• Morocco's Abde Ezzalzouli looks downcast after France celebrate their second goal in the 2-0 World Cup semi-final win at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, on December 14, 2022. EPA
    Morocco's Abde Ezzalzouli looks downcast after France celebrate their second goal in the 2-0 World Cup semi-final win at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, on December 14, 2022. EPA
  • Morocco's Romain Saiss consoles Achraf Hakimi at the end of the match. AP
    Morocco's Romain Saiss consoles Achraf Hakimi at the end of the match. AP
  • Morocco players kneel on the pitch at the end of the match. AP
    Morocco players kneel on the pitch at the end of the match. AP
  • France's Kylian Mbappe hugs Morocco's Achraf Hakimi. AP
    France's Kylian Mbappe hugs Morocco's Achraf Hakimi. AP
  • Morocco coach Walid Regragui acknowledges the fans after the match. Reuters
    Morocco coach Walid Regragui acknowledges the fans after the match. Reuters
  • France forward Randal Kolo Muani celebrates with teammates after scoring their second goal. AFP
    France forward Randal Kolo Muani celebrates with teammates after scoring their second goal. AFP
  • France substitute Randal Kolo Muani celebrates after scoring the second goal against Morocco. Getty
    France substitute Randal Kolo Muani celebrates after scoring the second goal against Morocco. Getty
  • Randal Kolo Muani celebrates scoring. AP
    Randal Kolo Muani celebrates scoring. AP
  • Randal Kolo Muani scores the second goal for France. Getty
    Randal Kolo Muani scores the second goal for France. Getty
  • France's Theo Hernandez (R) celebrates scoring the first goal with Olivier Giroud. EPA
    France's Theo Hernandez (R) celebrates scoring the first goal with Olivier Giroud. EPA
  • Theo Hernandez scores the opening goal past Yassine Bounou of Morocco. Getty
    Theo Hernandez scores the opening goal past Yassine Bounou of Morocco. Getty
  • Theo Hernandez celebrates after scoring the first goal for France. Getty
    Theo Hernandez celebrates after scoring the first goal for France. Getty
  • Theo Hernandez celebrates after scoring. Getty
    Theo Hernandez celebrates after scoring. Getty
  • Morocco's Jawad El Yamiq goes close with an overhead kick. AFP
    Morocco's Jawad El Yamiq goes close with an overhead kick. AFP
  • Kylian Mbappe is frustrated. Getty
    Kylian Mbappe is frustrated. Getty
  • Kylian Mbappe after a missed chance. Getty
    Kylian Mbappe after a missed chance. Getty
  • Morocco's Romain Saiss is substituted by Selim Amallah during the first half. AP
    Morocco's Romain Saiss is substituted by Selim Amallah during the first half. AP
  • Kylian Mbappe is challenged by Yassine Bounou and Achraf Dari. Getty
    Kylian Mbappe is challenged by Yassine Bounou and Achraf Dari. Getty
  • France's Olivier Giroud in action. AP
    France's Olivier Giroud in action. AP
  • Aurelien Tchouameni of France reacts after a challenge with Sofyan Amrabat. Getty
    Aurelien Tchouameni of France reacts after a challenge with Sofyan Amrabat. Getty
  • Antoine Griezmann during the semi-final. Getty
    Antoine Griezmann during the semi-final. Getty
  • Ibrahima Konateof France in action against Achraf Hakimi of Morocco. EPA
    Ibrahima Konateof France in action against Achraf Hakimi of Morocco. EPA
  • France's Ousmane Dembele and Morocco's Yahia Attiyat Allah challenge for the ball. AP
    France's Ousmane Dembele and Morocco's Yahia Attiyat Allah challenge for the ball. AP

Walid Regragui proud Morocco 'fought until the last minute' against France


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

Morocco manager Walid Regragui paid tribute to his players despite the World Cup semi-final defeat to France, saying they had “shown to the world that Moroccan football exists”.

The North Africans, the first Arab country to contest a World Cup quarter-final and then the only African nation to reach the last four, were beaten 2-0 by holders France at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday night.

However, even in defeat, Morocco won plenty of admirers. They went a goal down on five minutes to Theo Hernandez’s volley, but pinned back France for much of the match before substitute Randal Kolo Muani's 79th-minute goal sealed a second successive final for the the reigning champions.

