Sharjah playmaker Igor Coronado said the club’s first league title in almost a quarter of a century was a triumph of dedication and team spirit after they clinched the long-awaited crown on Wednesday night.
The Sharjah club defeated Al Wahda 3-2 in the penultimate round of the 2018/19 Arabian Gulf League (AGL) campaign, with Coronado scoring either side of a Welliton strike.
The victory meant Sharjah cannot be caught by second-placed Shabab Al Ahli because of their superior head-to-head record. The Dubai side sit three points off the summit.
Sharjah’s title success was their sixth overall but first since the 1995/96 campaign, when the club typically challenged for top honours. However, previous to this season, Sharjah’s best finish in the professional era was sixth last year. They were relegated seven years ago.
Yet, despite a run of three draws and Saturday's defeat to Al Wasl - their first of the season - Sharjah finally got over the line on Wednesday to spark wild scenes at the Khaled bin Mohammed Stadium. Also, manager Abdulaziz Al Anbari became the first Emirati to lead a club to the AGL title.
“It means everything to be honest,” said a visibly delighted Coronado. “We worked so hard to win the league. It was not easy, especially the way the last few games were going.
“There were a lot of questions asked and, after the last game against Al Wasl, I spoke how we should not put our heads down and thank God the players didn’t do that. We kept going strong.
“Today wasn’t an easy game. Everyone was doubting us, so it means everything for the work that we’ve done for the year. We’re very happy about it. This shows the strength we have, that we stayed together for the whole year.
“Our strength was the group. There are five, maybe six, teams with a lot more quality, but this Sharjah team is a young steam that stuck together and fought really hard for each other. And that’s what stood out. We managed to do that in the most parts of the games this season.
“We should be happy. This is everything we worked for all season. It’s our moment to enjoy. It took a long time: you have to fight until the end. But everything was in our hands. We managed to get the three points and become champion.”
Signed last summer from Palermo in Italy, Coronado has been integral to Sharjah’s resurgence. The Brazilian has scored 17 goals and assisted nine more, forming a prolific partnership with compatriot Welliton, who has 19 goals.
“This is the first championship for me, so it’s the biggest achievement of my career, definitely,” said Coronado, who conceded Sharjah never even considered becoming champions when the league began back in September.
When I arrived the question was really not to get relegated, to have a safe season and finish better than top six
“When I arrived the question was really not to get relegated, to have a safe season and finish better than top six, because this is where Sharjah finished last year.
“So we kept going game by game, step by step, thinking of the next game, the next three points. And then it was just at the end of the season that we really realised what we could achieve.
“Definitely a very difficult season, but like I said, we’re a strong team with a strong mentality, with a strong coach. We managed to do it and we’re so happy now – we just have to enjoy. We’re so happy for the fans as well because they’ve been waiting for this for a long time. It’s been really good ... really good.”
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
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
World Cup League Two
Results
Oman beat Nepal by 18 runs
Oman beat United States by six wickets
Nepal beat United States by 35 runs
Oman beat Nepal by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Oman v United States
Wednesday, Nepal v United States
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5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
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6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
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7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
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Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Ferrari
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
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"
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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