Australia assistant coach Ante Milicic says he expects the UAE to represent formidable hosts when the Asian Cup kicks off in the Emirates early next year.
The national team, who are the continent's ninth-ranked side, face Bahrain in Abu Dhabi in the tournament’s opening match on January 5, after the draw was made on Friday night at the Armani Hotel in Dubai. Thailand and India take up the other two spots in Group A.
Much will be expected of the UAE, who host the tournament for only the second time in their history, despite a relatively modest start to 2011 Asian Cup-winner Alberto Zaccheroni’s tenure. The last time the event was held in the Emirates, in 1996, the UAE recorded their best result, finishing runners-up to Saudi Arabia.
Three years ago, with Mahdi Ali in charge, the national team took bronze in Australia having lost to the then hosts in the semi-final. Australia went on the secure the trophy for the first time.
Milicic was a member of the management team that masterminded that success, so knows all too well the pressure of delivering as host country. However, having seen the UAE at close quarters during the 2015 tournament, and then again in qualification for this summer’s Fifa World Cup, the former Australian international feels they have enough talent to perform well next January.
“I know by winning the Asian Cup at home what it means to be playing at home,” Milicic said. “We played the UAE in 2015 and in the [recent] qualifiers and I look at their team and, on paper, there’s so much talent, particularly going forward.
“You’re always looking if they’re defensively sound. I’m sure Zaccheroni will bring a good defensive structure to their game, which I feel they need. But going forward, they have probably one of the best attacking trios I’ve seen in [Ahmed] Khalil, Ali Mabkhout and Omar [Abdulrahman].
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do well, especially with the players they have available. But also in the experience they have with the coach they’ve brought in, and that they’re playing at home. There’s a lot of positives going in for them.”
Australia have been drawn in Group B alongside Palestine, Jordan and Syria, with the match against the latter the standout. The two met last September in a thrilling World Cup qualification play-off, when Australia triumphed narrowly across two legs to halt Syria's incredible run.
___________
Read more:
Zaccheroni has 'total faith in players' as UAE draw Thailand, India and Bahrain
Asian Cup 2019: Hosts UAE drawn in Pot 1 and will play opening match
Lowdown on draw for 2019 Asian Cup football tournament in Dubai
___________
"Now they have a chance to get a little bit of revenge against us," Milicic said. "And it's good to try and get that so soon after that memorable night we had in Sydney. We'll be looking forward to it.
“It’s a tough group, there’s no hiding that fact. We’ve played two of those opponents recently. We all know in our qualification play-off game against Syria how difficult that was to get through. We have a lot of respect for Jordan as well: we played them in the first phase of the qualifying campaign. Palestine are a similar opponent.
“But at the same time, one thing you know you will get from Australia is a very well-prepared side. We’ll do our research and treat all three opposition teams equally. We know we will have to beat the best to get to the top and that’s what we will do.”
Asked about having a target on their back as defending champions, Milicic said: "This is a challenge that we won't shy away from. We're proud that we're Asian champions - it's a very big honour for us to be the best team in Asia.
"We're going to look to now do well away from Australia, away from home with different tests and challenges. But it's one we're definitely looking forward to and one we will be well prepared for."
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500 - highly active
More coverage from the Future Forum
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
UJDA CHAMAN
Produced: Panorama Studios International
Directed: Abhishek Pathak
Cast: Sunny Singh, Maanvi Gagroo, Grusha Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla
Rating: 3.5 /5 stars
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
Facebook | Our website | Instagram
