UAE get past East Timor to win their first 2018 World Cup qualifier – in pictures

KUALA LUMPUR // Mahdi Ali said the performance was secondary to the result after the UAE opened their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory against East Timor. The Emirati side struggled to break down their opponents at Malaysia's Shah Alam Stadium on Tuesday, but were provided a winning start in Group A through Omar Abdulrahman's 80th-minute strike.

Click on the arrows below to scroll through the photos.