KALBA // The UAE Olympic team have set their sights on clinching a berth for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio after qualifying for the Asian Under-23 Championship with an all-win record.
Having defeated Sri Lanka and Tajikistan in their first two matches, the UAE beat Yemen 1-0 on Tuesday to qualify as Group D winners for the 16-nation continental championships, which will be held in Qatar next year from January 12-30.
The top three teams at that tournament will get a ticket to the Rio Games and the UAE coaching staff is confident their team can clinch one of those spots.
“We played three matches in five days and the results are proof of our efforts,” said Noureddine Abidi, who is one of coach Abdullah Misfir’s assistants. “We finished at the top of the group, with the best attack and best defence – we conceded zero goals and scored eight.
“We had the team together for a very short duration, only three weeks, but thankfully we have managed to achieve our target, do the job that we were expected to do.”
The short preparation period did not seem to matter as the UAE started their campaign with a 4-0 win. The home side then beat Tajikistan 3-0 and needed only a point from their final match against Yemen to qualify as one of the 10 group winners.
They were determined to go through with a win, though, and Saif Rashid’s 49th-minute goal settled the issue.
Job done, Abidi is looking forward to the main event.
“We have a comprehensive programme moving forward now as our objective is to qualify for the Olympics in Rio,” the Tunisian said.
“We have a very good group. Many of our players are playing for the first teams at their clubs in the professional league.
“We are going to exploit all their qualities to achieve good results for the national team.”
arizvi@thenational.ae
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The results of the first round are as follows:
Qais Saied (Independent): 18.4 per cent
Nabil Karoui (Qalb Tounes): 15.58 per cent
Abdelfattah Mourou (Ennahdha party): 12.88 per cent
Abdelkarim Zbidi (two-time defence minister backed by Nidaa Tounes party): 10.7 per cent
Youssef Chahed (former prime minister, leader of Long Live Tunisia): 7.3 per cent
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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