Alberto Zaccheroni apologises to UAE fans after Asian Cup semi-final loss

Alberto Zaccheroni, the manager, apologised to UAE supporters after the national team fell short of reaching the Asian Cup final on Tuesday night.

The UAE lost 4-0 to Qatar in the semi-final in Abu Dhabi, and the side's Italian coach acknowledged he had failed in his goal of taking the side to Friday's final.

“First of all, I want to apologise to the UAE fans,” Zaccheroni said. “Yes, we made some mistakes but we did our best.

“We tried to do a better performance to make the fans happy, and we tried until the end.

“The players did their best but we couldn’t perform at the level we wanted to.

“I’m the coach and I take the responsibility for the defeat. The tactics we used didn’t work and we tried to change it in the second half, but it was too late.”

The Italian said he was not content to have reached the last four in a run that included beating defending champions Australia in the quarter-finals, believing that they had been genuine contenders to win the title for the first time.

Zaccheroni said: “To reach the semi-final wasn’t my expectation because I wanted to win the Asian Cup. For me, it’s not a satisfactory result.

“I took charge of the team 15 months ago. We didn’t succeed in achieving our goals, but I’m very proud to have worked with the UAE team.

“Our objective from the beginning was to win the Asian Cup but we fell short. There was a lot of pressure on the players in this game, but I think they handled it well.”

The national team’s players were willed on by a packed crowd at the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium, as they went in search of a place in the final, with Japan lying in wait.

It would have been the UAE’s second appearance in the final in their history at the tournament, having finished runner-up to Saudi Arabia the last time the tournament was played in the Emirates, in 1996.

Even 15 minutes after the start, supporters were snaking their ways between the aisles to find their way to the spare seats at the furthest extremities of the ground. In the largest stand, supporters crammed into the gangways and stood

to watch.

Qatar took the lead after 22 minutes when a speculative shot from Boualem Khouhki, the centre back, evaded the grasp of Khalid Essa in the UAE goal.

The host nation were incensed that a free-kick had not been given their way in the build up to the goal, feeling that Ismail Al Hammadi had been fouled on the edge of the Qatar box.

Al Hammadi remonstrated with Cesar Ramos, the Mexican referee, in vivid terms after the goal went in.

Five minutes later, the Shabab Al Ahli Dubai winger had a chance to level, only to head straight at Saad Al Sheeb in the Qatar goal.

Qatar doubled their advantage after 37 minutes, when Almoez Ali drilled a shot in off Essa’s left-hand post.

It was the Qatar striker’s eighth goal of the Asian Cup, which equalled the single-tournament record of Iran’s Ali Daei.

UAE had their chances in the second half, as the 38,646 crowd did their best to rouse them.

Five minutes after the interval, Ali Mabkhout had an attempt to register a fifth goal of the tournament thwarted by a save by Al Sheeb.

Ismail Matar, the veteran forward, who was on as a second half substitute, had a shot blocked, while Ahmed Khalil, who was also introduced as UAE chased the game in the second phase, saw a header saved.

Qatar went 3-0 up when Hassan Al Haydos scooped a shot over Essa. As tempers frayed in stoppage time, Ismail Ahmed, was shown a red card after the match official consulted the Video Assistant Referee and decided the centre-back from Al Ain had elbowed Salem Al Hajri.

There was enough time for Qatar to score a fourth against the 10 men of the UAE, as Hamid Ismail squeezed a shot under Essa.

(Additional reporting from Amith Passela)

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

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Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches

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Rating: 4.5/5

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Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)

Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)

Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)

Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).

Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)

Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)

Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)

Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)

Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia

Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)

Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)

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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

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Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)

Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm

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