The UAE defeated Malaysia in the searing Thursday night heat, and mission one of four was complete.
Ali Mabkhout – who else? – notched two goals and Fabio De Lima followed suit. The UAE struck three times late on at the Zabeel Stadium for a vital victory, kickstarting a frenetic conclusion to the second round of World Cup qualification with a hearty 4-0 win.
In an evening, they jumped from fourth in Group G to second. Level now on games with front-runners Vietnam, they sit two points back. Suddenly, the progression picture looks significantly rosier.
Before even a ball was kicked in this pandemic-postponed campaign restart, UAE manager Bert van Marwjik had laid bare the stark reality, publicly and in private. The layout of the group demanded it, even if the permutations did not corroborate exactly his pre-match call to arms.
Still, the message was clear: the UAE were seeking maximum points from their four outstanding fixtures – they all take place in Dubai during a 13-day window – to keep alive hopes of a second appearance at a global finals.
And so they delivered. After growing slowly into the game, they seized the lead in the 19th minute. Abdullah Ramadan, that beautifully cultured midfielder making only his second competitive appearance, drove his pass from quarterback range over the Malaysia defence. Mabkhout, teammate for club and country, controlled it superbly, and in one motion deftly lifted the ball beyond goalkeeper Farizal Marlias.
Honed at Al Jazira, the recently crowned UAE champions, the goal signalled the home side’s burgeoning confidence. Already his national team’s record scorer, and comfortably at that, Mabkhout climbed to 72 goals in international football.
The Ramadan-Mabkhout connection was on display again moments later. Only this time, the latter was ruled to have sprang the ragged Malaysian backline too early; by the time Khalil Ibrahim had placed the pass into an empty goal, the referee’s assistant had flagged.
Ibrahim, in fact, could have earlier continued his late-season spark of form for Al Wahda. Played in by Khalfan Mubarak on seven minutes, the winger’s curled effort was expertly palmed away by Marlias.
Not that the UAE had it entirely their own way. Not long before half time, Malaysia allowed Guilherme de Paula, the naturalised Brazilian-born striker making his debut, too much time and too much space in the area. De Paula, under pressure to deliver given his newfound status, miscued terribly his header.
Malaysia emerged for the second half with the bit between their collective teeth. Perhaps piqued by the UAE’s superiority – the intrigue play, the flick here and flick there – they slid into challenges with a tad more gusto. Ramadan, predictably, was a target.
On the hour, Mabkhout, rather uncharacteristically, missed his. Driving into the Malaysia penalty area, he cut inside on his right and dragged wide a low shot.
In a flash, the UAE should have doubled their advantage. However, De Lima found only the palms of Marlias following substitute Caio Canedo’s pullback. Both forwards, originally from Brazil, were making their competitive bows for the national team. Soon after, Mabkhout sent a shot over. Although in the ascendancy, the UAE still needed a cushion.
Normal service resumed, though, through Caio’s blocked shot and De Lima’s saved effort. Nine minutes out, Mabkhout should have sealed the points. Released by De Lima, he shot straight at Marlias.
It was left, then, to De Lima to take matters into his own hands. With a swish of his left foot, and from a tight angle, he arced a stellar shot into the net. The clock had struck 83 minutes; the hosts had the win. For good measure, Mabkhout finished adroitly, then De Lima tapped home as Malaysian minds had gone.
Next up for the UAE, in this devilishly demanding 13-day test of nerves, are Thailand on Monday. Just across Dubai on Thursday, the Southeast Asians resumed their Group G bid with a 2-2 draw against bottom side Indonesia. No doubt, the result helps the UAE’s cause. Mission one complete, Van Marwijk’s men will look to make it a double in quick-fire fashion.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Kandahar%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ric%20Roman%20Waugh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EGerard%20Butler%2C%20Navid%20Negahban%2C%20Ali%20Fazal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
'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.
John%20Wick%3A%20Chapter%204
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chad%20Stahelski%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Keanu%20Reeves%2C%20Laurence%20Fishburne%2C%20George%20Georgiou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Mental%20health%20support%20in%20the%20UAE
%3Cp%3E%E2%97%8F%20Estijaba%20helpline%3A%208001717%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Ministry%20of%20Health%20and%20Prevention%20hotline%3A%20045192519%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Mental%20health%20support%20line%3A%20800%204673%20(Hope)%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20at%20hope.hw.gov.ae%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
