ABU DHABI // Last night's curtain-raiser for the Fifa Club World Cup proved disappointing for Al Ahli fans as they saw their team - and country - shut out of the rest of the 11-day football festival after a 2-0 loss to Auckland City.
With the dream of a matchup with the European champion Barcelona FC dashed, Mohammed Ahmed Shaker, a devout Al Ahli supporter who had predicted a 3-0 victory for his club, said he still looked forward to the rest of the event.
"It was sad in that they didn't have soul," said Mr Shaker, 30. "I think that for the tournament and the organisation everything was very nice. Everything was good except for the team."
Although his team lost, he planned to take in the Barcelona FC match with the winner of the Atlante and Auckland City pairing.
"I hope the rest goes well and I will support it," he said, "because at the end of the day you have to be proud to have this tournament in our country."
Despite a small turnout - official attendance in the 42,000-capacity Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium was pegged at 14,806 - the crowd was decidedly pro-Ahli and vocal in its support. The fans whistled at the Auckland City players' arrival on the pitch and then chanted throughout the match, the cheering led by a dedicated section of Al Ahli supporters on the first level of the ground who beat drums and played horns.
The regular Al Ahli supporters were bolstered by support from other clubs, such as Al Ain, who threw their support behind the Dubai club.
"Usually I support Al Wahda," said Maen al Aulaqi, 16, who had received a ticket from Abu Dhabi International School. "But they represent the UAE."
Even neutrals such as Domenic Antonucci from Australia had been pulling for Al Ahli.
"I live here now so I'll follow the local team," said the business consultant who had been living in Abu Dhabi since January. "I am loyal to my second home."
Long before the first goal went in for Auckland City moments before the half-time whistle and Al Ahli came within a few feet of striking right back, excitement was building for five other continental club champions, including Barcelona from Spain and Estudiantes de la Plata from Argentina. The top prize is US$5 million (Dh18m).
Fans began arriving at the stadium by bus three hours prior to the match, snacking on fish and chips, Mexican fajitas and Singapore-style noodles as they watched freestyle footballers, beat boxing and break dancing. "We will heat people up before the match, before they go in," said Ahmed G, 17, one of the beat boxers.
An opening ceremony featured 250 performers clad in colourful carnival costumes.
As Arabian-themed music played from the speakers, the young people ran to the centre of the pitch while young men in kandouras beat a rhythm on their hands on drums.
Then the music lowered and a small boy in white and a girl in red walked out from the players' entrance to greet the crowd in English and Arabic. "Our father the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nahyan, the founder of UAE, told us that the building of mankind is difficult and hard," the young girl said in English. "It represents, however, the real wealth of the country.
"This is not made up of material wealth. It is made up of men, of children and future generations. It is this which constitutes the real treasure."
As the crowd applauded, the music kicked in again and performers carried pipes shaped like a dhow with large sails bearing the emblem of the seven teams competing in the event toward the centre of the pitch.
The performance had been choreographed by Wanda Rokicki, who worked on events such as the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
The successful staging of this tournament would provide a "turning point" for the country, the UAE FA president, Mohammed Khalfan al Rumaithi, said on Tuesday.
The UAE were successful hosts of the Fifa World Youth Championships in Abu Dhabi in 2003 and of the more recent Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai, but this tournament could give the country the courage to ask for more, he said.
The tournament is now building towards the first match featuring Barcelona, which is expected to play some of the world's best footballers, such as Lionel Messi.
Tomorrow night's matchup pits Tp Mazembe Englebert from the Democratic Republic of Congo against Pohang Steelers from South Korea.
@Email:mchung@thenational.ae
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
AUSTRALIA%20SQUAD
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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
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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QUALIFYING RESULTS
1. Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1 minute, 35.246 seconds.
2. Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 1:35.271.
3. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:35.332.
4. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.497.
5. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1:35.571.
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.815.
7. Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:35.963.
8. Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mercedes, 1:36.046.
9. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 1:36.065.
10. Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:36.242.
Eliminated after second session
11. Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 1:36.359.
12. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Renault, 1:36.406.
13. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 1:36.631.
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:38.248.
Eliminated after first session
15. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.075.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.555.
17. Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas Ferrari, 1:37.863.
18. George Russell, Great Britain, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.045.
19. Pietro Fittipaldi, Brazil, Haas Ferrari, 1:38.173.
20. Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.443.
