UAE finish World Cup qualification round with frustrating draw in Kyrgyzstan

Cosmin Olaroiu's team shift focus to October play-offs having missed chance for direct qualification

Harib Abdalla celebrates scoring for the UAE in their 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw against Kyrgyzstan at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on June 10, 2025. Reuters

UAE defender Lucas Pimenta beats Khristiyan Brauzman of Kyrgyzstan to a header. Reuters

New UAE manager Cosmin Olaroiu, right, during the match. Reuters

Kai Merk celebrates scoring Kyrgyzstan's 95th-minute leveller. Reuters

UAE's Yahya Al Ghassani under pressure from Kayrat Zhyrgalbek Uulu of Kyrgyzstan. Reuters

Kai Merk scores for Kyrgyzstan to earn his team a draw against the UAE. Reuters

UAE's Mohammad Abdulbasit challenges. Reuters

The UAE starting XI line-up before the game against Kyrgyzstan at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium. Reuters

The UAE ended the latest phase of the convoluted Asian qualifying process for the 2026 World Cup in frustration as they were held to a draw by Kyrgyzstan.

Kai Merk struck an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time at the end of the game, to cancel out Harib Abdallah’s first-half strike for the national team.

It was a second draw in the final five days of round three of the qualifiers, and a drab way for the rejigged national team to sign off.

Cosmin Olaroiu, the UAE coach, had said on the eve of the game in Bishkek that the fixture would be a test of the players’ character.

Not in the same way as Thursday night’s game against Uzbekistan in Abu Dhabi. Automatic qualification for the World Cup had been riding on that, so full focus was a given then.

This was the inverse. The game was essentially meaningless: the UAE were already confirmed in the next phase of qualifying – a play-off in October – while Kyrgyzstan’s qualifying hopes were already at an end.

So, with nothing to play for, which players would still give everything they had? For whom would just wearing the national team colours be enough?

There was good reason for most them to give their best. Olaroiu had shuffled his pack from Thursday.

There were a couple of reasons for that. Most dramatically, two players – Khalid Al Dhanhani and Sultan Adil – had been thrown out for misconduct.

Others were injured, while Olaroiu also had his mind on another disciplinary issue. He was wary that a number of players were at risk of second yellow cards which would rule them out of the first game of October’s play-offs.

Those who came in would have been looking to prove they were worthy of being first-choice starters.

Abdallah, for one, had missed out on the starting XI against the Uzbeks, having been a key man under the reign of Paulo Bento, Olaroiu’s predecessor.

The young forward looked sharp from the off, and was rewarded for his industry with the opening goal.

On the half-hour Luan Pereira won possession and threaded a pass through to Abdallah, and he made no mistake with the finish.

Clearly, he had won his coach’s attention: two minutes later, he limped to the sideline with a knock, and he got an affectionate pat on his head from Olaroiu while he was there.

On the balance of play, the away side probably deserved the lead, but they still might have gone into the interval level.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of the half, there was a lengthy VAR review. After a tense wait, during which Luan had to be separated from some Kyrgyz players, the referee upheld his original decision of no penalty, but only after an offside had been spotted.

Just over 12,000 were at the Dolon Omurzakov Stadium to watch. Tellingly, that was 3,000 more than made it to the Al Nahyan Stadium five nights earlier when qualification was on the line for the UAE. The Kyrgyz fans seemed happy for a night out, even with nothing riding on it for their national team.

And it proved to be worth the wait for the home faithful, who roared with delight when Merk fired home his late leveller.