AL AIN // If the numerous supporters of the country's most successful top-flight club prefer to think the worst is over, they may want to reconsider. Al Ain, nine times a league champion, show no signs of revival.
The club went into last night's Pro League home game with Al Nasr at Tahnoon bin Mohammed Stadium in the relegation zone, and they were still there when the match ended.
Nasr's prolific Ismael Bangoura scored in the 28th minute, Rodrigo Vergilio converted in the 68th, and that was enough to subdue Al Ain 2-1 before a crowd of 4,873.
There was some good news for the home side though as they came to terms with their latest setback on the pitch.
The first bit was the goal scored by Elias Ribiero, Al Ain's new Brazilian, his first in the UAE, on a penalty in the 79th minute.
It was not enough to change the outcome of the game, but it was a start for Elias.
Also, the club has help on the horizon. Jeremie Aliadiere, a French striker with extensive experience in the Premier League, including with Arsenal, Wolves and Middlesbrough, has signed with the club. Alexandre Gallo, the coach, would not speculate when the club might see Aliadiere, 27, on the pitch. But he is on the way.
Nasr, meanwhile, now cannot be faulted for harbouring hopes of a top-three finish and a place in the 2012 Asian Champions League.
The addition of Virgilio, the Brazilian forward sometimes known as "Careca", has given Walter Zenga's squad a cutting edge, in tandem with Bangoura, that compares favorably to any in the league.
They are on 19 points and sit among the front half of the pack chasing leaders Al Jazira, and their manager, the former Italian international Walter Zenga, who coached at Al Ain in 2007, was pleased.
"This game is six points, not three points, because we keep Al Ain far away from us and that is very important," he said. "It's also important for the morale of my club.
"We had some players who are hurt or coming back from injury. This three points is very important to us."
Meanwhile, Gallo has five days to work some magic or his side could be in trouble against the Indonesian side Sriwijaya of Palembang in a play-off to determine who joins Group F for the Asian Champions League.
Elsewhere last night, Al Wahda fell further behind in their chase of a second successive title when Al Ahli came from behind to beat the Pro League champions 2-1, thanks to a brace from Pinga.
The former Wahda man levelled things before scoring the late winner from a spot kick in a game that turned into high drama after the referee Mohammed Abdulkarim al Zarouni reversed a spot-kick awarded to Wahda.
It appeared Tariq Ahmed, the Al Ahli defender, had tripped Saeed al Kathiri, the substitute.
But he changed the decision and later awarded a penalty against them when Ismail al Hammadi went crashing down in what appeared to be a deliberate dive from a slight touch from Abdulraheem Jumaa.
Fernando Baiano, the Brazilian forward, put Wahda ahead in the 18th minute with his ninth goal of the season, before Pinga levelled five minutes into the second half.
The midfielder playing against his former club was clinical on the one-on-one with Mutaz Abdulla, the Wahda goalkeeper, after Abdulla Abdulrahman had set him clear.
poberjuerge@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
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Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The%20Roundup
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Company%20Profile
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Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
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Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
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Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
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Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
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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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Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
No Shame
Lily Allen
(Parlophone)
Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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