The third-most-common surname in Brazil is “Oliveira”. Football fans in the UAE can be forgiven for thinking it might be No 1, given that three Brazilians with that family name were among the most prominent strikers in the country over the past half-dozen years.
Alexander Oliveira scored 38 league goals for Al Wasl through 2010, which included the Dubai side’s most recent championship, in 2007. Marcelo Oliveira put in 47, all but seven for Sharjah, whom he kept from relegation for two years.
But the most prominent and productive of the UAE’s Oliveira trio has been Ricardo, formerly of Al Jazira and, as of this week, of Wasl.
Over two full seasons with Jazira, and halves of three others, Ricardo Oliveira was that rarest of expatriate commodities: he was worth the money spent on him, a record Dh72.5 million paid by the Abu Dhabi side to the Spanish club Real Betis.
Oliveira soon became Jazira’s most dependable and creative attacking player, and one of the finest in the modern history of the league.
To watch Jazira was to see Oliveira gliding through the attacking third, sleek and alert as a shark and nearly as dangerous, ready for the pass over the top or to take off on the diagonal run that would put him in alone on the goalkeeper.
He was a refined finisher and, unlike many top scorers here, did not require teammates to bring him the ball in an advantageous position. He could carry it half the pitch, switch feet, elude tackles and find a place inside the post.
Oliveira was in the team when Jazira won their only league championship, in 2011, as well as their first and second President’s Cups, in 2011 and 2012. He scored 10 league goals in only 11 matches for the 2011 champions, providing the final piece to an attack that included Matias Delgado and Bare. He provided a goal in the 2011 cup final victory over Al Wahda, and the decisive goal in the 3-1 triumph over Baniyas a year later.
He also contributed to the development of Ali Mabkhout, his Emirati strike partner and a UAE international. Mabkhout had a deserved reputation as a creator – but not a taker – of chances. It was Oliveira who, two years ago, flatly predicted Mabkhout would become the national team’s most effective forward, and that has been the case for more than a year now. Oliveria’s support of his young teammate, and Mabkhout’s daily exposure to such a consummate professional, may have been the difference in his emergence.
Oliveira’s most impressive season was his first full campaign in the UAE, 2011/12, when he scored 41 times in 41 matches, including an astonishing 12 in seven Asian Champions League matches as Jazira won their group, the most impressive run by a UAE side in nearly a decade. In the last 16, he scored what should have been the winner, in added time, against the Saudi side Al Ahli, but Jazira conceded a moment later, and the home team went out on penalties.
Oliveira missed a spot kick in that shoot-out, and it may have been another missed penalty that proved the turning point in his time with Jazira.
In a league match at Sharjah three weeks ago, he missed a spot-kick early in the second half with an oddly indecisive shot. Five minutes later, he intercepted a pass in the attacking end, went in on the goalkeeper and, in what subsequent viewings showed was a difficult chance, shot it straight at the keeper.
A frustrated Oliveira, memorably, walked up the post and banged his forehead into it.
The game ended in a draw. Afterward, Walter Zenga, the new coach, rued the two missed opportunities, without naming Oliveira. A few days later, Zenga began to talk about Abdelaziz Barrada as his difference-maker, and by last week Oliveira sat out a game with an apparent knee injury, then heard his name come up in numerous transfer-window rumours, before the loan to Wasl.
He has not had a strong season; 11 goals in 17 matches is a low rate of return for him, and he often has seemed disconnected from the action. Much of that was about Jazira’s broken midfield; they stayed with Ibrahim Diaky and Subait Khater for far too long, gave up on Delgado and had no viable replacements.
But some of it, too, is about his birth certificate; Oliveira is 33, 34 in May. In modern football, most strikers are done by 33, particularly those who rely on athleticism.
Those who have admired the greatest of UAE Oliveiras for his reliability and professionalism will be wishing him good luck with Wasl. And Jazira supporters will hope the club did not give up on him a bit too soon.
poberjuerge@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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If%20you%20go
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Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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
Match info:
Leicester City 1
Ghezzal (63')
Liverpool 2
Mane (10'), Firmino (45')
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Company%20profile
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Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
AIDA%20RETURNS
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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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.
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3