ABU DHABI // As they step out on to the pitch at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium tonight the boys of the UAE under 17 team will be only too aware that they are about to play the most important football match of their young lives.
As has been their custom before their two previous matches of the Fifa Under 17 World Cup – both defeats – they will pray in the changing room.
And before kick-off they will once again huddle and say a prayer.
The referee will then blow his whistle and the boys of the UAE and Slovakia will fight it out in the hope of qualifying for the last 16 of the World Cup.
For Slovakia the maths are easy – if they have a better result than Honduras, who play the group winners Brazil, then they will go through. But for the UAE, things are a lot more complicated.
The highest the UAE can finish in Group A is third, meaning their only hope is to qualify as one of the four best third-place teams from the six groups.
To finish third, the UAE must beat Slovakia and then wait until Friday, when the group stage has finished, to find out if three precious points were enough to see them progress.
Karim Matouche, the team’s fitness coach, who has been with the boys for the past 18 months at training camps in Turkey, Malaysia and Spain, admitted the expectation before the tournament was high.
“Many people think it’s an advantage to be playing on your home soil, but for these boys, who are so young, it’s a bigger pressure,” he said. “They know there is higher expectations on them than if they were playing somewhere else.”
A 2-1 defeat to Honduras followed by a 6-1 lesson against Brazil has not dimmed the hopes of manager Rashid Amir.
“It’s 50-50 in the sense that it depends on our result as well as other teams’ results in other groups,” he said. “But the main thing is to focus on winning ourselves. As long as there are matches left and points to be taken, there is hope.”
And team officials are not taking anything for granted. The boys’ food and drink has been carefully controlled since they entered their training camp, with no fizzy drinks or junk food allowed. Each meal must contain half a plate of vegetables, a quarter of protein and a quarter of carbohydrate, not least before and after games. However, they have been allowed one treat a week.
The players are on a regimen of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and amino acids to enable them to recover and train harder – some days training up to three hours a day between two sessions.
In their down time, they have access to a PlayStation area and privacy away from their coaches to just relax.
“Whatever happens tonight, this isn’t the end for them,” Matouche said. “Their careers won’t stop after this. If they win it will be great, if they don’t they’ll be disappointed. But they’ll have a break then get back to their clubs and train to go forward.
“Many of them will be training for next year’s Asia Cup which will be the next focus.”
However, they will be hoping that their next focus will be next week and the last 16 of the World Cup.
mswan@thenational.ae
The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
