“The truth is, we were not on the field in the first half,” concluded Carlos Queiroz, the most worldly manager at the Africa Cup of Nations. His Egypt side had roused themselves after half-time, he thought, but by then they were trailing Nigeria, whose command of the opening fixture in Group D would be maintained through the next 45 minutes.
Another truth is that Queiroz looked as animated as any of his players as he made his way towards the grandstand behind the technical area after the final whistle, engaged in a dispute with a spectator, believed to be an Egyptian supporter.
The coach gestured that he wanted to speak face to face to the individual, while an official from the Egyptian Federation discouraged the confrontation. Queiroz was still angry when he complained later about the poor use of VAR, a penalty appeal turned down against Egypt, and the sluggish start to this Afcon he had overseen.
The 1-0 defeat of one of the pre-tournament favourites cannot count as a genuinely seismic shock given the quality of the opposition. Nigeria will always back themselves to go far in the continent’s showpiece but their readiness to begin adventurously against a fellow heavyweight should be set against their disrupted build-up.
The Nigerian Football Federation changed manager a month ago. Augustine Eguavoen stepping in as caretaker after the dismissal of Gernot Rohr. Nigeria suffered a series of selection setbacks, the strikers Victor Osimhen, Emmanuel Dennis and Odion Ighalo all declared unavailable because of injury or administrative issues around their call-ups.
No team at the Afcon has had a smooth lead-in, given the late deadline allowed to clubs in releasing players, but Egypt could assume certain advantages. Queiroz was working in a tournament environment with many of his senior men only last month, at the Arab Cup in Qatar where he was able to pick all the country’s home- and Middle East-based players.
Six of the Egyptians who started against Nigeria were in the side that started the semi-final of the Arab Cup, losing to a stoppage time goal against Tunisia, including goalkeeper and back four. Granted, against Nigeria the coach had to compensate for the early departure due to injury of Akram Tawfik at right-back. It was an awkward disruption in a key area, the flank from which Nigeria’s Moses Simon posed a consistent threat.
After Kelechi Iheanacho’s stunning strike had earned the three points, Eguavoen reminded his players how strong a marker they have laid down in a tournament where other pre-Afcon favourites have so far looked timid. Algeria opened their defence of the title by being held to a 0-0 draw by Sierra Leone. Senegal needed an injury-time penalty to defeat Zimbabwe.
The Super Eagles, Eguavoen pointed out, had taken the fight to an Egypt “coached by one of the top coaches in the world and with one of the best players in the world”.
He was referencing Salah and Queiroz, the coach formerly in charge of Real Madrid, ex-assistant manager of Manchester United, and almost uniquely experienced in continental tournaments. Once — briefly — in charge of the UAE national team, this is Mozambique-born Queiroz’s second Afcon, having guided South Africa to the quarter-finals 20 years ago.
He also took Colombia to the same stage of the 2019 Copa America, and Iran, where he served as national coach for almost eight years, to a semi- and a quarter-final of the Asian Cup. Iran qualified for two World Cups on his watch, distinguishing themselves in their group at both, and he was manager of Portugal when they reached the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup.
No medals in that roll of honour, but a sound record of reaching knockout phases. That is the absolute minimum expected of Egypt, and they should achieve it still, with matches against Guinea-Bissau and Sudan to come and a forgiving tournament format in which the four best third-place group finishers will make it to the last 16. But there is a strong motive for finishing better than second in Group D. The runner-up from Egypt’s group will play, in the next round, against whoever wins Algeria’s group.
As for Salah, it has been a while since he played 90 minutes in any team that fired a mere two shots on target all game, Egypt’s meagre yield against Nigeria. Salah arrived in Cameroon fresh from 23 goals — plus nine assists — in 26 appearances for his club, Liverpool, this season.
But the sprinter with the sure-fire finish, the conjuror of goals from improbable angles was absent on Tuesday in Garoua, where, seeking to galvanise the Pharaohs, Salah drifted into deeper positions, away from his optimum territory. His coaching team have work ahead to get the best out of Africa’s biggest star.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
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The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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
