At first glance, Lisa Zimouche’s Instagram account might not seem all that different from her peers.
She has posts about her travels, ones that show off her fashion sense and, of course, some with her friends and family.
A closer look, however, reveals her deeper connection to football and one of the big reasons why she has amassed more than 1.9 million followers.
Her videos show that Zimouche, 22, is an incredibly skilled freestyle footballer.
Whether it’s kicking around a ball in high heels or showing off against other top-tier athletes, the French-Algerian has impressed followers around the world.
Thanks to her talent, Zimouche's latest project has her collaborating with Nokia for a new smartphone in a clever marketing campaign with Brazilian football great Roberto Carlos. In it, the duo show off their football skills using the smartphone as their target, proving how sturdy it is as it repeatedly survives their damage.
“We did some great stuff, that was just a great day of shooting. That was the first time I was with a friend and they told me I can do whatever I wanted with the phone,” Zimouche tells The National with a laugh.
Following her passion
Zimouche's love for the sport began at a young age after watching French superstar Zinedine Zidane. She picked up the sport herself and began training with the Paris Saint-Germain women’s youth team as a teenager.
However, it was in 2010 that she first came across freestyle football and was mesmerised by how liberating it looked. She describes it as the perfect mix between sport and art.
“When I started playing street football when I was younger, I always knew [I wanted to perform tricks more than anything]. I was the kind of the person with a lot of skills, some which aren’t even needed for the game, but I just wanted to do it,” she says.
“What I love about freestyle is that there’s no pressure, no one to tell you what to do, there are absolutely no rules.”
Eventually, she chose to leave the club, instead focusing on freestyle football.
She took part in the Red Bull Street Style World Final 2012 and was named the World Panna Female Champion in 2014.
Championing for equality
When Zimouche first began her journey, she was one of the few women in the world of freestyle football.
She has found ways to stand out, with videos showing off her impressive skills going viral.
Such was the case in 2017, when Paris Saint-Germain uploaded a video that showed her meeting their under-19 and under-17 players and surprising them with her skills.
In the clip, she dribbles around, moves the ball from her feet to her shoulders and even gets in a few nutmegs (a football term meaning to pass the ball intentionally between an opposing player's legs). The video has more than eight million views.
These days, she has challenged herself by taking on some of football’s biggest stars, including Paul Pogba, Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr.
She has also shown off her skills against the likes of former Olympian Usain Bolt and singer Drake.
Despite all the attention she has received over the past few years, Zimouche remains committed to growing the sport and being a champion for equality.
She hopes to help other women feel more comfortable, and for those looking to follow in her footsteps, she has simple advice.
“Whatever you're doing, be passionate. The passion will help you work hard. It won't feel like work or practice, because you're just passionate,” she says. “So keep learning stuff and be positive and you will get through your challenges.”
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
The specs: Volvo XC40
Price: base / as tested: Dh185,000
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 250hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.4L / 100km
