UAE Falls to Uzbekistan, Suffering Another Setback in World Cup Qualifiers

The UAE national football team continued to drop points in the first group of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, losing 1-0 to host Uzbekistan. The only goal was scored by former Sharjah player Shukurov from a penalty kick in the 76th minute at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent, during the fourth round match. The UAE played with ten men from the 66th minute after a direct red card was given to Abdullah Hamad.

With this win, Uzbekistan raised their tally to 10 points, while the UAE remained at 4 points. Kyrgyzstan earned their first 3 points, and North Korea's total froze at 2 points after Kyrgyzstan's first group victory today, defeating North Korea 1-0. This win moved Kyrgyzstan to fifth place ahead of their upcoming match against the UAE on November 14 in Al Ain. On the same date, Qatar will face Uzbekistan, and North Korea will play against Iran.

The UAE team applied early pressure on their opponent, while Uzbekistan attempted to build quick attacks from the flanks. In the early minutes, Uzbekistan appeared dangerous, especially on the right side. Harib Abdullah fired a weak shot into the hands of the goalkeeper in the 8th minute, marking the UAE's first attempt following an individual effort under pressure from defenders. Two minutes later, Caio Canedo fired a strong shot, but the Uzbekistan goalkeeper saved it.

The UAE's danger became evident through pressing the ball carrier in the opponent's half, successfully halting Uzbekistan's attacks. Movements from Harib and Yahya Al-Ghassani troubled the opposing defense, with Al-Ghassani stealing the ball in the 12th minute and shooting just wide. Uzbekistan's Eldor missed their best chance in the 26th minute with a quick header that went past the UAE keeper Khalid Essa’s left post.

Khalid Essa saved his goal from a strong shot in the 31st minute after an Uzbek counterattack, while Al-Ghassani's weak shot was easily saved in the 34th minute. Eldor chested the ball and attempted a bicycle kick that went over the bar in the 44th minute. Shukurov’s header was easily caught by Khalid Essa in the 45th minute, and the first half ended goalless.

The UAE started the second half strongly, forcing a difficult save from Uzbekistan’s goalkeeper in the 47th minute. Harib went one-on-one in the 49th minute but lobbed the ball over the crossbar. Azizbek’s ground shot narrowly missed the UAE’s right post in the 58th minute. The UAE team played with ten men after Abdullah Hamad was shown a direct red card in the 66th minute.

The referee awarded a penalty to Uzbekistan after a handball by UAE’s Khalifa Al Hammadi, which Shukurov converted, hitting the left post and bouncing into the net to give Uzbekistan the lead in the 76th minute. Uzbekistan dominated the closing minutes, capitalizing on the UAE’s numerical disadvantage. UAE coach Paulo Bento’s substitutions did not deliver the necessary attacking improvement, and the UAE lost another three crucial points on their path to the 2026 World Cup.

In the same round of qualifiers, Australia ended Japan’s winning streak with a 1-1 draw in Group C. China secured their first win, defeating Indonesia 2-1. Australia moved to 5 points, while Japan maintained their group lead with 10 points. China now has 3 points, tied with Indonesia, who suffered their first loss in the group. Meanwhile, Iraq lost 2-3 to South Korea in Group B, with South Korea leading the group with 10 points and Iraq remaining on 7 points.

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