DUBAI // Hugo Viana said Al Wasl would "fight" to end this season with silverware, as the club prepared to kick off their President's Cup campaign on Friday night.
The Dubai club were one of the Arabian Gulf League's most consistent sides during the second half of 2014/15, losing once in their final 11 matches – Sunday's season-concluding 4-2 defeat to Al Jazira – to finish sixth in the table.
Wasl have excelled under coach Gabriel Calderon, who replaced Jorginho in October, with the Argentine seeking to continue that run with an extended challenge in the President’s Cup.
Calderon takes Wasl to Baniyas, his former club, for the last-16 encounter on Friday, a match Viana warned will prove a tough test.
“It’s one game, anything can happen,” the Portuguese midfielder said.
“We’re not thinking about anything other than winning. We want to win every game to reach the final, but we have to respect all the teams because, like Al Wasl, they want to win also. So we are ready to fight.”
Wasl have been prolific in attack, registering 53 goals to be third on the scoring chart.
They have, though, had problems at the back, conceding 45 times to make them the second most breached defence in the league’s top eight clubs behind Jazira.
Viana said Wasl must improve in that area if they are to contest for major titles next season and believes Calderon is the right man to lead that quest.
“The coach did a very good job in the league,” the former Newcastle United and Valencia player said.
“When he arrived we weren’t in good position. To finish where we did was good for Wasl, especially if you compare to last season – they finished in 12th place. This season we were fighting for fourth.
“All the players did a very good job in the second round of the league. We have to be happy with our work, but we also have to criticise ourselves.
“The players have to do more, we have to be better, and, at the end of the season, the first idea we can take is we have to be more concentrated.
“In the end, we lost points very easily, so we have to be more concentrated and do a very good job in the next season.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
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Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
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FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
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Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
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Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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
More on Quran memorisation:
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
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Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Correspondents
By Tim Murphy
(Grove Press)
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