We were well-prepared for Qatar, says Bento after UAE's stunning win

The UAE remain on course for a place in the 2026 Fifa World Cup

A Staff Reporter

Published: Wed 20 Nov 2024, 2:17 PM

The UAE head coach Paulo Bento said the key to the stunning 5-0 win over Qatar in AFC Asian World Cup Qualifiers in Abu Dhabi was the team's preparations.

Striker Fabio Lima was unstoppable against the two-time Asian champions, scoring four goals in an unforgettable night.

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He scored the first goal in the fourth minute with a lethal close-range finish and completed his first half hat trick with a pair of nicely taken penalties before scoring the fourth goal in the second half with a magnificent free-kick.

“We prepared well to face Qatar, knowing they have a strong team with exceptional players and a high-level coach,” said Bento.

“We considered every possible scenario since predicting their strategy was challenging.

“We succeeded in capitalising on our chances and scored goals – something we struggled with in the match against Uzbekistan, despite performing well. Unfortunately, we missed many easy opportunities then.”

Striker Lima said the emphatic win on Tuesday was his team's finest performance in the third phase of Asia's World Cup qualifying.

Lima's brilliance set up the win for The Whites who have now taken firm control of the third place spot in Group A with 10 points from six matches.

Iran and Uzbekistan secured wins over Kyrgyzstan and North Korea to maintain their grip on the automatic berths for the 2026 finals, but the UAE kept pace with their big victory over the continental champions.

"We played very well, an amazing match," said Lima. "Our team played our best match in this competition today and we should continue at this level.

"If we continue at this level we have a lot of chances to go to the next round."

The UAE have only qualified for the World Cup once before, making their debut at Italy 1990, but with Asia granted a minimum of eight places in the expanded finals in North America they have a better chance of returning to the tournament.

While the top two finishers advance directly to the World Cup, nations finishing in third and fourth in the six-team group will progress to a further round of qualifying.

"The whole team focused from the first minute to the last minute," said Lima. "I hope we can continue like that.

"We have another difficult match in a few months against Iran but we will celebrate and focus on Iran after."

Defeat left Qatar in fourth place with head coach Marquez Lopez lamenting his team’s struggles.

“The UAE team earned a deserved victory, and I congratulate them,” said Lopez. “Our plan relied on a defensive approach and counterattacks, but Fabio Lima's early goal disrupted our strategy, leading to numerous individual errors that cost us.

"Despite our attempts to regain control, we couldn’t find the opportunity to make a comeback."

“Our team was not fatigued; the issue lay in our tactical planning and execution. Individual mistakes led to the goals we conceded, and both the team and I, as coach, were not at our best.

“By the 80th minute, with the score at five in favour of the UAE, it was evident that further attempts were futile. We were aware of the UAE’s strategy to exploit individual errors, and they executed it well, showing strength in their offensive game,” added Lopez, with Qatar needing a win when they play DPR Korea in March.

The UAE will resume their campaign in March with a match against Group A leaders Iran.

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