UAE national football team’s Nicolas Giménez dedicates 4-0 win to late Sheikh Ahmed

The UAE marked the start of their Arabian Gulf Cup campaign with a commanding 4-0 victory over Yemen on Thursday, September 24. However, for UAE national football team midfielder Nicolas Giménez, the night carried an emotional meaning beyond the scoresheet.

After the emphatic win at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, the Argentina-born athlete who also plays for Al Wasl Football Club, dedicated the victory to Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who died earlier this week aged 76.

“As you know, we and our country went through difficult days after the death of our Sheikh,” Giménez said. “It’s a very important point for our country. We dedicate this [victory], this happiness to him.”

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Giménez played a starring role in the UAE’s opening Group B match, scoring twice as the Whites produced a convincing start to their campaign.

Nader Sahal’s own goal in the 36th minute doubled the UAE’s advantage before Luanzinho, the Brazil-born Sharjah midfielder, made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time.

Giménez then found the net again in the 51st minute to complete the 4-0 victory.

A worthy tribute to Sheikh Ahmed

The result of the game was also a moment of remembrance for a man whose name has been closely tied to Al Wasl and Dubai’s sporting history for generations.

Sheikh Ahmed had a decades-long association with Al Wasl Sports Club and served as its president for around 60 years.

The club was founded in Za’abeel in 1960 under the name Al Zamalek. Sheikh Ahmed helped form its first board of directors in 1962 and served as chairman until 1974.

His connection with the club continued for decades, during which he supported the development of sport in the UAE. Al Wasl went on to become one of the country’s prominent sporting clubs, competing across football and several other sports.

For Al Wasl, his name became woven into the club’s story.

While the UAE begin another Gulf Cup campaign with a 4-0 win, for Giménez, it was a victory and a moment of happiness to dedicate to a Sheikh who had been part of his club’s story for generations.

Sheikh Ahmed’s passing

Sheikh Ahmed died on the morning of September 21, according to the Dubai Media Office. Dubai subsequently announced an official 10-day mourning period, with flags flown at half-mast across the emirate.

Sheikh Ahmed was laid to rest on September 22 at Umm Hurair Cemetery in Dubai, following funeral prayers at Zabeel Mosque. Senior members of the UAE leadership were seen accompanying his mortal remains to the cemetery.

What happens during an official mourning period in the UAE? What does an official mourning involve, and to what extent does life in the UAE change when one is declare? Read our report to find out more.