Qatar players lift Hassan Al Haydos in the air to celebrate his brilliant goal against China. Reuters
Qatar players lift Hassan Al Haydos in the air to celebrate his brilliant goal against China. Reuters
Qatar players lift Hassan Al Haydos in the air to celebrate his brilliant goal against China. Reuters
Qatar players lift Hassan Al Haydos in the air to celebrate his brilliant goal against China. Reuters

Asian Cup: 'Spectacular' Qatar end group stage with third win after Al Haydos wondergoal


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And it was Al Haydos's 66th-minute stunner that proved the difference in front of more than 40,000 fans, the captain volleying home from the edge of the box direct from a corner.

Qatar, already qualified for the last 16 after wins over Lebanon and Tajikistan, made nine changes to the team that faced China at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan.

China fluffed the best chance of the first half five minutes later when Wei shot against goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb's legs from point-blank range.ge of the box direct from a corner.

"All 26 players played in our three matches and we gave a spectacular performance," said the 33-year-old forward.

"These three points are very important for our morale. We have finished with maximum points and now we will concentrate on the last 16."

It has been a promising start to the title defence for the 2019 champions, who are yet to concede in the tournament and will face one of the four best third-placed sides in the last 16.

China's hopes of being one of those teams took a major hit with the defeat to Qatar, combined with Tajikistan's 2-1 win over Lebanon in Monday's other Group A match, which sent the newcomers through to the knockout stages.

China will need a mathematical miracle to join them and manager Aleksandar Jankovic said they only had themselves to blame.

"In the three games we played, a lot of chances we missed every game," said the Serbian. "If you don't score, you cannot expect a big result. We are disappointed of course because our destiny doesn't depend on us anymore."

China began the tournament with two dour goalless draws against Tajikistan and Lebanon, and they again looked toothless in front of goal against Qatar.

Jankovic said he stood "firmly behind" the players and had "no regrets because we gave everything". He also said he was unafraid of paying the price with his job for another Chinese footballing failure.

"There are two types of coaches in general – those who have been fired and those who will be fired," he said. "When you accept to do this job, you accept both. The one who thinks about the moment when he will stop working is the one who is afraid of everything. The guy who is afraid of everything cannot be a coach."

While Qatar coach Tintin Marquez made sweeping changes to his starting lineup, including resting forward Akram Afif, the competition's joint top-scorer on three goals, Jankovic dropped out-of-sorts forward Wu Lei and brought in Wei Shihao, who went close with a dangerous shot early in the game.

China manager Aleksandar Jankovic was critical of his team's missed chances against Qatar. Getty Images
China manager Aleksandar Jankovic was critical of his team's missed chances against Qatar. Getty Images

China fluffed the best chance of the first half five minutes later when Wei shot against goalkeeper Saad Al-Sheeb's legs from point-blank range.

Striker Zhang Yuning also had a good opportunity in first-half injury time but could not get on the end of Wei's low ball into the box.

"At this moment we are not lucky to score but this is something very important for the future," said Jankovic. "I'm sure that the moment will come when all these balls will go in."

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
New UK refugee system

 

  • A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
  • Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
  • A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
  • To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
  • Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
  • Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?

It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?

Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.

The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.

Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver. 

The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.

But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.

Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.

It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.

So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.

Rory Reynolds

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

MATCH INFO

Manchester City 3
Danilo (16'), Bernardo Silva (34'), Fernandinho (72')

Brighton & Hove Albion 1
Ulloa (20')

Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?

Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.

They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.

“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.

He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.

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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
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?

The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.

The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.

He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.

He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.

He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.

The biog

Name: Gul Raziq

From: Charsadda, Pakistan

Family: Wife and six children

Favourite holes at Al Ghazal: 15 and 8

Golf Handicap: 6

Childhood sport: cricket 

Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm

Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: L/100km

Price: Dh306,495

On sale: now

Info

What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship

When: December 27-29, 2018

Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams

Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog:

Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian 

Favourite food: Pizza 

Best food on the road: rice

Favourite colour: silver 

Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda

Favourite biking destination: Canada 

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

Bio:

Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour

Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people 

Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite food: Fish and vegetables

Favourite place to visit: London

The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali

Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press

Updated: January 24, 2024, 7:49 AM