UAE manager Alberto Zaccheroni may provide veteran striker Ismail Matar an opportunity to return to the national team in the international friendly against Honduras in Barcelona on Thursday.
Al Wahda forward Matar, 35, is part of the 28-player squad for Zaccheroni’s training camp in Spain from October 6-16, the third of the five camps scheduled overseas as the Italian continues to prepare the UAE for the 2019 Asian Cup on home soil.
Matar hasn’t played for the national team in over a year, but is included in a bid to strengthen Zaccheroni’s forward options to support the two lead strikers, Ali Mabkhout and Ahmed Khalil.
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Playmaker Omar Abdulrahman, the UAE’s finest player, is part of Zaccheroni’s setup having left UAE football for Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal in August.
The match at the Olympic Stadium will be the fourth friendly for the UAE as they continue to prepare for the 24-team continental championship from January 5 to February 1.
The squad go into the game against Honduras after a 3-0 win over Laos last month. Prior to that, the UAE were held to a goalless draw by Andorra in August and lost 3-0 to Trinidad & Tobago 3-0 in Spain on September 6.
With less than three months left before the Asian Cup, Zaccheroni’s side will be aiming to impress on home soil in a Group A that includes Bahrain, India and Thailand.
The friendly against Honduras will be followed by a meeting with Venezuela five days later. The UAE are also set to play Paraguay, Jamaica and Costa Rica, the dates of which are expected to be announced next week.
The UAE enter the 2019 Asian Cup having finished third at the most recent edition of the tournament in Australia. The national team's best showing was a runner-up finish in 1996 - the last time the Emirates hosted the competition.
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
The view from The National
Schedule
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
