DUBAI // Al Shabab are out of contention for a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League, but coach Paulo Bonamigo claims pride will be a strong incentive for his side in tonight's clash with Persepolis.
Playing in Asia for only the second time, Shabab have yet to win a game in this campaign, having lost all three of their away matches and drawn the two at home. Their worst defeat came against Persepolis in Tehran when they were drubbed 6-1, but Bonamigo insists their final Group D game is not about revenge.
"I believe revenge is the wrong word to use," he said. "Our goal is to play with dignity in the Champions League and show our personality. So it's not about revenge, but about representing UAE football as best as we can and performing well.
"We lost 6-1 in Tehran, but that was just a bad day for us and it can happen to any team. Our focus will be on putting up a much better performance and proving that result [against Persepolis] was abnormal."
Shabab will be missing the services of their talismanic Brazilian Ciel for the game due to suspension, along with defender Esam Dahi.
Uzbek Azizbek Haydarov, who has missed the last few matches due to injury, could get some time in the middle as Bonamigo is keen to give him a bit of match practise ahead of Monday's Etisalat Cup final against Al Ahli, but the hosts could rest most of their other regulars keeping that game in mind.
"We have full faith in the replacements and a lot of motivation to do well in this game," Bonamigo said. "We don't have a chance of qualifying for the next stage, but we want to leave a good impression of Shabab in Asia."
The Persepolis coach Mustafa Denizli was not too pleased to hear his team could be facing the Shabab second-string, but with the battle for the two qualifying spots from the group still wide open, he will not really care as long as he can get three points.
Persepolis are second in the group with eight points, one behind Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal, who will host Al Gharafa (six points) of Qatar later in the night. The second Group D match will kick-off three hours after the Shabab-Persepolis start and Denizli is surprised both group matches are not starting at the same time.
"We know the importance of this game and we are ready," he said. "But I just want to say one thing: the last [group] games must all start at the same time like they do in Europe. That is important. However, I am not afraid. We know what we have to do - we have to win this match and that's all."
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The lowdown
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.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
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A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
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2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
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5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
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Martin Sabbagh profile
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In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
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2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
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