The UAE reignited their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying hopes with a comfortable victory over Kyrgyzstan at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium.
Following a rough patch in Group A — a loss to Iran, another to Uzbekistan and a disappointing draw against the lower-ranked North Korea — Paulo Bento’s team had seen their dream of a second World Cup appearance fade after an initial high.
That optimism had started strong with an opening win over Qatar, suggesting the UAE might indeed secure a spot among the 48 teams headed to the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026.
On Thursday night in Abu Dhabi, that belief returned.
Just 15 minutes in, Harib Abdallah took advantage of a sloppy back pass from Ermek Kenzhebaev, rounding Kyrgyzstan's goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotaev to put the UAE ahead.
Twenty minutes later, Yaha Al Ghassani, one of the bright spots in the draw with North Korea, nearly doubled the lead when his free-kick skimmed the outside of the post.
But it was Marcus Meloni who delivered the second goal just a minute later, marking his recent call-up with a strike from outside the box. His shot, moving one way then another, slipped under Tokotaev to double the UAE’s lead.
After the break, both teams exchanged a handful of half chances, but it wasn’t until the 89th minute that the third goal arrived. Abdallah doubled up for the UAE, unleashing a well-placed left-footed strike from outside the box that beat Tokotaev, sealing a stellar night and breathing life back into the UAE’s qualifying hopes.
Meanwhile, 595 km away at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Qatar claimed a vital 3-2 victory over second-placed Uzbekistan, shaking up the Group A standings.
Now, both the UAE and Qatar sit just three points behind the Uzbeks, with the top two teams in the group earning automatic spots in the 2026 World Cup finals.
That result sets the stage for a high-stakes showdown between the UAE and Qatar on Tuesday at Al Nahyan Stadium, where both sides will aim to keep the pressure on Srecko Katanec’s team in the race for qualification.
