Asia will crown first-time winners of its elite AFC Champions League competition on Saturday when Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli take on Japan's Kawasaki Frontale.
With the final rounds of this season's competition all being played in Jeddah, Al Ahli can expect a significant home advantage, roared on by thousands of screaming fans at their King Abdullah Sports City stadium.
While the expected final between Al Hilal and Al Nassr never materialised, it will nonetheless be a showpiece occasion where history is made.
And it might not be the only piece written.
Of those lining up to play Saturday's final, two Al Ahli players also stand on the brink of writing their own names into football lore.
Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez could become the first players to win both the European and Asian versions of the Champions League.
Firmino, who set Ahli on their way to a 3-0 victory over Al Hilal in their semi-final win in midweek, collected a Uefa Champions League medal as part of Liverpool's team that beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the 2019 European Cup final.
As part of a star-studded front three alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, Firmino was the focal point for Jurgen Klopp's attack-minded side that also win the Premier League title a year later.
After eight trophy-filled years at Anfield in which his 82 Premier League goals marked him down as the highest scoring Brazilian in the division's history, Firmino joined Al Ahli on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, signing a three-year contract.
Mahrez, meanwhile, was part of Manchester City's all-conquering squad of 2023 when Pep Guardiola's side beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the Uefa Champions League final. City would also win the Premier League and FA Cup that season to complete the treble.
The Algerian winger, who was an integral part to Leicester City's fairytale title triumph in 2016, also joined Jeddah giants Al Ahli in 2023 for a transfer fee of £30 million.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
