Senegal star Sadio Mane says it is a "dream" to play in a forward line alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Kingsley Coman and Joao Felix - and backed Al Nassr's new signings to help end their six-year wait for major silverware.
Mane, 33, is entering his third year with the Riyadh giants and believes their freshly enhanced squad gives him his best chance yet of adding to his vast personal collection of medals.
Despite boasting Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, the league's perennial top scorer, Al Nassr have failed to launch a sustained title challenge in either of the past two campaigns.
In 2023/24, they were blown away by city rivals Al Hilal, while last season they drifted to a third-place finish behind Hilal and eventual champions Al Ittihad.
Their response was to delve back into the European market for two illustrious names - Coman, a serial winner in France, Italy and Germany, and Felix, the gifted 2019 Golden Boy recipient looking for a reboot after a failed spell with Premier League side Chelsea.
That means a supercharged all-star forward line of two-time African Player of the Year Mane, Ronaldo, Coman and Felix leading the charge as Al Nassr look to end a trophy drought now stretching back to 2019.
They did win the domestic Super Cup in 2020 and the lightly regarded Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023, but the true glory of an SPL title, King's Cup crown or an Asian title have proved beyond their grasp.
"First of all, I would say about our target that it is really normal to dream big because Al Nassr is one of the best teams in the league," said Mane, who has scored 39 goals in 100 games since moving to the kingdom from Bayern Munich in 2023. "So, the target [to win the title] we know it, so you don't need to talk about it.
"Having players like Kingsley [Coman] and Joao [Felix] - it is a dream for us to get them because we need them.
"And we are really happy to have them, and for sure we have to expect a lot, [expectation will come] from the fans and from the club, but I have no doubt about it – they will deliver for us and for sure it is going to be a really exciting season for all of us."
Al Nassr kicked off their 2025/26 season in style when they thrashed Al Taawoun 5-0 on the opening day with Mane playing on the left side of the attack.
From there he had a great view as all three of his fellow forwards got on the scoresheet. Felix's debut could not have gone much better with the Portugal star grabbing a stunning hat-trick.
Mane himself was on target, marking a century of games in Saudi Arabia with a goal, as Nassr followed up with a 2-0 win over Al Kholood on Sunday. Next up is a home game against Tajikistan's FC Istiklol in the AFC Champions League 2 on Wednesday night.
So far, so good, then for new boss Jorge Jesus, a somewhat controversial appointment given his links to rivals Al Hilal, who sacked him towards the end of last season.
The 71-year-old veteran tactician is, however, a former double winner in Saudi football – in 2023/24 with Hilal – and Mane has been impressed by what he has seen so far.
"From far away you can see how he is, even if you are not with him," explained the 113-cap Senegal international.
"He is someone with a winning mentality and he demands a lot from his players, which is completely normal, and he is pushing, pushing, pushing everybody until his limits.
"And he is a great manager. You can see that he is really, really good, so it is going to be an exciting season."
At this late stage in his career, family man Mane admits he is pleased to have settled in a Muslim country, having spent much of his life traversing Europe's leading competitions.
Spells in France, Austria, England and Germany yielded numerous titles and individual accolades, while in 2022 he was also presented with the Socrates Award for his extensive charitable work back home in Senegal.
Success on the pitch would certainly enrich this latest chapter in his career, but importantly, he is settled and thriving in his personal life.
"I am here for a third season," said Mane, who rebuffed interest from Premier League and Turkish clubs this summer.
"I have been to England, Germany, France, all of those countries, I can say so far. For me, Saudi life is the best for me. There is no doubt about it.
"I am happy here, everything is going well. Alhamdulillah, I am happy. Riyadh is one of the best cities. My family as well, and not only me, I think all of the players are enjoying it as well."
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950
Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
Brief scoreline:
Wales 1
James 5'
Slovakia 0
Man of the Match: Dan James (Wales)
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Scores
Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
THURSDAY'S FIXTURES
4pm Maratha Arabians v Northern Warriors
6.15pm Deccan Gladiators v Pune Devils
8.30pm Delhi Bulls v Bangla Tigers
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
