iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
Dubai is experiencing a trend for flexible or serviced office spaces
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Capital all set for Samba carnival
abu dhabi — Abu Dhabi has a close connection with the alphabet B. After Spanish giants FC Barcelona came and mesmerised Abu Dhabi last December, it is the turn of South American powerhouses Brazil to grace a football pitch in Abu Dhabi.
The five-time World Cup champions will play Iran in an international football friendly at the Zayed Sports City in what will be a sell-out Zayed Sports City Stadium on Thursday night.
The full strength ‘A Selecao,’ sans the inspirational playmaker Kaka and Alex Costa, touched down in the Capital late on Tuesday night.
Real Madrid’s Kaka is down with a knee injury while Chelsea defender Costa is out for three weeks after suffering a thigh injury. Costa scored in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Arsenal in the English Premiership but picked up the injury in the dying minutes of the game. He has been ruled out for the friendlies against Iran and Ukraine.
Brazil play Ukraine in England on October 11.
Dynamo Kiev striker Andre and Lucas arrived early from Ukraine. “Everything here is lovely,” he was quoted as saying on Globoesporte.
The contrast in temperatures from the chilly Ukraine to the hot United Arab Emirates was not lost on Andre. “It feels like it is about 60 degrees and that I have just walked into a sauna. The important thing however is to play and not let the temperature affect you — and it is much better to be hot than in five degrees,” Andre added.
Despite Kaka and Costa’s absence, Brazil still have the firepower with captain Robinho and Alexandre Pato of AC Milan, Barcelona’s Daniel Alves and Adriano in the squad.
Ironically, Brazilian captain Robinho has close links with Abu Dhabi, having played for the Shaikh Mansour-owned Manchester City in the English Premierships before moving to AC Milan.
Afshin Ghotbi, Iranian coach, said that the game would be a treat for Iranian fans as well as others in the region. “I think the game against Brazil will be a wonderful match for all Iranians as well as people in all Persian Gulf countries. I am sure it will be a joyful game,” Afshin Ghotbi said.
Iran’s midfielder Karim Bagheri, who made one League appearance in the English Premiership, will pull the curtains down on his international career after the friendly.
Bagheri, known for his set pieces, has been capped 86 times and scored 50 goals. Bagheri made his debut during the 1994 World Cup qualifiers against Pakistan in 1993. He played in the 1998 World Cup. Iran are preparing for the Asian Cup to be held in Qatar in January. Iran’s only previous friendly game against a world champion side was against Germany in 2004. The match was held in Tehran.
More news from
Foreign minister says hundreds of thousands of refugees in the city no longer have any safe places to flee
REES initiative will contribute to providing a supportive infrastructure for real estate innovations
The visa offers an exceptional opportunity for individuals who dedicate themselves to sustainability and environmental stewardship
Partnership will allow TerraPay to capitalise on expand its presence in the UAE
Zack Chug, a Dubai-based fitness enthusiast and prominent social media figure, on how to combat body dysmorphia and negativity on social media
Earlier, leaders condemned Israeli forces' 'barbaric' actions in Gaza but declined to approve punitive economic and political steps against the country
Revenue growth driven by a 17.5% growth in volume and a 5.1% increase in pricing