UAE’s World Cup hopes suffer setback after tough defeat against Iran

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Photo: AFP

On Thursday evening, the UAE’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup took a serious hit after a tough 2-0 loss to Iran in Group A of the qualifiers. The match, played at Azadi Stadium in Tehran, had an unusual start when the floodlights suddenly went out just 15 minutes into the game. The unexpected blackout caused a delay of nearly 30 minutes, forcing both teams to wait on the sidelines until the issue was fixed.

Once the game resumed, Iran controlled most of the possession, but it was the UAE that had the best chance to take the lead. A misplaced pass by an Iranian defender landed right at the feet of Caio Lucas, who found himself in a one-on-one situation with Iran’s goalkeeper, Alireza Beiranvand. However, despite having a golden opportunity to put the UAE ahead, Lucas’s shot went wide, leaving his teammates and fans disappointed.

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The first half saw an extraordinary amount of additional time—29 minutes in total—due to the earlier delay. During this period, UAE’s Mackenzie Hunt almost made up for Lucas’s miss with a powerful strike from inside the box. But Beiranvand reacted quickly and made a crucial save to keep the score level.

Just before halftime, Iran made the UAE pay for their missed chances. Saman Ghoddos delivered a perfect cross into the box, and Sardar Azmoun expertly guided a header past UAE’s goalkeeper Khalid Eissa, giving Iran a 1-0 lead. It was a heartbreaking moment for the UAE, as they had created better chances but failed to convert them into goals.

The second half began with Iran nearly doubling their lead. Mohammad Mohebi slotted the ball into the net after receiving a through pass, but the assistant referee raised his flag for offside. After a tense VAR review, the goal was ruled out, keeping the score at 1-0.

However, Iran’s pressure eventually paid off. In the 70th minute, Mohebi finally got his goal. He picked up the ball near the halfway line, dribbled past UAE’s Kouame Kouadio, and calmly placed his shot past Eissa to make it 2-0. With that goal, Iran sealed their victory, leaving the UAE with an uphill battle to stay in the race for World Cup qualification.

The UAE had one last chance in the final moments of the game when substitute Caio Canedo found space inside the box and directed a header toward the goal. But his effort drifted just wide of the post, ending any hopes of a comeback.

To make matters worse, Uzbekistan’s victory over Kyrgyzstan on the same day widened the gap between UAE and the second automatic qualification spot to six points. With only the top two teams earning direct entry to the World Cup, the UAE’s chances of finishing in the top two now look slim.

Despite this setback, the UAE still has three games left to fight for qualification. Their next match against North Korea in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday is now a must-win. At the same time, they will be hoping that Iran defeats Uzbekistan to keep their hopes alive. If results go in their favor, the gap between UAE and Uzbekistan could be reduced to just three points before their crucial head-to-head match in June—a game that could decide who makes it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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