UAE clubs Al Jazira and Sharjah suffered first-round defeats in the AFC Asian Champions League in Riyadh on Friday.
Jazira went down to Iraqi Air Force Club 2-1 in their Group B opener at the King Fahd International Stadium, while Sharjah were beaten by defending champions Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia 2-1 at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium.
Hussein Jabbar gave Air Force Club the lead only for Zayed Al Ameri to level the tie just before the break. Thereafter, Ali Kadhim secured the Iraqi side all three points with a late winner.
Air Force Club took the lead on 11 minutes from a superb strike from Jabbar after he was set up perfectly by Shareef Abdulkadhim to nod home past Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khaseif.
Ali Mabkhout missed a big chance in the 40th minute when he sent his half-volley wide from inside the area.
Jazira eventually got the equaliser three minutes later when Al Ameri scored from inside the six-yard-box.
Jazira were unlucky when Al Ameri's cheeky back-heel off Abdalla Ramadan's cross came off the crossbar on close to the hour.
Muntadher Abdulameer, with only the goalkeeper to beat, fired wide after combining beautifully with Sharif Abdulkadhim for the Iraqi side.
However, they were not to be denied when Kadhim rose above all to nod home the winner off Dhurgham Ismail's corner eight minutes from time.
Meanwhile, Hilal got their title defence to a perfect start. Saleh Al Shehri was on target with a spot kick on the fifth minute but Sharjah cancelled the lead when Otabek Shukurov struck from close range.
Michael scored the winner in the second half for Hilal to claim their first win over Sharjah in three meetings.
Hilal first met Sharjah in the group stage in 2004 to play out a goalless draw in Riyadh before the UAE side handed them their heaviest defeat in the competition, beating them 5-2 at home.
Al Rayyan edged out Istiklol of Tajikistan 3-2 in the Group A and Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia thumped debutants Mumbai City FC 3-0 in Group B in the other games on the night.
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Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Results
2.30pm: Park Avenue – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Rb Seqondtonone, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
3.05pm: Al Furjan – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bosphorus, Dane O’Neill, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm: Mina – Rated Condition (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Royal Mews, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Aliyah – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,900m; Winner: Ursa Minor, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
4.50pm: Riviera Beach – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Woodditton, Saif Al Balushi, Ahmad bin Harmash
5.25pm: Riviera – Handicap (TB) Dh2,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Al Madhar, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Creek Views – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Al Salt, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
