BRISBANE // The opponents are Asia’s top-ranked team. They have never lost to the UAE in a competitive match and will enjoy a huge advantage in fan support today
Asked about those factors yesterday, Mahdi Ali, the UAE coach, responded by saying something along the lines of “bring it on”.
This is an Emirati side, their coach said, who do not fear big teams or big crowds, even when the opposition is an Iranian side who held Nigeria and nearly did the same to Lionel Messi’s Argentina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The UAE can win Group C if they draw with Iran today, but a negative, play-not-to-lose approach – even if it would seem to improve their chances of avoiding Japan in the quarter-finals – is not how this group of Emiratis play football.
“We don’t think about playing for a draw,” Mahdi Ali said. “We have an identity which we always try and preserve.
“Regardless of who we might meet next, we are in the habit of giving everything we have to get a positive result as that will raise the spirit of the team. Iran are a very strong team. They are ranked No 1 in Asia, and I think beating them will give us more motivation.”
The coach also says the huge Iranian support expected at the match at Suncorp Stadium here will inspire his team, not intimidate them.
“During my time with this team, we have played in some big matches,” he said.
“We played in North Korea in front of 50,000 people. Against Uruguay at Old Trafford during the London Olympics, 75,000. Against Great Britain at Wembley, 85,000. This groups enjoys playing in front of big crowds, even when they are opposing fans.
“We always feel that opposition fans supporting their own teams gives us the motivation to lift our game. There is no pressure; our players are used to playing in big atmospheres.”
UAE captain and goalkeeper Majed Naser echoed his coach’s words. “We hope the stadium is full,” he said. “We have players who want to entertain the public and showcase their skills to the world.”
Naser was recalled weeks before the tournament, having played in the two previous Asian Cups. Much has changed since then, he said.
“I’ve played with two generations. I played in Vietnam and Qatar, and there is a big difference now, in all honesty,” the goalkeeper said. “Those teams had a lot of strong players, but we didn’t have the skill. Today, we see the team that coach Mahdi has built. It has skill, speed and intelligence.
“We also have some of the best strikers. Back then, we didn’t have strikers like Ahmed Khalil and Ali Mabkhout.
“Today, we go into every match with a winning mentality. That’s the biggest difference.”
And what about Iran’s competitive record against the UAE? Seven won, three drawn, a 14-1 advantage in goals?
Mahdi Ali dimissed those results as irrelevant.
“We talked about this before; I don’t look at past results,” he said. “The situations are different, as are the teams, the location, the tournament, the coaches.
“We are in a good state at the moment, focusing to do our best in this match and to reach our target of becoming one of the best-four teams in Asia.”
Iran and the UAE are both assured a place in the quarter-finals. Each are on six points, but the Emiratis have the superior goal difference.
The top side in Group C will meet the Group D runner-up in the quarter-finals.
it would be a surprise if Japan did not win their group, with Iraq in second. Japan are the Asian Cup holders and four-time champions.
One topic of conversation in Brisbane has been the playing surface at Suncorp Stadium. Australia’s coach, Ange Postecoglou, criticised it after his side’s 1-0 loss to South Korea in Brisbane on Saturday.
Again, Mahdi Ali said he was not concerned.
“Many players and coaches have already spoken about it,” he said. “I just saw it five minutes ago and it’s disappointing.
“But this is the situation and we have to adapt to it. It’s fair, as both teams didn’t train on it. But one of the objectives of the AFC is to improve the level of football. There are many ways to do that, and one of the main factors in this is the field.”
Naser was out of the national team for three years, after several disciplinary issues on the club level, but he played the peacemaker when a shoving match broke out between UAE and Bahrain players.
He was keen to credit those who helped him overcome his own disciplinary problems.
“The technical staff and my fellow players have been very supportive,” Naser said. “My behaviour is due to a promise I made to Mahdi Ali. I won’t say I have upheld the promise yet, but this is part of it.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
UAE V IRAN, head-to-head record
Competitive matches only
1984, December 1: Iran 3-0 (Asian Cup, Singapore)
1988, December 8: Iran 1-0 (Asian Cup, Doha)
1992, November 1: 0-0 (Asian Cup, Hiroshima)
2001, October 25: Iran 1-0 (WC qualifying, Tehran)
2001, October 31: Iran 3-0 (WC qualifying, Abu Dhabi)
2008, June 2: 0-0 (WC qualifying, Tehran)
2008, June 7: Iran 1-0 (WC qualifying, Al Ain)
2008, November 19: 1-1 (WC qualifying, Dubai)
2009, June 10: Iran 1-0 (WC qualifying, Tehran)
2011, January 19: Iran 3-0 (Asian Cup, Doha)
Iran: won seven, drawn three, lost none.
Cumulative score: Iran 14, UAE 1
The UAE’s one goal was scored by Abdulrahim Jumaa at the Maktoum Stadium, giving them their only lead in the 19th minute. Karim Bagheri equalised in the 81st.
* Paul Oberjuerge
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Rating: 4/5
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Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
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Position Right-back
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If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
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.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
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