Asia’s record signing Alex Teixeira struck twice on his debut as big-spending Jiangsu Suning got their Chinese Super League (CSL) campaign off to a flying start with a 3-0 victory over Shandong Luneng.
The first round of this year’s CSL attracted global attention after a huge transfer spree by cashed-up Chinese clubs, with €50 million (Dh200m) capture Teixeira firmly under the microscope.
But the striker, who was lured from Shakhtar Donetsk from under the noses of Liverpool, lived up to the hype by firing home in the 66th and 85th minutes.
That was after fellow Brazilian Ramires, who cost €28 million from Chelsea in January, had opened the scoring just three minutes into the new season watched by 48,795 fans at Nanjing Olympic Sports stadium.
Given the focus on imported talent, it was notable that all 16 goals on the opening weekend were scored by overseas players.
Former Atletico Madrid striker Jackson Martinez also netted on his Guangzhou Evergrande league debut but the €42 million signing couldn’t stop the reigning champions slumping to a shock 2-1 defeat to Chongqing Lifan.
The Colombian scored with a 52nd-minute header but a double from Brazilian marksman Fernandinho gave Chongqing their first ever win over Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Asian title-holders, watched by a crowd of 48,855.
Elsewhere there were more surprises as Sven Goran-Eriksson’s Shanghai SIPG also fell at the first hurdle with a 1-0 away defeat to unfashionable Henan Jianye.
In northern China, the league’s newcomers and other big-spenders Hebei China Fortune started in style despite being reduced to 10 men for half the match as €18 million signing Gervinho and Ersan Gulum scored in a 2-1 win over Guangzhou R&F.
Hebei were already 2-1 up when midfielder Luo Senwen received his marching orders for a second yellow in the 43rd minute but they held out to take the three points.
“We don’t deserve to lose the game, but it’s football,” Guangzhou R&F’s head coach Dragan Stojkovic told Xinhua after the match.
In Shanghai, former Chelsea and Newcastle striker Demba Ba scored from the spot as Shanghai Shenhua drew 1-1 with newly-promoted Yanbian Fude.
Australia’s record goal-scorer Tim Cahill, who departed Shenhua in the close season, was quickly off the mark on his debut for Hangzhou Greentown, slotting home a 21st-minute penalty in the 2-1 victory over Changchun Yatai.
Chinese clubs have invested heavily in overseas players, inspired by a push headed by President Xi Jinping to turn China into a footballing power.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Co Chocolat
Started: 2017
Founders: Iman and Luchie Suguitan
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Food
Funding: $1 million-plus
Investors: Fahad bin Juma, self-funding, family and friends
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
The Specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 118hp
Torque: 149Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Price: From Dh61,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Carzaty, now Kavak
Based: Dubai
Launch year: Carzaty launched in 2018, Kavak in the GCC launched in 2022
Number of employees: 140
Sector: Automotive
Funding: Carzaty raised $6m in equity and $4m in debt; Kavak plans $130m investment in the GCC
The specs
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 660hp
Torque: 1,100Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 488km-560km
Price: From Dh850,000 (estimate)
On sale: October
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
SPEC SHEET: NOTHING PHONE (2)
Display: 6.7” LPTO Amoled, 2412 x 1080, 394ppi, HDR10+, Corning Gorilla Glass
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Capacity: 128/256/512GB
Platform: Android 13, Nothing OS 2
Main camera: Dual 50MP wide, f/1.9 + 50MP ultrawide, f/2.2; OIS, auto-focus
Main camera video: 4K @ 30/60fps, 1080p @ 30/60fps; live HDR, OIS
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Battery: 4700mAh; full charge in 55m w/ 45w charger; Qi wireless, dual charging
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC (Google Pay)
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Cards: Dual-nano SIM
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In the box: Nothing Phone (2), USB-C-to-USB-C cable
Price (UAE): Dh2,499 (12GB/256GB) / Dh2,799 (12GB/512GB)
Prophets of Rage
(Fantasy Records)
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
WISH
Directors: Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
Stars: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk
Rating: 3.5/5
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
Dengue fever symptoms
- High fever
- Intense pain behind your eyes
- Severe headache
- Muscle and joint pains
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Swollen glands
- Rash
If symptoms occur, they usually last for two-seven days
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
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.
Voy! Voy! Voy!
Director: Omar Hilal
Stars: Muhammad Farrag, Bayoumi Fouad, Nelly Karim
Rating: 4/5
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
