It is always interesting to see the outcome of each club’s Player of the Year awards at the end of the season.
Supporters who watch their teams week in, week out are often best placed to judge who has been the standout performer across the whole campaign, while there is often less of a bias towards attacking players than in the Premier League-wide prizes handed out by the Professional Footballers’ and Football Writers’ Associations.
Tottenham Hotspur appear to have more contenders than most for their club’s accolade in a season in which they have surprised everyone by launching a sustained challenge for the title.
Monday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea ended their hopes of lifting the trophy, but it has still been a fantastic year for Mauricio Pochettino and his players, who remain on course to secure the club’s first top-two finish in over half a century.
While Tottenham’s success this season has largely been based on a strong collective, there have been some terrific individual contributions.
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Captain Hugo Lloris has turned in some brilliant performances between the posts, while vice-captain Jan Vertonghen has been far more consistent and reliable in the heart of the backline.
Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies have impressed at full-back to varying degrees, providing the width that allows the likes of Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela to drift inside from the wide positions. Those two attacking players have also been important, Eriksen offering a dash of creativity and invention, Lamela setting the tempo for Tottenham’s pressing game with his ferocious work rate and application.
The five main contenders for the award, though, are Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Mousa Dembele and Toby Alderweireld.
Kane, the Premier League’s top scorer with 25 goals, has proved to be more than a one-season wonder after his magnificent breakthrough in 2014/15.
The England international, 22, has been even better this season, linking up with teammates to greater effect and establishing himself as one of the most clinical finishers in the league.
The emergence of fellow youngsters Dier and Alli has been equally remarkable. Dier, 22, spent last season playing at right-back and centre-half but has been a revelation in a holding midfield role this year. Meanwhile Ali, 20, has exploded onto the scene since moving to White Hart Lane last summer, making the jump from League One to the Premier League seem insignificant.
Dembele, 28, has a great deal more experience under his belt than the aforementioned trio, but he too has exceeded expectations.
After making just 10 league starts last season, the Belgian midfielder has been an essential part of Tottenham’s season. Dembele has frequently powered his side forward from the centre of the park, his blend of strength, energy and dribbling capabilities making him vital to a team that likes to play on the front foot and with a high tempo.
Perhaps the leading candidate, however, is Alderweireld, the centre-back signed from Atletico Madrid last summer who has made such a difference to Tottenham’s defensive record.
Last season, Pochettino’s team conceded more goals than 13 teams in the Premier League — including relegated Hull City — with their backline breached on 53 occasions. Fast forward a year and the statistics tell a completely different story: no side has conceded fewer goals than Tottenham (28) after 36 matches.
The presence of Alderweireld is one of the major factors behind the transformation, the former Southampton loanee bringing a calming presence to Tottenham’s defence. His distribution has also been important, Alderweireld regularly launching attacks from the back and even recording two assists, more than every other centre-back in the top flight but Damien Delaney.
He would be a worthy winner of what is sure to be a hotly-contested Player of the Year award.
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Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
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
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
Read more about the coronavirus
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
More on Quran memorisation:
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
