UAE World Cup dream in tatters: What went wrong and where they go from here

Defeat in Iraq means national team miss out once again and face rebuild ahead of Asian Cup and fresh qualification cycle

About this time four years from now, the UAE might want to invest in some voodoo dolls of Graham Arnold, ready to skewer. Maybe then, four decades of hurt will finally come to an end.

Or any passing Australian, really. For three World Cup cycles in a row now, the tears of UAE players and supporters have been broadcast live and in HD as their qualification hopes have been summarily ended by Arnold – or a version of him.

In 2017, the chances of the UAE’s “Golden Generation” playing at Russia in 2018 were sunk by Australia in Sydney.

Iraq v UAE: Jubilation in Basra as hosts keep World Cup hopes alive

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In the home dugout was a gruff, uncle-type figure, full of spiky repartee about his take on the beautiful game. That was, in fact, Ange Postecoglou. Not Arnold per se, but not far removed.

Then, in 2022, the UAE made it as far as a last-chance play-off, with a World Cup in neighbouring Qatar within touching distance. The denouement? A 2-1 defeat via a late goal to an Australia side coached by Arnold.

Sound familiar? Painfully so. On Tuesday night, exactly the same thing played out. Only, the opposition were Iraq, the venue the cacophonous Basra International Stadium, and the winning goal even later.

Seventeen minutes into stoppage time, Amir Al Ammari calmly stroked a penalty into the top corner to keep alive Iraq’s hopes of a first appearance at the finals since 1986.

Arnold went dancing down the touchline, soaking in the delirium. And for the UAE, the wait for a second ever World Cup, and first since 1990, continued tortuously.

Iraq 2-1 UAE - in pictures

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  Iraq players celebrate after their World Cup play-off victory over the UAE at Basra International Stadium on November 18, 2025. Reuters

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  Ecstastic Iraq players celebrate their 2-1 win on the night over the UAE and a 3-2 aggregate win. Reuters

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  Mohannad Ali celebrates scoring Iraq's first goal. Reuters

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  UAE attacker Caio Lucas makes it 1-0 in Basra. Reuters

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  Caio Lucas celebrates scoring for UAE. Reuters

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  UAE's Kouame Autonne wins a header. Reuters

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  UAE's Alaeddine Zouhir slides in the win the ball from Sherko Kareem of Iraq. Reuters

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  UAE coach Cosmin Olaroiu. Reuters

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  UAE's Marcus Meloni under pressure from Ali Jasim of Iraq. Reuters

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  Iraq coach Graham Arnold before the game. Reuters

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  UAE fans at Basra International Stadium. Reuters

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  Iraq fans in the stands at Basra International Stadium. Reuters

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  UAE fans at Basra International Stadium. Reuters

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  fans ahead of the match in Basra. Aymen Al Ameri / The National

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  Fans ahead of the game in Basra. Aymen Al Ameri / The National

It was courageous effort from Al Ammari: a winning penalty in injury time of a vital game watched by millions is Boy’s Own fantasy stuff.

His composure at a time of such stress was no surprise. Speaking at the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium on the eve of the two-legged play-off between UAE and Iraq, he had been the personification of headstrong.

He said he and his side did not care what anyone thought of them. They only cared about themselves, and he said the whole of the Iraq set-up was like a family.

The players were brothers, he said, and the coaching staff were all fathers or uncles. “Grandads, more like”, Arnold, who was sat next to him, growled proudly.

Arnold has been there, done that, got the Qatar 2022 T-shirt. The UAE, for their part, only ever seem to have tear-soaked handkerchiefs for souvenirs.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Naturalisation has pros and cons

The make-up of the national team is the polar opposite of what it was eight years ago, for example, but the World Cup remains beyond them.

The crop is not exactly golden anymore. It felt apt that Omar Abdulrahman, the spiritual leader of the side from eight years ago in which such hopes were invested, announced his retirement a couple of days before the play-off against Iraq.

The era of “Amoori” already seems sepia tinted. His side, which lost out in Sydney back then, comprised of 11 Emiratis.

Whatever precious metal could be best attributed to a multicultural, and seemingly ever in flux, current vintage, is hard to say.

There was only one UAE-born outfield player in their starting XI for Tuesday’s game in Basra, the Al Ain schemer of Egyptian origin Yahia Nader. Aside from him, the remaining outfield players were variously born in Tunisia, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Argentina, and Portugal.

So much has been made of naturalisation. And rightly so. It is a thorny issue, and with no correct, or one-size-fits-all answer. It brings diversity of expertise and know-how. But there are drawbacks, too. The process takes a minimum of five years, as per Fifa’s eligibility rules.

It has meant that many of the project players in which the UAE have invested have only become available near the end of the four-year qualifying cycle.

Nicolas Gimenez, for example, had not played a competitive fixture for the UAE before their last-chance play-off against Oman and Qatar in Doha last month.

Yet he was one of the first names on the teamsheet thereafter – one each against Oman and Qatar, then the two legs against Iraq.

He is 29 already and just starting out in international football. Other players who have quickly become pillars of Cosmin Olaroiu’s side are similarly new to it.

Nicolas Gimenez of the UAE in action against Iraq. AP

Ruben Canedo, the brilliant left-back, has five caps. Luan Pereira now has seven full UAE caps to go with the ones he won at age-group level for Brazil.

Marcus Meloni, the hero of Doha, has quickly become the darling of the Emirati fans. He only debuted in November.

That trio, at least, are in their mid-20s and will be primed to assist the push for the next World Cup. Others are less likely to be around.

Fabio De Lima, who was much missed due to a hamstring injury for the play-off against Iraq, is 32 now. Caio Lucas, who thought he had scored the winner in Iraq, only for it to be chalked off for offside, is 31. Each could play a role in the country’s Asian Cup bid in two years’ time, but the 2030 World Cup feels like a stretch.

Olaroiu was always playing catch up

Whatever personnel changes are forthcoming, the national team is in safe hands with Olaroiu at the helm. But should he have been brought in when he was? Would the UAE not have been better off giving Paulo Bento the chance to finish what he had started?

Bento’s side had scored eight unanswered goals, against Kyrgyzstan and Qatar, in the World Cup qualifying window previous to the one in which he was axed.

For this mission, Olaroiu was playing catch up from the moment he was appointed. The Romanian coach was given a lead in of two weeks to the final two qualifying matches, against Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, to turn things around.

Graham Arnold, left, head coach of Iraq and UAE coach Cosmin Olaroiu before the first leg in Abu Dhabi. EPA

This was the most successful coach in UAE club football history. If anyone was going to do it, it was him. But, for all his nous, all the trophies, and all his knowledge of the domestic scene, it was too big an ask.

There was still the safety net of the repechage play-offs. But the foundations were not firm enough.

Now, at least, Olaroiu can set out a longer term plan, and try to work out a roadmap to 2030.

And, whatever else is on his masterplan, he might want to heed one piece of advice: try to avoid teams coached by Graham Arnold.