Mahdi Ali, the outgoing Baniyas coach, turned his attention to the UAE Olympic team yesterday, but not before defending his record against suggestions that he deserved little credit for Baniyas' second-place finish in the Pro League.
Ali joined Baniyas in April after Lofti al Banzarti was dismissed. Under his leadership, Baniyas held on to second place with three wins and three draws in eight games.
"There are some people who have said I did not contribute anything because I came so late in the season," he said. "But they forget that the team were on the way down when I arrived and I sent them upwards again.
"I changed the training and the formation of the team, which brought us a lot of good results. We played good football in my time here."
Under Ali, Baniyas secured their runners-up place behind Al Jazira and a spot in next season's Asian Champions League.
"We had Al Jazira in my first game as coach and we drew with them when we deserved to win that game," Ali said.
"We would have beaten the champions but bad referee decisions cost us. So I got the better of the champions. I have done my best at Baniyas to make them a better team."
Ali and the Olympic team leave today for China for a training camp ahead of their London 2012 qualifier against North Korea in Pyongyang on June 19.
"It is the hope of the whole country that we play in the Olympics and my ambition too," said Ali, who has led the squad to a maiden Asian Under 19 title in 2008, the U23 Gulf Cup in Qatar and a first ever Asian Games silver medal in China, both last year. They also reached the last eight in the U20 World Cup in Egypt in 2009.
"This team has a lot of quality and I don't see any reason why they can't create a piece of history by becoming the first team to play in an Olympics. They have been together for nearly eight years, which is a very long time, and I believe it is a big advantage, particularly as they have had a lot of success.
"I am very hopeful of a good result from this opening match. I also believe in good preparation and that's why we are travelling early to China so we can adapt quickly and be ready for our first game."
The UAE play Hong Kong in a friendly in China on June 12 and travel to Pyongyang two days ahead of the qualifier. The return leg is in Al Ain on June 23.
Another coach on his way out of the Pro League, Al Ahli's Abdulhameed al Mishtiki, who replaced David O'Leary on an interim basis, pleaded with officials to rethink the season's schedule.
"You cannot ask young players to compete in these conditions we have right now. It is very hot and they are so tired after a long season," he said.
"The season is too long. They played maybe 30 matches, here and outside the country, and it takes a lot out of them, especially when they are asked to perform in such high temperatures.
"On Sunday night, my players had to drink five bottles of water when they go into the dressing room at full time. It's too much."
* Additional reporting by Amith Passela
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The%20specs
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Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
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Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Sweet%20Tooth
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
57%20Seconds
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Bob%20Marley%3A%20One%20Love
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
The%20specs%3A%20Macan%20Turbo
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Company%20profile
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Company%20Profile
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The%20specs
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KLOPP%20AT%20LIVERPOOL
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MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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