DUBAI // Mariano Donda marked his return to the Pro League last night with a brilliant free kick that helped Al Wasl end their losing streak against Dubai and return with a point from the Al Awir club.
The Argentine, who missed the last six league matches through a knee injury and attended just three training sessions before this match, started on the bench, but was sent out by Guy Lacombe as the game resumed after the break.
At that point Wasl were trailing 2-1 against a side that had won all four of their duels last season, scoring five goals in two of them.
Donda answered the SOS with a 77th-minute equaliser, which helped Wasl break their jinx against Dubai, but the Zabeel club are still way down the league table, in eighth, with just one win from their last seven matches and three draws.
"I am very happy with the way we came back in the match," said Lacombe, the Wasl coach.
"It is very difficult to come back from two goals down, but the players fought really hard and I cannot thank them enough for it."
The Wasl fans, however, might not be very pleased with this result against a depleted Dubai team, who were missing three of their foreign players.
Richard Porta suffered a thigh injury on the eve of the match and was forced to sit out a game he was really looking forward to.
The Uruguayan had spent the first four months of last season at Wasl, but was released in the January transfer window and sent back home.
Guinean striker Alhassane Keita was also missing from Dubai's line-up, as was their captain Ali Hassan and Brazilian midfielder Magrao.
Simon Pierre Feindouno was their lone foreign player on the pitch and he put them ahead virtually single-handedly in the 29th minute.
Making a dash from the halfway line, the French-Guinean tricked his way past the lone defender Yasser Salem and then chipped the ball past the keeper.
Rami Yaslam, the former Al Ain man, almost doubled Dubai's tally with a stinging volley in the 43rd minute. Rashed Ali, the Wasl keeper, made a brilliant diving stop to deny him. But the keeper seemed a bit overzealous as he tried to grab the ball from the resulting corner kick by Hassan Abdulrahman and dragged it into the net.
Ali Abbas reduced the margin with a well-placed header seconds before the half-time whistle and then Donda struck the equaliser 13 minutes from time. The Argentine chipped the ball over the wall, leaving the Dubai goalkeeper stranded. Ecstatic, he then raced to the Wasl bench embracing his teammates, coaches and officials.
While the home fans were left heartbroken by the result, Rene Marsiglia, the Dubai coach, was pleased given his long injury list.
"I am happy with the performance of our players and the result," Marsiglia said. "We were missing four important players, but our reserve players proved themselves tonight.
"Porta got injured at our final training session last night, so that really disrupted my plans for the game. But I have no complaints and thank my players for their effort."
arizvi@thenational.ae
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
