The Netherlands are back in World Cup action on Friday as they look to make it two wins out of two Group A matches when they take on Ecuador in Qatar.
Louis van Gaal's side started their campaign with a 2-0 victory over reigning African champions Senegal, thanks to two late goals from Cody Gakpo and substitute Davy Klaassen.
It was an underwhelming effort from the Dutch who even gambled by brining on Memphis Depay in the second half to try and break the deadlock, despite Van Gaal saying the previous day that the Barca attacker would not be fit enough to play.
“He is a player who can make the difference,” Van Gaal said ahead of the Ecuador game. “He will want to play, but I have to assess his form.”
If Depay isn't fit enough to start the match at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, then Van Gaal is confident he can rely on Cody Gakpo, who scored against Senegal for his third goal of the year with the Oranje.
The 23-year-old has scored 13 goals in 24 games for PSV Eindhoven this season. “He knows how to score goals and is very agile,” Van Gaal added.
Ecuador also started the finals with a 2-0 win, defeating hosts Qatar on the tournament's opening day courtesy of two Enner Valencia strikes.
Although Valencia came off against Qatar after taking a knock to his knee, manager Gustavo Alfaro says “there is no doubt” that La Tri's all-time leading scorer will play against the Netherlands.
The 33-year-old has been in top form for this club side this season, grabbing 13 goals in 12 league games for Turkish side Fenerbahce
In the gallery above, you can see images of Dutch players training on Thursday. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or swipe if using a mobile device.
T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
