After beating South Korea, how can UAE qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup?

The UAE will be in the World Cup qualifying draw when it takes place in Doha on Friday.

Harib Abdullah’s goal was enough to give them a 1-0 win against South Korea at Maktoum Stadium on Tuesday night. It meant they will advance in the qualification process – although there is still work to do to make it to Qatar.

Group A table

Finishing third place in their Asian qualifying group meant UAE will now advance to the final eliminator process, to be played in Qatar in June.

Asian playoff

First, they will face a one-game playoff against Australia, who finished third in the other third round group of Asian qualifying, behind Saudi Arabia and Japan.

UAE will be looking to avenge defeat to the same opposition in Sydney in 2017, which ended the national team’s chances of making it to the World Cup in Russia.

Intercontinental playoff

The winners of that fixture face a final eliminator, against the fifth-placed side from South America’s regional qualifying structure.

Peru secured that place by a point ahead of Colombia, after they beat Paraguay 2-0 in Lima on Tuesday night.

Then what?

UAE will be part of the draw for the World Cup on Friday. The winners of the intercontinental playoff – so either UAE, Australia or Peru – will be placed in pot four for the draw, which means they will be among the lowest-seeded sides for the competition.

Other teams in that tier of the draw will be Ecuador, Saudi, Ghana and three sides who make it through the final eliminators in European qualifying.

If you go

Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.

Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com

A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com