Sharjah captain Shaheen Abdulrahman described winning the President's Cup as a "dream come true" after Paco Alcacer's second-half stunner sealed victory in the final against Al Wahda on Friday.
Aiming to win the cup for a ninth time after a 19-year wait, Sharjah claimed a 1-0 win at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium thanks to Alcacer's dipping free-kick in the 52nd minute.
The final was rescheduled from its usual April-May slot following the death of President Sheikh Khalifa, and it was a summer arrival who proved the difference for Sharjah.
A 35-yard screamer from Alcacer, who joined the club from Villarreal, found the top corner early in the second half and Sharjah preserved their lead with a solid defence in front of more than 20,000 fans.
“We celebrated winning the league title in 2019 after 23 years and tonight to win the most prestigious cup after 19 years was a dream come true for me and for Sharjah,” Sharjah captain Abdulrahman said.
“The match was strong, tactical and exciting but only one team can win and we are over the moon that was us on the night. Our focus on the pitch was 100 per cent from start to finish and we carried out our manager’s plans to the dot.”
Manager Cosmin Olaroiu, who led Al Ain and Shabab Al Ahli (Al Ahli at that time) to President’s Cup finals during his time in charge at those clubs, secured the only domestic trophy missing from his cabinet, and the Romanian dedicated the triumph to the Sharjah supporters.
“The fans have been our biggest inspiration and as always they stood behind us and this is a night for them to celebrate,” said Olaroiu, who took charge of Sharjah last season. “The players carried out the game plan to perfection tonight. I’m so proud of them.”
For Wahda manager Manuel Jimenez, it was his first defeat in four games since he returned to the Abu Dhabi Club for a second stint three weeks ago.
Wahda pushed for an equaliser, with Sebastian Tagliabue and Fares Jumaa coming close.
Tagliabue’s lobbed effort from inside the area was cleared by a Sharjah defender, while Jumaa’s sliding effort from a corner slid just wide of the far post.
In the end, it was Alcacer's goal that proved the difference, and the former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund striker said he was delighted to play a key part in the win.
“That goal was for the team and for me, a goal that I’ll cherish for a long, long time,” the Spaniard said.
“I saw the Wahda goalkeeper shuffling around and took aim at the near side of the net that I saw as a potential area he cannot reach. My aim was perfect on the night. It’s hard to say that I will hit the target but it worked very well. So happy I could do that and win the game for my team.”
Sharjah goalkeeper Darwish Mohammed said it was a “great honour” to be a member of the team that won a title bearing the name of Ruler of the UAE.
“It indeed is a great honour for me, my teammates, technical staff, the entire management of the club and above all the people of Sharjah,” he said.
“I actually dreamed of being champion of the President’s Cup. Coming into the game, we motivated each other while preparing for this game. Our coach is a master technician and his ploy worked for us tonight.”
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Keita 5', Firmino 26'
Porto 0
SPECS
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
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Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports
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
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
