DUBAI // Argentine Edgardo Bauza will be officially presented on Thursday night as the UAE’s new national team manager.
The former Argentina manager, who was dismissed last month after only eight months in charge, is understood to have accepted a contract that runs until the conclusion of the 2019 Asian Cup, which takes place in the Emirates from January 5 to February 1.
Bauza, 59, arrived in Dubai on Tuesday and met with members of the UAE Football Association the following day to conclude negotiations. He replaces in the role Mahdi Ali, who resigned on March 28, immediately after the crucial World Cup qualifying defeat to Australia in Sydney. The Emirati had held the position since August 2012.
The FA had always considered Bauza a primary target, but the former defender rejected an initial offer last month. However, once complications arose regarding a move for Colombian Reinaldo Rueda, the FA returned to Bauza. He will be presented as the national team manager at a press conference at the FA’s headquarters in Al Khawaneej.
In his new role, Bauza is tasked with first helping the UAE reach next summer’s World Cup – the team currently sit fourth in Group B in the final stage of qualification – with the Gulf Cup later this year and the 2019 Asian Cup representing longer-term objectives. His first match in charge will be next month’s must-win World Cup qualifier in Thailand on June 13.
Bauza will seek to rebound from a chastening eight months with Argentina from August last year. During that time, he guided the 2014 World Cup finalists to only three victories in eight matches, a run that pulled the side to fifth in the Conmebol section for Russia 2018 – one spot outside automatic qualification.
Bauza has experienced significant success at club level, though, having led Ecuador’s LDU Quito and Argentina’s San Lorenzo to win the Copa Libertadores, the highest club prize in South American football, in 2008 and 2014. He has some first-hand knowledge of Gulf football, too, after a brief stint spent at Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in 2009.
Bauza has less than five weeks to get the UAE ready for that crucial qualifier against Thailand in Bangkok. At present, the national team lie seven points off the automatic qualification spots, with three matches remaining. The UAE also sit four points back from Australia in third, the position that guarantees entry into a series of play-offs to make the World Cup.
After bottom-placed Thailand, the UAE host Saudi Arabia, the group’s joint-leaders, in Abu Dhabi on August 31 before potentially concluding their campaign on September 5, against Iraq in Tehran.
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Aston Martin Rapide AMR
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
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Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
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Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
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The specs
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On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
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Wicked
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Sleep Well Beast
The National
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The specs
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Brief scoreline:
Al Wahda 2
Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'
Al Nassr 3
Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
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Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
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Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
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Match info
Manchester United 1
Fred (18')
Wolves 1
Moutinho (53')
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US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full