Paulo Sousa's dream debut season at the helm of Shabab Al Ahli got even better on Friday as his side clinched a 2-1 win over Sharjah to lift the President's Cup.
Yuri Cesar scored either side of half time for Shabab Al Ahli after Marcos Meloni had put Sharjah in front with a 14th minute strike.
It was the Dubai club's fourth title under the Portuguese this season having already won the Super Cup, UAE-Qatar Super Cup and the Adnoc Pro League in which they have taken an unassailable 11-point lead with three games left.
Sousa’s men fell short of a clean sweep of domestic trophies when they lost to Al Jazira in the ADIB League Cup final last month.
“I mentioned this team was the best this season at the pre-match conference and now it got better with the President’s Cup triumph,” the former Fiorentina and Poland manager said.
“It was a tough game against Sharjah but that’s expected in a final. We deserved this win as we were the better side on the night with better possession and more chances created.”
Friday's victory in Abu Dhabi also saw Shabab Al Ahli move out on their own as the President's Cup's most successful team with 11 titles, one more than Sharjah.
“It really was a momentous moment for the club, fans, players and also for me in my first season,” Sousa added.
“Personally, I couldn’t have wished for a better first season here. Full credit to my staff and the players who gave everything on the pitch and for the fans who stood behind us at every game.”
Cesar’s equaliser two minutes into first half added time - a superb free kick - was crucial. The Brazilian struck again on 64 minutes to put Shabab Al Ahli ahead, a lead they would not relinquish.
“That equaliser indeed was the game changer,” Sousa said. “That goal set the platform for us to get back in the game. It wasn’t that we were not in the game with a goal down but going into half time provided us that extra bit of energy and motivation.”
Bogdan Planic, Shabab Al Ahli’s Serbian centre-back, said facing Sharjah was always tough.
“Like every game we played against them this season they have proved a very hard team to beat, and it was a very good game again,” he said.
“Like it was one of our big days, they too were waiting for this moment. They used their counter-attacks to good effect but I think we had good control against their play.
“We had the good fortune to score the equaliser just before the half time and then take the lead soon after the break. I think we deserved this win, as we have been playing extremely well throughout the season.”
Planic said there was no panic in the Shabab Al Ahli ranks after Sharjah took the lead.
“We have done that on many occasions throughout the season,” he said. “We were one or two goals down in some games but we came back strongly to win them. It was similar when Sharjah took the lead. We bid our time and were confident.
“The only disappointment this season was losing the ADIB League Cup in which we couldn’t raise our game.”
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway
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Canada
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
((Disclaimer))
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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
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Sunday's games
Liverpool v West Ham United, 4.30pm (UAE)
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
more from Janine di Giovanni
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
