Qatar manager "Tintin" Marquez Lopez praised his players’ mettle after they defeated Jordan in the Asian Cup final on Saturday night to become back-to-back winners.
The hosts prevailed 3-1 at Lusail Stadium against the first-time finalists, with star player Akram Afif netting a hat-trick of penalties. Yazan Al Naimat had equalised for Jordan just after the hour.
The victory lifts Qatar, who won their first continental crown at the 2019 tournament in the UAE, alongside South Korea with two titles. Only Japan, Saudi Arabia and Iran have more. Japan were the last side to retain the trophy, in 2004.
“I’m extremely happy and I congratulate the Qatari people and the players,” said Lopez, who was appointed weeks before the tournament. “We are so happy that we won the match. The tension was high.
"Maybe it was not beautiful football, but everyone remembers the winner and I'm proud of my players and their achievements.”
Qatar became only the fifth team to successfully defend the Asian Cup, a feat made all the more impressive given the uncertainty that surrounded the holders coming into the tournament.
Carlos Queiroz, installed to turn around a team that disappointed hugely at the 2022 World Cup on home soil, departed in December, with Lopez then parachuted in from Qatar Stars League club Al Wakrah.
As the Spaniard attempted to quickly implement his tactics and philosophy, the Asian champions lost in a friendly, ironically to Jordan, on the eve of the tournament.
“I have been working in Qatar and I know the players well,” a visibly drained Lopez said on Saturday night. “It was easy to work with them and they effectively implemented our ideas on the pitch.
"In some matches we didn't deliver our best, but in others we were better and exceeded expectations."
On remaining with the national team, Lopez said: “What will happen is I'll go back to Al Wakrah. I haven't talked about the future.
“I'm not sure what will happen, but we will enjoy the moment for now.”
Head coach 'Tintin' Marquez Lopez, left, says he will return to his club side Al Wakrah after guiding Qatar to the Asian Cup title. Getty
Lopez’s opposite number, Hussein Ammouta, was left to rue his side’s poor start on Saturday night, saying the pressure of expectation initially got to his players.
Jordan had never previously been beyond the Asian Cup quarter-finals, but produced one of the great tournament displays to defeat South Korea in the semi-final.
However, they clearly struggled throughout the first half of the showpiece.
"There is only great pride in my players as they had a great tournament,” Ammouta said. “They played very well in getting us into the final.
"I talked before the game about the mental aspect. It's a final but I told them to enjoy it."
The Moroccan added: "There was a big focus on the players and I was scared that the environment would have an impact on them.
"People can have good intentions, but it can have an impact on the players. Their interactions with their families and on social media put pressure on them. It was clear.
"I am the coach, but I can't take their iPads and phones."
On his side’s still-memorable campaign, Ammouta said: "We certainly wanted much more, but it wasn't to be. But there is so much that the players can take from here.
“They have opened new horizons and it is crucial that the players build on this."
Jordan coach Hussein Ammouta talks to Noor Al Rawabdeh during the match. Reuters
US sanctions on Iran’s energy industry and exports took effect on Monday, November 5.
Washington issued formal waivers to eight buyers of Iranian oil, allowing them to continue limited imports. Iraq did not receive a waiver.
Iraq’s government is cooperating with the US to contain Iranian influence in the country, and increased Iraqi oil production is helping to make up for Iranian crude that sanctions are blocking from markets, US officials say.
Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped last month at a record 4.78 million barrels a day, former Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Oct. 20. Iraq exported 3.83 million barrels a day last month, according to tanker tracking and data from port agents.
Iraq has been working to restore production at its northern Kirkuk oil field. Kirkuk could add 200,000 barrels a day of oil to Iraq’s total output, Hook said.
The country stopped trucking Kirkuk oil to Iran about three weeks ago, in line with U.S. sanctions, according to four people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t allowed to speak to media.
Oil exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest supplier, have slumped since President Donald Trump announced in May that he’d reimpose sanctions. Iran shipped about 1.76 million barrels a day in October out of 3.42 million in total production, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Benchmark Brent crude fell 47 cents to $72.70 a barrel in London trading at 7:26 a.m. local time. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was 25 cents lower at $62.85 a barrel in New York. WTI held near the lowest level in seven months as concerns of a tightening market eased after the U.S. granted its waivers to buyers of Iranian crude.
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
