DUBAI // Since his 2007 Asian Cup triumph with Iraq, Jorvan Vieira often has been described as the man with the Midas touch.
Glimpses of his skills were evident at Kalba last season, as well, when the little side from Sharjah emirate gave Al Ain, the country's most decorated club, a scare before succumbing in a relegation fight.
It was only natural for Baniyas to go searching for this man. A young team with plenty of ambitions, both domestically and continental, they wanted someone to guide them to the next level. Vieira boasted the perfect CV.
Things, however, have not gone to plan. First, Andre Senghor went AWOL during the close season. Vieira usually had to train without his front line players, who were on duty with the national or Olympic teams.
Last month, tragedy struck the club, and UAE football, when the midfielder Theyab Awana died in a car crash.
Despite these problems, Vieira has tried to remain upbeat, but the results on the pitch have been far from positive.
Starting the season with a 4-1 defeat at Al Shabab, Baniyas suffered their third defeat in four Etisalat Cup matches last night, going down 3-1 at Al Ahli. They lost to Al Nasr at home last week and their lone point comes from a 1-1 draw with Ajman.
Missing their biggest signing of the season, David Trezeguet, through injury and still waiting on a fourth foreign signing, Baniyas were clearly second-best against a team boasting the attacking talents of Grafite, the energy of Jakson Coelho and silky skills of Luis Jimenez. The visitors had just one of their foreigners, Senghor, available for the game; Oman's Fawzi Basheer is also on national duty.
Coelho, usually the busiest man on the pitch in every Ahli game, was the first to give Baniyas the jitters. His curling free kick from the right dipped behind the defensive wall and the goalkeeper Mohammed Khalef had to make a desperate lunge to keep the ball out.
In the 10th minute, a Yousuf Jaber header for his keeper almost gave Ahli the lead, the ball ballooning over the advancing Khalef and landing on the roof of the net.
The home fans did not have to wait long to celebrate their first goal, though, as Juma Sanqoor floated a well-measured ball in to the box in the 20th minute and Grafite, the Brazilian, faced few problems in heading it home.
Jimenez, Ahli's third big signing of the summer, then gave a thundering display of his skills, which once had the likes of Inter Milan and Lazio chasing the Chilean's signature. Taking a free kick from just outside the box in the 33rd minute, Jimenez cannoned the ball over the Baniyas wall into the far corner of the net.
Baniyas pulled one back before the break after Sanqoor had pulled down Adnan Al Balooshi inside the box. Senghor, who had earlier missed a golden opportunity in the 26th minute after Rashid Najem had drawn the Ahli keeper out, converted from the spot in the 44th minute.
The Senegalese striker, however, was a virtual passenger in the second half as Ahli dictated the terms. The home side, however, failed to convert any more of their chances until the substitute Faisal Khalil flicked home Ahli's third in the 82nd minute. The hard-working Tariq Ahmed headed Coelho's cross into Khalil's path and the Ahli fan-favourite left the Baniyas defence and keeper stranded with a smart finish.
The convincing manner of the win should give Ahli a big confidence boost ahead of their Pro League opener at Al Jazira on Saturday. Baniyas, meanwhile, will travel to Ajman a day later and Vieira will be hoping the return of his national team players, Oman's Basheer and possibly Trezeguet will turn things around for his beleaguered team.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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Company%20profile
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
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
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
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The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
