ABU DHABI // The UAE’s chances of topping the group for an automatic berth in the final round of 2018 World Cup qualification improved dramatically after the rescheduled second leg between Saudi Arabia and Palestine ended in a scoreless draw on Monday.
The UAE face the bottom team East Timor on Thursday night at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium and travel to Kuala Lumpur to face Malaysia five days later, and three points each from the games, which they are expected to achieve, will put Mahdi Ali’s men back in the race for the top spot in Group A.
Predictably, the UAE coach played down the outcome of the Saudi Arabia-Palestine match.
“As I have told before, regardless of the result of that game we want to win the remaining four matches. That will be our objective,” the Emirati said on Wednesday.
“Of course, that result provides us a little advantage but our strategy hasn’t changed. At this point of time we are not looking beyond our match against East Timor.”
East Timor, according to their coach, Fernando Alcantara, have adopted a new strategy for the second-leg games.
They have dropped the seven Brazilians who had been cleared to play for the former Portuguese colony following three defeats and a draw against Malaysia in the first-leg games and, instead, travelled to Abu Dhabi with seven young Timorese.
“We are working on a new strategy with a younger squad. We had seven Brazilian payers when we lost to UAE in the first leg. Now we are fielding only Timorese,” Alcantara said.
Mahdi Ali said he cannot be concerned by the strategic plans of other sides.
“What the other team does is not a concern for us,” he said. “It’s another important game for us and, as usual, our focus will only be on the match we are going to play.”
He also dismissed suggestions that Al Ahli players are “tired” as they had to play in both the domestic Arabian Gulf League and the first leg of the Asian Champions League final.
“Some people think the players are exhausted but they are not,” Mahdi Ali said. “They played their last domestic league game on October 29 and the ACL match on November 7.
“If they are exhausted I will be the first one to notice that, but they are not. They haven’t had many games other than the ACL match, which I know was a very taxing encounter.
“When I name the starting list I’m not looking only at the Al Ahli players but the best available XI that I have assembled. The players are all ready and there are aware of the task ahead.”
Omar Abdulrahman, the Al Ain playmaker, will be absent through a one-game suspension, and Khamis Ismail has been ruled out because of injury.
The Timorese coach was relieved when he learnt Abdulrahman will not play on Thursday night.
“This information is good news for us,” he said. “But we also have seven players absent. We have brought in new young players. My objective is to play a good game and use this game to provide experience to my players.”
Alcantara made no secret about his ploy.
“My plan is very simple,” he said. “When we don’t have possession all our players will fall back in defence. The reason is that the UAE are strong opponents while we are going to experiment.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%0D5pm%3A%20Al%20Maha%20Stables%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Alfahem%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%20(jockey)%2C%20Ernst%20Oetrel%20(trainer)%0D%3Cbr%3E5.30pm%3A%20Al%20Anoud%20Stables%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Musannef%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%0D%3Cbr%3E6pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Rasam%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%0D%3Cbr%3E6.30pm%3A%20Arabian%20Triple%20Crown%20Round%202%20%E2%80%93%20Group%203%20(PA)%20Dh%20300%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Joe%20Star%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Helal%20Al%20Alawi%0D%3Cbr%3E7pm%3A%20Liwa%20Oasis%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(PA)%20Dh300%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Alajaj%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%0D%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%3A%20Dames%20Stables%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Silent%20Defense%2C%20Oscar%20Chavez%2C%20Rashed%20Bouresly%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
