Senegal and Portugal became the latest teams to secure qualification for the 2022 World Cup after contrasting wins on Tuesday.
Portugal defeated the dangerous North Macedonia 2-0 in a European play-off on Tuesday, securing a fifth World Cup appearance. It was one of seven spots in football's premier tournament that were decided on the day.
Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty in the 50th minute as Poland made it to their straight World Cup berth with a 2-1 victory over Sweden in their European play-off.
Meanwhile, there was controversy in Dakar as Senegal advanced following a penalty shootout win over Egypt after fans pointed lasers to Mohamed Salah’s face while he stepped up to take his team's first penalty kick.
Earlier, Uruguay and Ecuador sealed their spots at Qatar 2022, joining Brazil and Argentina as the automatic qualifiers from the South American group.
Uruguay beat Peru 1-0 and Ecuador lost 3-1 to Paraguay, while Peru beat Paraguay 2-0 in the last round of South American World Cup qualifiers to secure fifth place in the standings and entry to an intercontinental play-off.
Also, the UAE handed South Korea a surprise 1-0 defeat in Dubai to set up a play-off clash with Australia as they kept alive their hopes of a first World Cup appearance in 32 years.
In other Asia qualifying, Saudi Arabia clinched a second successive global finals place even before their 1-1 draw with China after Japan beat Australia in Sydney.
Japan also secured their place in Qatar. South Korea and Iran have punched their tickets by taking the top two spots in Group A.
Thirty-two teams, including the hosts Qatar, will play the showpiece event which starts on November 21. So far, 29 teams have qualified. Two intercontinental playoffs will be held in June along with two games to determine the final European berth.
Qatar 2022 will be the last 32-team World Cup before the 2026 World Cup across North America expands to 48 teams.
The tournament takes place from November 21-December 18, 2022.
Allocation of spots
Thirteen spots go to Europe, five to Africa, four-and-a-half go to both Asia and South America, three-and-a-half to North and Central America and the Caribbean, and half to the Oceania region. Those "half" spots earned by teams send them to a pair of intercontinental play-offs for the last two places at Qatar 2022.
Uefa (Union of European Football Associations)
Portugal defeated North Macedonia 2-0 and Poland saw off Sweden by the same score in play-off finals.
Italy's shock exit had North Macedonia hoping of their first ever appearance at a World Cup finals but Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal proved a step too far in Porto.
Twelve European sides have now clinched a place at the World Cup.
Gareth Bales' Wales will take part in the other play-off final but that match is on hold until at least June after the war in Ukraine led to the postponement of the Ukrainians' semi-final against Scotland.
Asia (Asian Football Confederation)
Twelve teams advanced to the third round of Asian qualifying, divided into two groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two from each group will qualify for the World Cup, and the third-placed teams will advance to the fourth round.
Harib Abdalla Suhail was the star as the UAE stunned South Korea 1-0 to advance to an Asian qualifying play-off against Australia.
North America, Central America, Caribbean (Concacaf)
Three direct slots and one inter-confederation play-off slot in the final tournament were available for Concacaf teams.
The US and Mexico both booked their tickets for Qatar 2022. US lost 2-0 to Costa Rica but still progressed along with the Mexicans, who beat El Salvador 2-0 on Wednesday. Canada had already secured qualification.
Costa Rica finished fourth in the standings and will face New Zealand in an intercontinental qualifier in June for a spot in the main event.
South America (Conmebol)
Five-time world champions Brazil became the first team from South America to book their place in Qatar following a 1-0 win over Colombia on November 11.
Lionel Messi secured a fifth shot at getting his hands on a World Cup after Argentina's stalemate against Brazil on November 16.
The top four teams in the single table advance to the World Cup, while the fifth-place team goes to an intercontinental play-off. Peru defeated Paraguay 2-0 for fifth place, and will compete for a berth against the winner of Asia’s fifth-place playoff between Australia and the UAE on June 7.
Oceania (OFC)
New Zealand took a big step towards qualifying for the finals for the first time since 2010 with a 5-0 win over the Solomon Islands in the Oceania qualifying final.
The All Whites will face Costa Rica in their intercontinental playoff.
Intercontinental play-off
One representative each from Asia, Concacaf, Oceania and South America will play two-legged ties to determine the last two World Cup berths. Those games are slated for June 2022.
Who won't be going to Qatar?
While there are still plenty of places to be decided, there will be plenty of big names that won't be at next year's World Cup.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)
Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15
Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)
Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49
Results
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m, Winner: RB Frynchh Dude, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Mnasek, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Grand Dubai, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m, Winner: Meqdam, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Cosgrave, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Madkhal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Paris%20Agreement
%3Cp%3EArticle%2014%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E1.%20%5BThe%20Cop%5D%20shall%20periodically%20take%20stock%20of%20the%20implementation%20of%20this%20Agreement%20to%20assess%20the%20collective%20progress%20towards%20achieving%20the%20purpose%20of%20this%20Agreement%20and%20its%20long-term%20goals%20(referred%20to%20as%20the%20%22global%20stocktake%22)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E2.%20%5BThe%20Cop%5D%20shall%20undertake%20its%20first%20global%20stocktake%20in%202023%20and%20every%20five%20years%20thereafter%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
