The United Arab Emirates pulled off a dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Qatar in their AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 Group A clash at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Thursday at Qatar. The match started with both teams struggling to find their footing, resulting in a scrappy beginning.
In the 15th minute, Qatar nearly scored when Akram Afif’s effort was intercepted by Khalifa Al Hammadi’s crucial interception. Afif later delivered a precise cross to Jassem Gaber, whose header narrowly missed the target. Qatar took the lead in the 38th minute when Afif set up 18-year-old Ibrahim Al Hassan. Al Hassan skilfully evaded Yahia Nader and fired a powerful shot into the bottom corner.
The second half saw both teams neutralize each other, with neither goalkeeper being seriously tested initially. However, the UAE grew more assertive, and Abdulla Hamad’s powerful shot from the edge of the box hit the side netting after the hour mark. The UAE equalized in the 68th minute when Harib Abdalla scored with a powerful shot. The turnaround was completed in the 80th minute when Khaled Aldhanhani’s shot from outside the box put the UAE ahead, securing their win. Ultimately, UAE won with Harib Abdalla, Khaled Aldhanhani and Ali Saleh scoring the goals for UAE.
This thrilling win marks a strong start for the UAE’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. They will look to build on this success when they face Iran in Al Ain on Tuesday, while Qatar will aim to recover in their match against DPR Korea. The top two teams in the group will secure direct World Cup spots, with the third and fourth-placed teams advancing to the fourth round of Asian qualifiers. The UAE, who last qualified for the World Cup in 1990, have made a significant statement with this victory.
Here is the complete line up for the UAE team:
Goalkeeper
- Khalid Eisa
Defenders
- Abdulla Idrees
- Khalifa Mubarak
- Khaled Ebraheim Aldhanhani
Midfielders
- Tahnoon Al Zaabi
- Abdulla Hamad
- Yahia Nader
Forwards
- Harib Abdalla Suhail
- Caio Canedo
- Yahya Alghassani
Substitutes
- Ali Khaseif
- Zayed Sultan
- Ali Hassan Salmin
- Abdelrahman Saleh
- Ali Saleh
- Fabio de Lima
- Mohamed Al Attas
- Mohammed Abbas Al Baloushi
- MacKenzie Hunt
- Issam Faiz
- Khaled Tawhid Al Mohtadi
- Fahad Badr
