The UAE may have lost a hard-fought battle in the 2026 Fifa World Cup Asian Qualifying match against Iran 1-0 on Tuesday night, but The Whites’ spirited display against the Asian giants earned praise from the Iranian head coach Amir Ghalenoei.
Ghalenoei was left with mixed feelings after his Iran side remained perfect in Group A with a 1-0 victory in Al Ain.
For the second game running, Iran created plenty of chances but had to be satisfied with only a 1-0 win with the 60-year-old left pleased with the points collected but looking to improve his side’s finishing.
Paulo Bento’s UAE came close to scoring a goal of their own on few occasions and also defended resolutely when Iran threatened to build on their lead.
“I congratulate Mr. Bento for the good team he has built. It is one of the best teams that UAE has built,” said Ghalenoei.
“It was a match that could have ended with a difference of three or four goals and at the same time, was almost a draw.
“Before the game, I said that we had identified the UAE’s strengths in (the match against) Qatar, neutralised them and scored from their weaknesses. In fact, we could have scored more goals.
“We did not convert 90 percent of our chances. Sometimes football punishes you for that but fortunately, we were not punished today but it is a problem we have to solve.”
Mehdi Ghayedi scored in first half added time but Iran could have added more had Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun been more clinical in front of goal.
After the morale-boosting 3-1 win against Qatar in their opening game, a home defeat was not what head coach Bento wanted for his UAE side.
The Portuguese was clear where the game turned against his side, admitting the timing of Ghayedi’s goal played a crucial part in the final outcome.
“Of course, the result was not good, but I am satisfied with the players’ performance,” said Bento.
“We conceded a goal in the last minute of the first half, and this was the worst moment for the UAE team in the match.
“I think that if we had succeeded in ending the first half goalless, the course of the game in the second half would have been completely different.”
Asia has eight direct slots for the next Fifa World Cup which will be a 48-team tournament.
Eighteen teams have been divided into three groups of six each in the third round of the Asian qualifiers.
The UAE have been drawn in Group A with Qatar, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea.
South Korea, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait will compete in Group B while Group C features Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and Indonesia.
The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the World Cup. The third and fourth-placed teams in each group will then compete in the six-team fourth round of qualifiers.
The six teams in the fourth round will be divided into two groups of three teams. The winners of each group will earn the last two direct slots for the World Cup, while the two runners-up teams will be locked in a playoff battle.
The winner of the Asian playoff will then advance to an inter-confederation playoff tournament featuring five other teams for the final two slots in the World Cup.
The UAE haven’t qualified for the World Cup since their maiden appearance at the global showpiece in 1990. (with inputs from AFC)