Speaking afterwards, Regragui said: "We gave our all, that's the most important thing. The boys fought until the last minute. We had some injuries, we lost [centre-back Nayef] Aguerd in the warm-up, [on 20 minutes, captain Romain] Saiss, [at half-time, left-back Noussair] Mazraoui... but there are no excuses.

"We paid for the slightest mistake. We didn't get into the game well; we had too much technical waste in the first half, and the second goal kills us, but that doesn't take away everything we did before.

"We wanted to win the game, but we came up against a strong team that knows what it is doing and waits for you to make a mistake, which we made at the beginning of the game.”

Nevertheless, Morocco have become one of the stories of the Qatar tournament. They qualified for the knockout stages for the first in 36 years by finishing top of their group, and then made history by advancing to the quarter-finals and the semi-finals.

Along the way, they defeated Belgium, Spain and Portugal.

"We could have scored, but unfortunately a goal didn't come,” Regragui said on Wednesday. “May the Moroccans forgive us. We wanted to go to the final but... next time, God willing.

"We gave the maximum, that's the most important thing. The most important thing is to have given a good image, to have shown the world that Moroccan football exists and that we have beautiful supporters.

"To reach the very, very highest level, to win a World Cup, we still have to work. But we are not very far away.”

Morocco, never before to this point, will have to dust themselves off to prepare for Saturday’s third-place play-off against Croatia.

"It will be difficult on the mental level," Regragui said. "I will give opportunities to those who did not participate, and we will try to clinch the third place.

"The important thing is that we presented a good look to our team, and that football in Morocco is not far from the top levels."

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later. 

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 611bhp

Torque: 620Nm

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Price: upon application

On sale: now

The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet

Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder

Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km

DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENetflix%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKris%20Fade%2C%20Ebraheem%20Al%20Samadi%2C%20Zeina%20Khoury%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Western Clubs Champions League:

  • Friday, Sep 8 - Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Bahrain
  • Friday, Sep 15 – Kandy v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
  • Friday, Sep 22 – Kandy v Bahrain
Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

Brief scores:

Day 2

England: 277 & 19-0

West Indies: 154

Monday's results
  • UAE beat Bahrain by 51 runs
  • Qatar beat Maldives by 44 runs
  • Saudi Arabia beat Kuwait by seven wickets
Company profile

Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space

Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)

Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)

Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi 

Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution) 

Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space  

Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019

WITHIN%20SAND
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Moe%20Alatawi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Ra%E2%80%99ed%20Alshammari%2C%20Adwa%20Fahd%2C%20Muhand%20Alsaleh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20has%20been%20moored%20off%20the%20Yemeni%20coast%20of%20Ras%20Issa%20since%201988.%3Cbr%3EThe%20Houthis%20have%20been%20blockading%20UN%20efforts%20to%20inspect%20and%20maintain%20the%20vessel%20since%202015%2C%20when%20the%20war%20between%20the%20group%20and%20the%20Yemen%20government%2C%20backed%20by%20the%20Saudi-led%20coalition%20began.%3Cbr%3ESince%20then%2C%20a%20handful%20of%20people%20acting%20as%20a%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ae%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D%26ved%3D2ahUKEwiw2OfUuKr4AhVBuKQKHTTzB7cQFnoECB4QAQ%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.thenationalnews.com%252Fworld%252Fmena%252Fyemen-s-floating-bomb-tanker-millions-kept-safe-by-skeleton-crew-1.1104713%26usg%3DAOvVaw0t9FPiRsx7zK7aEYgc65Ad%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3Eskeleton%20crew%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20have%20performed%20rudimentary%20maintenance%20work%20to%20keep%20the%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20intact.%3Cbr%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20is%20connected%20to%20a%20pipeline%20from%20the%20oil-rich%20city%20of%20Marib%2C%20and%20was%20once%20a%20hub%20for%20the%20storage%20and%20export%20of%20crude%20oil.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%E2%80%99s%20environmental%20and%20humanitarian%20impact%20may%20extend%20well%20beyond%20Yemen%2C%20experts%20believe%2C%20into%20the%20surrounding%20waters%20of%20Saudi%20Arabia%2C%20Djibouti%20and%20Eritrea%2C%20impacting%20marine-life%20and%20vital%20infrastructure%20like%20desalination%20plans%20and%20fishing%20ports.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

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

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

if you go

The flights 

Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning. 

The trains

Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.

The hotels

Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.

Updated: December 15, 2022, 11:18 AM