Today's Edition
Kuumar Shyam (Abu Dhabi)
The UAE can heave a sigh of relief after returning to winning ways with a 2-0 victory against Kyrgyz Republic in the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifying campaign at Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Thursday.
Two brilliant goals from Harib Abdalla and two moments of brilliance from the acrobatic goalkeeper Khalid Eisa stood out as Paulo Bento’s men did enough to take three more points. Marcus Meloni added the second goal of the match to give cushion to the hosts in a match that bordered on a level slightly above average despite the loaded result.
Yet, the win carries huge psychological impetus in Group A’s composition where leaders Iran struggled to down bottom table North Korea 3-2 at the additional damage of a red card. It would have been more straightforward, but Qatar upset the other early leaders Uzbekistan to eke out a 3-2 victory in Doha after conceding a 2-0 lead in the second half before finding the winner in injury time.
The UAE remain in third sport with seven points behind Uzbekistan while Kyrgyz Republic are on three points. The top two sides secure automatic qualification to the World Cup Finals while the best third-placed team gets into a play-off. The UAE’s next match is in five days against Qatar, who will also be keen to make up on lost ground as them.
𝑷𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉! 🤩
— #AsianQualifiers (@afcasiancup) November 14, 2024
🇦🇪 Harib Abdulla Suhail’s flawless finish lit up the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium!#AsianQualifiers | #UAEvKGZ pic.twitter.com/OvRYO551Ne
“We cannot get ahead and think of Qatar nor can we enjoy too much this victory,” said Bento. “I mentioned at the outset when the draw was made that there are more than one ways to make it to the Finals and we will keep fighting.
“People said initially Iran and Qatar are certain to go through, but we are seeing things pan out differently, and still there is a long way to go. For now, we will rest and recuperate because there is very less time for the next match against Qatar.”
His counterpart Maksin Lisitsyn conceded that his team ended up short, making “a lot of mistakes and not get the result” they wanted.
The match started with the UAE looking shaky, players struggling to get a grip on the turf in front of 6,238 people and complete lack of cohesion and communication. But an alert Abdalla changed that when, under pressure from Mackenzie Hunt, Kayrat Zhyrgalbek tried to make an erroneous backpass. Abdalla intercepted it before rounding Erzhan Tokotayev to slot into an unguarded net.
Meloni then caught Tokotayev off guard 20 minutes later to put the game in a comfortable territory. There were, however, a few nervous moments before the impact of the second goal could settle down because Eisa had to stave off Valeriy Kichin’s distant effort in the 39th minute. He was needed again to stop Kairat Zhyrgalbek from point-blank range to preserve UAE’s lead going into the break.
The second half understandably saw the UAE trying to kill the pace of the game wherever possible, relying on the occasional counter-attack. Eisa was pressed into service again for a heroic save in the 84th minute from Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov’s left-footed volley.
With the clock approaching the last minute of the regulation time, Abdulla took every one by surprise, probably himself too, by a beautiful curling long-ranger.
𝐅𝐓 | 🇦🇪 UAE 3️⃣-0️⃣ Kyrgyz Republic 🇰🇬
— #AsianQualifiers (@afcasiancup) November 14, 2024
A stellar performance by the hosts as Harib's double secures a flawless victory in this pivotal Group A fixture!#AsianQualifiers | #UAEvKGZ pic.twitter.com/IESqOVtsMY
