what they’ll do within the next year. But there are definitely two or three players who have a good future and will be in the squad.”
Asked about working alongside the Pro League Committee and its clubs this summer in adapting their schedules to fit the national team’s commitments, Mahdi Ali added: “We will study the clubs’ demands and deal with those by trying to find the best interests for all parties.
“The amazing group of players we have in the national team have maybe their last chance to play in the World Cup, and we have to fight for this opportunity and reach our ambitions to play in it.”
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Mumbai Indians 213/6 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 167/8 (20 ov)
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Match info
Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16
Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs
K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
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RESULTS
Dubai Kahayla Classic – Group 1 (PA) $750,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Deryan, Ioritz Mendizabal (jockey), Didier Guillemin (trainer).
Godolphin Mile – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Dubai Gold Cup – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (Turf) 3,200m
Winner: Subjectivist, Joe Fanning, Mark Johnston
Al Quoz Sprint – Group 1 (TB) $1million (T) 1,200m
Winner: Extravagant Kid, Ryan Moore, Brendan Walsh
UAE Derby – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Dubai Golden Shaheen – Group 1 (TB) $1.5million (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zenden, Antonio Fresu, Carlos David
Dubai Turf – Group 1 (TB) $4million (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord North, Frankie Dettori, John Gosden
Dubai Sheema Classic – Group 1 (TB) $5million (T) 2,410m
Winner: Mishriff, John Egan, John Gosden
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
