UAE's route to the World Cup now set

AFP

Any hope of the UAE securing an automatic World Cup spot in Qatar this November was finally extinguished on Tuesday evening with a 1-0 defeat away against Iran.

That loss and South Korea's 2-0 victory against Syria means the UAE will have to face a series of play-offs if they are to reach the finals for the first time since 1990.

With Lebanon lurking 3 points behind the Whites in 4th spot in Group A, the team know what they need to do in the last two matches of group qualification next month. 

They'll be eyeing a win in the first fixture away against Iraq - they then finish off with a home tie against the South Koreans. 

More from Sports

News

  • 'Peace is not far away' says Erdogan after Putin meeting

    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, fresh from a meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin, said he hopes to discuss a Ukraine-Russia peace plan with US President Donald Trump, adding that "peace is not far away".

  • UAE, Serbia deepen ties with new political agreement

    His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Serbia’s Foreign Minister Marko Đurić. have agreed to deepen political coordination after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during talks in Abu Dhabi.

  • UAE strengthens child protection measures

    The UAE has introduced changes to its laws governing the care of children of unknown parentage, expanding custody options and strengthening child protection measures.