Paulo Bento has named his UAE squad for this month’s opening 2026 World Cup qualifier double-header against Nepal and Bahrain.
The Portuguese coach, appointed in July, will begin his competitive tenure on November 16 with a home tie in Dubai against Nepal, before the national team travel to Bahrain to face their Gulf rivals five days later.
On Friday, the Football Association confirmed a 28-man list for the two matches, with the squad headlined by all-time leading goalscorer Ali Mabkhout. However, veteran Sharjah striker Sebastian Tagliabue, 38, was left out, with 20-year-old Al Ain forward Eisa Khalfan, still uncapped for the UAE, added to the attacking ranks.
Other call-ups with modest international inexperience include Al Jazira right-back Zayed Sultan, 22, Al Wasl left-back Abdulrahman Saleh, 24, and 18-year-old Al Ain midfielder Hazim Mohammed.
Wasl midfielder Ali Salmeen, meanwhile, returns to the international set-up having missed out recently through injury.
Bento, 54, will be seeking a fast start to the World Cup qualifiers, with the UAE drawn in Group H alongside Bahrain, Nepal and Yemen. Then latter two teams came through a play-off last month to make the second round of qualification.
The UAE will host Nepal at Al Maktoum Stadium before taking on Bahrain at the Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa. Having replaced Rodolfo Arruabarrena as manager, Bento is charged with masterminding the UAE's qualification for the World Cup and overseeing a strong 2023 Asian Cup tilt.
Although the UAE represents his first managerial experience in the Gulf, the former Sporting and Portugal head coach knows Asian football well. He guided South Korea to qualification for last year’s World Cup and then led the team to the knockout stages in Qatar, where they lost to Brazil.
The 2026 World Cup, to take place in the US, Canada and Mexico, has been expanded to 48 teams. The UAE have only once previously reached a global finals, in 1990.
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.
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
