Sharjah’s quest for a first league title in 23 years moved a little closer to completion on Wednesday night, when they salvaged a late 2-2 draw at home against champions Al Ain.
The Arabian Gulf League leaders, who remain unbeaten this season, had striker Welliton to thank at the Khaled bin Mohamed Stadium, with the Brazilian sealing a precious point two minutes from time.
As it stands, Sharjah climb 10 clear of second-placed Shabab Al Ahli with five rounds remaining. Rodolfo Arruabarrena's men had earlier lost 1-0 to Al Wahda.
An unfamiliar Al Ain had actually begun the brighter. After two heavy defeats on the bounce had effectively put an end to their title defence, manager Juan Carlos Garrido made a raft of changes, leaving senior players Marcus Berg and Caio in the Garden City.
Still Al Ain created the opening opportunity. On 13 minutes, Khalid Al Baloushi slid in Jamal Marouf, but Sharjah goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani was quick off his line to repel his shot. Not long after, Al Baloushi screwed wide an attempt of his own.
Then, the breakthrough. It was the hosts to strike first. Moments before the half hour, Igor Coronado dipped a free-kick over the Al Ain wall and beyond a despairing Khalid Essa in the away goal. Coronado’s effort may have nicked an opponent en route, but the Sharjah supporters did not care. The Brazilian playmaker, one of the stars in this steadily starry season, took off towards the home bench, soon swamped by teammates.
Sharjah almost doubled their lead five minutes later. This time, Coronado’s turned provider. Having skipped past a series of challenges, the midfielder floated a clever reverse pass over the Al Ain defence to the unmarked Mohammed Al Shehhi, only for his half-volley to be blocked brilliantly at close range by Essa.
Within two minutes, Essa's side were level. Bandar Al Ahbabi’s perfectly weighted pass released Marouf, who struck a low shot through Al Hosani’s legs to restore parity. Marouf celebrated in now-typical style, mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo, much to the delight of the Al Ain fans behind him, tucked away in the corner.
At the other end, on the stroke of half-time, Coronado stung Essa’s palms following a quick throw-in. On the other side of the break, Al Hosani saved well from Al Baloushi.
Soon after, Al Shehhi headed wide, somehow, following a short corner. In the 65th minute, Al Hosani again came to his team’s rescue, clawing away Marouf’s nearby header.
Seven minutes later, though, Al Ain restored their lead. Marouf was kicked from behind by opposing striker Welliton as he sought to clear and, once the Video Assistant Referee was consulted, Tsukasa Shiotani swept home the resultant penalty.
But Welliton atoned for his indiscretion. With only two minutes left on the clock, the powerful forward latched onto substitute Moatasim Yassin's pass and slotted underneath the advancing Essa. Sharjah's first top-flight title since 1995/96 creeps tantalisingly within view.
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.”
Top 10 most polluted cities
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- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
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Results
Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.
Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.
Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.
Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.
Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.
Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.
