Dubai // Judging by the display, Al Wasl will have coaxed plenty of resentment last night from fledgling Fantasy Football managers.
The Pro League initiative, launched last month ahead of the season's resumption, has attracted a wealth of would-be coaches, yet it would not take Sir Alex Ferguson to realise the Zabeel Stadium at present offers little in the way of bargain buys.
On the whole, though, bonus points where at a premium throughout this Dubai derby, although it was Al Nasr who left with three of their own, Bruno Correa's bundling home of a first-half corner enough to ensure the visitors remain fifth in the table.
Wasl, with only two victories in 10 league matches, stay eighth; if not already, their campaign is fast becoming a write-off.
"It's the first time as a coach I've faced these circumstances," said Guy Lacombe, the Wasl tactician, who argued it was his side that deserved the win.
"We're really suffering from losing our important players to injuries, but we have some technical points to work on with the players, and to help build the chemistry with the new signings.
"We can only do this on the training pitch.
"We shouldn't have lost. We played well and I'm surprised we did not win the game.
"For me, the only negative was the result. We just need more confidence."
Lacombe could perhaps be allowed to extract encouragement, however scant, from Wasl's second half performance.
The club have been shorn of their two most potent attacking forces - Mariano Donda and Shikabala - but in their places here were Achille Emana and Mohammed Nasser, both added to the squad only last week.
Emana, a loan signing from Al Ahli, at least provided the hosts with some energy, as the Cameroonian passed and probed for much of the final 45 minutes.
If only Emiliano Alfaro, the Italian striker, could find the scoring boots he wore so expertly during the first few weeks of the season.
As for Nasr, who had Sven-Goran Eriksson, their freshly appointed technical adviser, watching from the stands, the result was probably justified if dealing in the currency of clear-cut chances.
Giuseppe Mascara had a free kick that sent Rashid Ali sprawling across the Wasl goal, the home goalkeeper then saved sharply from Takayuki Morimoto, the recent signing from Italy's Catania, and Correa struck the angle from just inside the penalty area.
The Brazilian did notch the decisive blow, on the half-hour glancing home a Mascara corner.
It did seem to take a deflection on route to goal, though - one for those Fantasy managers to debate.
Not that it seemed to bother Nasr's real-life coach one bit.
"Everyone has his own opinion and I respect that of the opposition manager, but I believe we deserved to get a result in what is the most important derby match in Dubai," said Walter Zenga before repelling the predictable questions about an unexpected title charge.
"Now we are concentrating only on each match we play," he added. "And focusing purely on getting the win."
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Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
SPECS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
The years Ramadan fell in May
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners