Fifa World Cup: UAE look to continue 
momentum against Iran in qualifier

UAE got their campaign back on track with back-to-back wins in Group A over Lebanon and Syria

UAE will look to continue the momentum when they take on Iran at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran (6:30pm UAE Time) on Tuesday.

Following a slow start to their campaign in the third round of the AFC World Cup qualifiers, UAE got their campaign back on track with back-to-back wins in Group A over Lebanon (November 16) and Syria (January 27).

The two crucial wins (1-0 against Lebanon and 2-0 against Syria) took UAE’s tally to nine points in Group as they are now occupying the third place in the group behind the already-qualified Iran (19 points) and South Korea (17 points).

Only the top two teams in each group earn automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup, with the two third-placed teams (in Group A and Group) need to fight a playoff battle to advance to the final playoff round against a team from South America.

Iran became the first Asian side to confirm their place in Qatar 2022 following a 1-0 win over neighbours Iraq, thanks to a Mehdi Taremi strike three minutes after the restart. The result meant coach Dragan Skocic’s men established a 10-point lead over third-placed UAE with three games to go, securing at least a second-place finish for the Iranians.

But the UAE are also riding on a high after their first back-to-back wins of the campaign.

Ali Mabkhout had made the difference for them in a 1-0 win against Lebanon back in November, and in his absence, Caio and Yahya Al Ghassani did the business, bagging the goals in a 2-0 home victory over Syria to set the tone for the remainder of the qualifiers.

Taremi’s second-half goal was the difference when the two sides met in Dubai in October, the fifth win for Iran in their seven encounters against UAE in Fifa World Cup Qualifiers. The points were shared in two previous encounters, but the UAE have never beaten Iran. In fact, Abdulrahim Juma’s strike in a 1-1 draw in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers remains UAE’s only goal against Iran.

The Whites are boosted by the return of Sharjah captain Shahin Abdulrahman. The centre-back had missed the previous game against Syria through injury, while Al Ain full-back Bandar Al Ahbabi returned after serving a one-match suspension. Iran will be without goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand who tested positive for Covid-19, having been on the bench for their previous outing.

Both teams will have an eye on the Iran-UAE clash at Azadi Stadium, with a win for UAE consigning Iraq to the exit door and leaving Lebanon in need of a win to retain a glimmer of hope. (with inputs from AFC website)