Japan playmaker Keisuke Honda has warned his teammates they must be at their best to defeat the UAE when the two sides face each other in the Asian Cup quarter-finals on Friday.
Defending champions and tournament favourites Japan won Group D with a flawless record, while the UAE were pipped to top spot in Group C by Iran’s 91st minute winner.
It means Mahdi Ali’s men face arguably the toughest last-eight game in the competition, although the UAE’s impressive form and style of play has not gone unnoticed by onlookers, including Honda.
“UAE are playing very well,” warned the AC Milan midfielder. “I don’t think they will fear Japan at all. Hopefully we can continue creating as many chances as we have been.”
Honda revs up
While Honda is full of praise for the UAE, the same cannot be said of the Asian Cup organisers, who he has criticised for the schedule.
Japan’s final group game against Jordan - a 2-0 win - means they have a day less to prepare for the UAE game, and the 28-year-old is less than impressed.
“Two days is too short a recovery time,” said Honda, who has already been fined $5,000 for letting rip at the referee in Japan’s 4-0 win over Palestine earlier in the competition.
“I don’t agree with such a tough schedule. It’s too much and it’s a concern.”
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Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
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Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Match statistics
Dubai Sports City Eagles 8 Dubai Exiles 85
Eagles
Try: Bailey
Pen: Carey
Exiles
Tries: Botes 3, Sackmann 2, Fourie 2, Penalty, Walsh, Gairn, Crossley, Stubbs
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Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
