Saudi Arabia apponited Juan Antonio Pizzi as their manager shortly before the World Cup was to get under way. Damir Sagolj / Reuters
Saudi Arabia apponited Juan Antonio Pizzi as their manager shortly before the World Cup was to get under way. Damir Sagolj / Reuters
Saudi Arabia apponited Juan Antonio Pizzi as their manager shortly before the World Cup was to get under way. Damir Sagolj / Reuters
Saudi Arabia apponited Juan Antonio Pizzi as their manager shortly before the World Cup was to get under way. Damir Sagolj / Reuters

World Cup: Antonio Pizzi 'really happy' in role as Saudi Arabia manager after consolation win against Egypt


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

Juan Antonio Pizzi expects his future as Saudi Arabia manager to become clearer in the next few days following the team’s elimination from the World Cup, although he reiterated he is happy in the role.

The Gulf state, taking part in the global finals for the first time since 2006, ended a 24-year wait for a tournament win by defeating Egypt 2-1 in Volgograd on Monday in their final Group A assignment.

Already unable to advance to the knockouts, Saudi finished third in the pool having opened with a humbling 5-0 defeat to hosts Russia on June 14 before losing 1-0 to Uruguay five days later.

Appointed last November after qualification for the World Cup was already secure, there have been signs that Pizzi is getting his message across to the players. The team's next focus will be the Asian Cup, which takes place in the UAE in January.

Saudi are three-time continental champions, although have not won the event in their past five attempts. Last time out, in 2015, they did not make it out of their group.

Asked after the Egypt victory if he will continue with the Saudi side through to the Asian Cup, Pizzi said: “Talking about the future, the association will have to decide what they’re going to do. It doesn’t depend on myself. And we’ll see what happens over the next few days.

“I’d like to reiterate that I and the whole staff is really, really happy with the players and the way they have responded together with the response we have had from the association. But we’ll see what happens.”

Pizzi is Saudi Arabia's third manager since they sealed a World Cup berth last September, following on from Bert van Marwjik and then Edgardo Bauza. The Argentine, who guided Chile to success at the 2016 Copa America, knows there is no quick solution – at 67th in Fifa world standings Saudi were the second-lowest ranked side in Russia – but feels his team are on the right path.

“We need to keep working. We need to be patient,” Pizzi said. “We need to support the team and we need your support. Nothing can be achieved from one day to another. Everything needs time. And every single process needs learning, needs failures and victories. That’s normal.

“So we need patience, but of course always hoping for improvement and development. Today I would like for the Saudi people to be very happy for the game and I hope they will enjoy our victory.”

________________________

More from 2018 World Cup:

Naser Al Wasmi: Saudi football fans celebrate first win in Russia

Day 12 updates: All the news, previews, features and reports from Russia

Richard Jolly: Uruguay hand Russia a World Cup reality check to top Group A

Ian Hawkey: Nigeria again stand in Argentina's way of World Cup survival

Ronaldo, Pele, Zidane, Figo: Players Messi could follow with early World Cup exit

________________________

By looking at the photo, it looks like Juan Antonio Pizzi has established a relationship with the players. Shaun Botterill / Getty Images
By looking at the photo, it looks like Juan Antonio Pizzi has established a relationship with the players. Shaun Botterill / Getty Images

Pizzi put Saudi’s early exit down primarily to the opening match against Russia, when they were so beaten badly by the home side that they did not register a shot on target. It was an incredibly disappointing result, especially given Saudi were the first Asian representative to be involved in a World Cup curtain-raiser.

“First of all, I must say that we were not expecting the game we saw against Russia,” Pizzi said. “We had different expectations to be honest. There were certain factors we believed we could control. We thought we would be able to adapt without any problems. We were taken by surprise. But I won’t say we had bad luck.

“On the contrary, for us that game was very important. And we said that after the draw: it’s always a privilege to play the first game of a World Cup. Unfortunately things didn’t go as we planned and we weren’t able to react to adversity during the match.

“What we do is try to make the players feel comfortable. I want them to enjoy. I want them to play freely. And we do know that we have certain weaknesses. We know that certain areas are less strong than others.

"But we like what we’re suggesting and we’re very happy. We’re very happy to see they’re executing our plan.”

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

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Ticket prices

General admission Dh295 (under-three free)

Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free

Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets

AUSTRALIA SQUAD

Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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The Transfiguration

Director: Michael O’Shea

Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine

Three stars

Padmaavat

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh

3.5/5

The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder

Transmission: CVT auto

Power: 181bhp

Torque: 244Nm

Price: Dh122,900 

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
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Generation Start-up: Awok company profile

Started: 2013

Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev

Sector: e-commerce

Size: 600 plus

Stage: still in talks with VCs

Principal Investors: self-financed by founder

Christopher Robin
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi
Three stars

Profile

Company name: Jaib

Started: January 2018

Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour

Based: Jordan

Sector: FinTech

Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018

Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Company%20Profile
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'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
  • Add tint to windows
  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi

Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe

For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.

Golden Dallah

For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.

Al Mrzab Restaurant

For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.

Al Derwaza

For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup. 

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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Stan%20Lee
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CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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RESULTS

Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)

Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)

Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)

Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)

Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)

Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)

Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)

Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)

Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)

Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5