The UAE’s tortuous bid for 2026 World Cup qualification will extend to an additional round after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Uzbekistan in Abu Dhabi.
The point was enough to guarantee the Uzbeks the second automatic qualifying place from this phase of the Asian competition, alongside Iran. It meant the side from central Asia will be heading to the World Cup for the first time in their history.
The wait for a return to the tournament for the first time since 1990 will go on for the UAE – but the dream is not yet dead.
They have one game left in this phase, a dead rubber against Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek on Tuesday. Then they will have to prepare for a three-team round in October, the winners of which will qualify.
The build up to the game had been full of frenzied anticipation. The UAE captain, Khalid Essa, and new coach Cosmin Olaroiu, spoke of players and fans working together as a collective to achieve their goal.
It was a surprise, then, that there were thousands of empty seats in the home sections when the game kicked off.
The contrast was stark: the away section was filled two hours before the game. Hundreds more were outside awaiting entry. A number complained they had valid tickets for the UAE section, but said they were not being admitted.
The appetite for tickets among Uzbeks had been voracious. After all, their side were on the brink of history.
The away section was limited to around 1,000, but it was reported as many as 5,000 had applied to get in.
Some of those waiting outside had done their best to ingratiate themselves. A number were wearing Emirati-style kanduras, while others had UAE scarves around their necks.
Another fan of Uzbek origin had brought along the passports of him and his young son. They are American citizens and had travelled from the United States especially for the game.
The atmosphere long preceded even the teams arriving, as shown in Al Wahda Mall, the shopping centre which is adjacent to the Al Nahyan Stadium.
In the hours leading up to the game, there were more people wearing sky blue Manchester City shirts with “Khusanov” on the back than there were wearing the white UAE replica shirts.
Abdukodir Khusanov was the big name in the visitors’ line up. The speedy Uzbek centre back was playing in the city from where he is employed.
The UAE seats did fill up as the first half went on, and the side of the field opposite the grandstand was mostly filled.
It also had some pre-prepared banners to encourage the teams, with slogans like “Together we can do it”, “Dreams will come true” and “We trust you guys”.
And yet the atmosphere remained flat, and the official attendance topped out at 9,820 – a long way short of the 16,000 capacity.
Amid it all, the UAE players struggled to find a spark. What made matters worse for them was that the quiet meant they could hear their manager’s ever-increasing displeasure.
Not even someone with Olaroiu’s glittering CV could be guaranteed to turn the UAE into world-beaters immediately.
In his first match in charge of the national team, there was no great overhaul of the side he inherited from Paulo Bento.
He did make a couple of notable tweaks, though. Ali Saleh, the Al Wasl winger who only featured sporadically towards the end of the Bento era, was brought straight back into the starting XI. Majed Hassan, Olaroiu’s tried and trusted midfield lieutenant, was also brought in to pin down the centre of the field.
There were clear teething issues, though. The home team struggled for fluency, and that suited an Uzbek side who only required a point to achieve qualification.
While they tried to push ahead, albeit in disjointed fashion, they left gaps at the back. In the 54th minute, Abbosbek Fayzullaev, the Uzbek substitute, crashed a header against the crossbar with the goal at his mercy, after a fast break by the visitors.
Olaroiu’s first major landmark in his new job was to see himself get booked. His side had just come close to breaking the deadlock.
Two Uzbek players went to ground in the aftermath and, as he vented his frustration, Olaroiu was shown a yellow card.
The home team did create some openings thereafter, but nothing that allowed them to strike.
Uzbekistan kept them at a safe enough distance, and when the final whistle blew, the away contingent – in the stands and on the field – were overcome with euphoria.
