DUBAI // Ricardo Oliveira looks set to extend his stay in the UAE by another 18 months after agreeing to a switch to Al Wasl.
Replaced by compatriot Jucilei da Silva at Al Jazira last week, the former Brazil international had generated interest from clubs both foreign and domestic, and he has decided to continue his career in the Arabian Gulf League with Wasl.
Hector Cuper, the Wasl coach, made Oliveira his prime target as soon as the striker became available. He will replace the Senegalese Andre Senghor, who has struggled to find a starting spot since the arrival of the Argentine coach at the Zabeel Stadium.
A deal is yet to be signed, but a Wasl spokesman confirmed Oliveira is on his way to the struggling Dubai club, who have managed just one point from their past five league matches.
Oliveira will be the second foreign player to be signed by Wasl in this transfer window after the Argentine midfielder Emmanuel Culio, who arrived from the Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna.
Edson Puch has returned to the team as the Asian player after getting Palestinian citizenship following loan spells at Deportes Iquique in his native Chile.
The club, who have a new board of directors headed by Rashid Belhoul, have also decided to persist with Mariano Donda, which means the Argentine is the only foreign player to keep his place.
Wasl, meanwhile, have lost their No 1 goalkeeper Ahmed Mahmoud, who has signed with AGL leaders Al Ahli and was introduced yesterday morning.
While Oliveira has decided to stay in the UAE, his compatriot Michel Bastos is set to join the Italian club Roma on loan after just six months at Al Ain.
“It’s not done yet, but negotiations are at an advanced stage,” Rudi Garcia, the Roma coach, who worked with Bastos during his time in charge of French club Lille, was quoted as saying on Skysports.com. “I have been tracking this player since he left Lille, going through Lyon, Schalke and Al Ain.
“I always spoke to him and knew this was a possibility for us. Above all, he was very eager to come back to Europe, so I am happy.”
According to some reports, Al Ain have set their sights in Tottenham’s Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor as a possible replacement for Bastos.
Nelson Valdez, who has been replaced by Felipe Caicedo at Jazira, is also headed for Italy with reports linking the Paraguayan striker with a move to Bologna.
Elsewhere, the Arabian Gulf League strugglers Al Shaab have approached Baniyas with a loan offer for their goalkeeper Obaid Al Taweela, while their ambitious overtures to bring over Ahmed Khalil on loan have been rejected by Al Ahli.
“We have not received any formal offers from any club and even if we did, we are not going to entertain any offers for Ahmed Khalil, unless it is from a foreign club,” said Ahmed Khalifa, the chief executive of Ahli.
Al Wahda, meanwhile, have made their first move of this transfer window by signing the left-back Sultan Ramadan on a three-and-a-half season deal from the Division One club Kalba.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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 Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
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Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Afro%20salons
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Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
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