Bahraini football fans are gearing up for what may be the friendliest game of the tournament, as they prepare for the opening match of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup with the Emirates on Saturday.
Hesham Mattar and ten of his Bahraini friends have already started preparing their flags and shirts. While they don’t expect Bahrain to win the cup, they are enthusiastic to show their support.
“I am really excited and we hope we will win, but we also want the UAE to do well,” said the 28-year-old actuary, who has lived in the UAE for two-and-a-half years.
“When I lived in Bahrain, I used to watch our team play there, but this is the first time I will attend a match in the UAE.”
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Wall chart: Download and print your complete guide to the Asian Cup in the UAE here
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Mr Mattar will also be joined at the match by a number of non-Bahraini friends who used to live in the country, but now live in Dubai. The group plan to attend all of Bahrain’s matches, the next one being scheduled for January 10 at Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.
“I don’t think we can win the cup, but if we can qualify out of the group that will be a big achievement,” he said.
If Bahrain is knocked out of the cup, Mr Mattar said he will cheer on other GCC teams. His friend, Bahraini Talal Al Sharif, said he was particularly excited about the match because it is part of the “biggest football competition in Asia”.
“The fact that it is so big is exciting, particularly for Bahrain because we have never won it and we have never qualified for the World Cup. Every year is a hopeful year,” said the 25-year-old account manager.
Bahrain’s best performance in the AFC Asian Cup was in 2004 when they narrowly lost to Japan 4-3 in the quarter finals, and then lost to Iran in the third place play off, finishing fourth.
“Playing against another Gulf country is considered a big game for any Gulf national who follows football.”
Mr Al Sharif said he does not expect Bahrain to last for long in the cup, but participating in the tournament will be good practice for a new young team.
“For the past couple of years Bahrain has been going through quite a big transition, particularly because a lot of senior players have retired."
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Read more:
[ 2019 Asian Cup: Groups, teams, tickets and all you need to know ]
Asian Cup in the UAE: A look back on the last time the Emirates played host in 1996 - in pictures
[ UAE travellers to get Asian Cup stamp in passports ]
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In Argentina, football rivalries were recently thrown into the spotlight by the double postponement of the historic Copa Libertadores final between Buenos Aires arch rivals River Plate and Boca Juniors due to fan trouble. Russia and the UK have also experienced rising tensions between fans.
Yet in the UAE, rivalries are friendlier, and allegiances are not as clear cut for everyone.
In fact, Mohammed Al Balooshi, whose father is Emirati and mother Bahraini, said he could not be more confused about who to cheer for.
“The problem is [the two countries] are one nation — how can I choose one over the other? I am lost,” said the 25-year-old fitness coach.
“My blood is Bahraini and my heart is Emirati, so I will have to cheer for both.”
In an arguably uncommon move for a football fan, he said his solution could be to wear a UAE shirt for the match, as well as a Bahraini scarf.
“Whichever team scores, I will cheer with them,” he said.
He plans to attend the match with a friend who will be cheering for the UAE.
The last time he attended a football match was when Bahrain hosted the Gulf Cup in 2013.
“The UAE won the final and I was happy and felt satisfied, so did not feel the urge to follow football after that," he said.
“However, now that both my teams are playing against one another, I feel the urge to follow the match,” he said.
The Asian Cup runs from January 5 to February 1 at venues across the country.
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All We Imagine as Light
Director: Payal Kapadia
Starring: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam
Rating: 4/5
VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
Engine: Dual permanently excited synchronous motors
Power: 516hp or 400Kw
Torque: 858Nm
Transmission: Single speed auto
Range: 485km
Price: From Dh699,000
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
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Diriyah project at a glance
- Diriyah’s 1.9km King Salman Boulevard, a Parisian Champs-Elysees-inspired avenue, is scheduled for completion in 2028
- The Royal Diriyah Opera House is expected to be completed in four years
- Diriyah’s first of 42 hotels, the Bab Samhan hotel, will open in the first quarter of 2024
- On completion in 2030, the Diriyah project is forecast to accommodate more than 100,000 people
- The $63.2 billion Diriyah project will contribute $7.2 billion to the kingdom’s GDP
- It will create more than 178,000 jobs and aims to attract more than 50 million visits a year
- About 2,000 people work for the Diriyah Company, with more than 86 per cent being Saudi citizens
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
