The UAE saw their bid to make the final of the Fifa Arab Cup ended by Morocco in Doha.
The national team’s march to the semi-final of the regional tournament had been uplifting.
It followed on from the heartbreak of missing out on next year’s World Cup after stoppage-time defeat to Iraq last month.
Cosmin Olaroiu, the UAE coach, had done well to raise spirits after that night in Basra. They had advanced at the expense of sides of the status of Egypt and Algeria to get within touching distance of the final.
But when it came to the last four meeting with Morocco, they were soundly beaten 3-0 by a country who have grown used to competing at the business end of major competitions in the recent past.
Morocco’s most renowned stars are absent from this tournament, with a view to the Africa Cup of Nations starting later this month. Even though it is essentially an A side, they still have an impressive squad in Qatar.
After all, this is a country who reached the semi-finals of the last World Cup – also in Qatar – as well as the Paris Olympics, while their Under 20s side recently won the World Cup in their age-group.
Despite those credentials, though, the UAE started confidently and fashioned a variety of chances at the start.
The best of them saw Bruno de Oliveira shoot straight at the keeper from the edge of the box, after a fast break through the middle by the UAE.
They were made to pay for passing up that chance almost immediately. Morocco attacked down their left flank, sent a cross into the box, where Karim El Berkaoui powered in a header.
Defending crosses like that has been a regular failing of this UAE side. Usually, that has been via set pieces. This time, Morocco had been clever enough to expose the lack of height of Ruben Canedo, the UAE left-back who was defending the far post, via open play.
El Berkaoui, who plays his club football in the UAE with Al Dhafra, celebrated his strike wildly.
Canedo did his best to make amends and nearly had the national team level just after the break. He found himself centrally placed in Morocco’s box, and with his less favoured right foot, bundled a shot towards the corner, but it was clawed away.
The UAE kept pressing. De Oliveira saw a header from a corner graze the crossbar.
For all the pressure, though, it felt as though Morocco could hit back at the other end at any point. They did so to kill the game with two precision strikes.
First, Abderrazak Hamdallah laid on a pass for Aschraf El Mahdioui to drill the second past Hamad Al Meqbaali in the UAE goal.
With UAE chasing the game in vain in stoppage time, Hamdallah was then the beneficiary from some smart interplay down the Morocco right.
Mohamed Boulacsout played the assist, and Hamdallah, the prolific striker for Saudi Pro league side Al Shabab, settled the contest.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Essentials
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Labour dispute
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
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
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Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
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UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
