The UAE's latest camp concluded on Monday with the 3-1 defeat to Bahrain in Dubai, meaning new manager Jorge Luis Pinto has overseen two losses in three official friendlies since his appointment. With the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign resuming in March, and the national team not scheduled to reconvene until January, we look at some of the key issues facing the Colombian.
Buttressing the backline
In those three friendlies – Uzbekistan last month, Tajikistan and Bahrain this – the UAE have conceded seven goals, including the need to rebound from 2-0 down to Tajikistan on Thursday. At times, they have been way too open, with their most recent two opponents in particular finding significant success down the UAE’s left.
Saying that, in the centre, Khalifa Al Hammadi has been impressive, the young Al Jazira defender excelling while paired alongside the experienced Yousef Jaber.
Jaber, those, has enjoyed something of a renaissance as full-back for club side Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, and the calls for Sharjah captain Shaheen Abdulrahman to get the nod in the middle are warranted. His team top the Arabian Gulf League.
Meanwhile, Pinto’s decision to reinstate the inconsistent Abdulaziz Haikal at right-back has been heavily criticised. At present, Mahmoud Khamis and Mohammed Fawzi represent the most obvious candidates at full-back, but they have been left too exposed this past week and therefore struggled defensively. Even if the personnel doesn’t need a major rethink, the system requires tinkering.
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UAE made to fight for win against Tajikistan
Finding right balance in central midfield
Since some time ago, Ali Salmeen has emerged as a regular starter in the centre of the park – fitness permitting. The Al Wasl midfielder is tenacious with an excellent sense of timing, and provides a solid base for the UAE to forge forward.
Pinto’s predecessor, Bert van Marwijk, considered Salmeen essential to his side. For the past two matches, Abdullah Ramadan, the highly rated Al Jazira youngster, has been favoured alongside Salmeen in a midfield two. Only 22, Ramadan is a cultured passer of the ball, able to create and cover ground, too.
Still, there is an argument for Pinto to plump for a similar player to Salmeen, fortifying the midfield and allowing the players ahead more freedom.
Majed Hassan remains the primary choice if he can stay off the treatment table, while Tariq Ahmed has enjoyed a fine start to the season with Al Nasr. Also, Majed Surour grows ever more important at Sharjah. Patently, the options are there. Finding the right blend will be crucial going forward.
Reintegrating principal playmaker Omar Abdulrahman
It's a conundrum that’s not been confined to Pinto. Omar Abdulrahman remains the UAE’s most naturally talented player, and at 29 should be entering his prime. However, once more injury has kept him out of the national team.
Thankfully, his latest issue, sustained in September, is not said to be long-standing, but when and where the Jazira playmaker will fit into Pinto’s plans is still unknown.
Clearly, a footballer of Abdulrahman’s ability demands his place in the team, with the No 10 spot appearing his most suitable position. For that, Abdulrahman must get back up to speed as soon as possible. There were signs last season that he was recapturing form of old, the 2016 Asian player of the year finally fully recovered from a third major knee operation, in late 2018.
Then the pandemic struck. Thus, Abdulrahman has now gone a full year without representing his country. The feeling, however, is that he should thrive once back, especially with the three naturalised additions to the squad – Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo and Sebastian Tagliabue – providing the UAE a substantial uplift in their attacking thrust.
Making most of vastly improved forward options
How Pinto puts together his frontline will be integral to the UAE’s chances of reaching the third round of qualification. Against Tajikistan and Bahrain, he deployed Caio on the left, De Lima in the middle and Bandar Al Ahbabi on the right, with Ali Mabkhout leading the line.
The country’s all-time top scorer, Mabkhout’s place is assured. For too long, the UAE have been overly reliant on him, but now boast serious options up top. Together with the naturalised trio, and Abdulrahman, Ali Saleh and Zayed Al Ameri have real promise, while Khalfan Mubarak is a talented playmaker.
Ahmed Khalil, 2015 Asian player of the year and typically one of the team’s headline acts, is returning from another spell on the sidelines. There’s veteran Ismail Matar, whose form and stature in UAE football add weight to calls for his inclusion.
Discovering the best combination will cause Pinto a headache – Caio has stated he doesn’t enjoy playing on the left, while Al Ahbabi’s pinpoint crossing makes him a lock on the other flank – but what a problem to have. A shift from, or a variation of, Pinto's 4-2-3-1 may be required.
THREE
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SRI LANKA SQUAD
Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana
Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Fiorentina v Torino (8pm)
Hellas Verona v Roma (10.45pm)
Sunday
Parma v Napoli (2.30pm)
Genoa v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (8pm)
Juventus v Sampdoria (10.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Bologna (10.45om)
Playing September 30
Benevento v Inter Milan (8pm)
Udinese v Spezia (8pm)
Lazio v Atalanta (10.45pm)
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
RESULT
Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')
