As the 2014/15 season draws to a close, whispers about the next one have started trickling in, with the future of the foreign players and coaches attracting most of the attention.
Al Wahda have confirmed Argentine striker Sebastian Tagliabue and Kuwaiti defender Hussain Fadhel will continue with the team until the end of next season.
That announcement has led to speculations about the future of the two midfielders, Morocco’s Adil Hermach and Damian Diaz of Argentina.
Club officials said they will make a decision about Hermach and Diaz after the end of the season, but reports claim Diaz’s former club Rosario Central are keen to take him back to Argentina and have already started negotiating with Wahda.
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The biggest decision coming out of the Abu Dhabi club at the end of the season could be regarding the future of their coach, Sami Al Jaber.
The Saudi, who did not get off to a great start, still has three league matches and the President’s Cup to prove his credentials.
Tomorrow’s clash against newly crowned champions Al Ain could also provide a few indications.
Munoz on the move
Like Diaz, Carlos Munoz could also be making a return to a former club.
Santiago Wanderers, where the Chilean started his footballing journey in 1995 as a child and stayed until 2011, have already made an offer for the striker, 26, and are waiting for Al Ahli to make a decision.
Ahli brought Munoz from Baniyas on a four-year deal during the last summer transfer window but have left him out of the team in January.
The Chile international has been without a club since and, according to media reports, is ready to accept a 70-80 per cent salary cut to move back to Santiago.
“We have received a lot of offers, but the big priority for me is to return to Santiago, because the club is like a home to me,” Munoz was quoted as saying in the Chile media.
“If it was up to me alone, I would return immediately to Santiago, but it is not my decision alone. I have a contract with Ahli and they have the last word on any deal.”
Dress rehearsal for President’s Cup
As Munoz waits to learn his fate, he could make the drive to Kalba today to watch his Ahli teammates in a President’s Cup dress rehearsal.
The two teams will meet in the President’s Cup on May 15, at the same venue, so this match is a great opportunity for Cosmin Olaroiu’s men to get one-up on their opponents.
It could also be a chance to let off some steam following the refereeing fiasco in their Asian Champions League match at Jeddah, which saw the hosts bounce back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 after Majed Hassan’s sending off.
The players are seething over what they perceive to be a witch-hunt against their team, and this anger could actually be a good thing and unite the squad as the season reaches its climax.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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.
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Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
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About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
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2. Lightweight 70kg
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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.
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