United Arab Emirates vs Uzbekistan

The third round of AFC World Cup Qualifiers in Group A continues this week, with the United Arab Emirates welcoming Uzbekistan to Al Nahyan Stadium on Thursday.

The UAE, currently third in the group with 13 points, face a tough challenge against second-placed Uzbekistan, who lead them by four points.

With Iran already securing their spot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from Group A, and Uzbekistan needing just one point to qualify, the UAE must win this match to avoid dropping to the fourth round of qualifiers.

The UAE kept their hopes alive for a top-two finish with a 2-1 victory over North Korea in March, recovering from a 2-0 loss to group leaders Iran earlier that week. Sultan Adil’s dramatic 98th-minute goal sealed the win against North Korea, but surprisingly, the UAE Football Federation sacked head coach Paulo Bento and his staff shortly after the match.

Cosmin Olaroiu, who guided Sharjah to the AFC Champions League Two final this season, was named Bento’s successor last month and will make his debut as UAE’s national team coach in this game.

The UAE have shown improvement at home in the qualifiers, losing 1-0 to Iran and drawing 1-1 with North Korea in their first two matches, before securing convincing victories against Kyrgyzstan (3-0) and Qatar (5-0).

Uzbekistan, meanwhile, have enjoyed a strong third-round campaign, earning five wins, two draws, and only one loss in eight matches. A single point from this game will confirm their place at the 2026 World Cup. In March, the White Wolves defeated Kyrgyzstan 1-0 and drew 2-2 with Iran, with goals from Khojimat Erkinov and Abbosbek Fayzullaev matching Mehdi Taremi’s brace.

These results marked a promising start for new head coach Timur Kapadze, who replaced Srecko Katanec after the latter stepped down for health reasons before the March fixtures.

Uzbekistan’s away record in the qualifiers includes two wins, one draw, and one loss. They have won their last two matches against the UAE and hold a strong record in recent head-to-head encounters, with three wins, one draw, and one loss since 2013.