UAE Keeps World Cup Hopes Alive with 2-1 Win Over Oman
The UAE kept its World Cup hopes alive with a thrilling 2-1 win over Oman, thanks to late goals from Marcus Meloni and Caio Lucas.
The introduction of Harib Abdalla at the start of the second half brought a new level of energy to the UAE's attack...
The United Arab Emirates made a stunning comeback against Oman, securing a 2-1 victory in their World Cup qualifier match in Doha. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, the UAE team showed remarkable resilience and determination, scoring two crucial goals in the final stages of the game.
Marcus Meloni headed in the equalizer in the 76th minute, canceling out Kouame Kouadio's unfortunate own goal that gave Oman the lead in the 12th minute. Just seven minutes later, Caio Lucas sealed the win with a fortuitous goal, sending the UAE fans into euphoria and keeping their World Cup hopes alive.
This win keeps the UAE in contention for a spot in the World Cup, with the team needing only a draw against Qatar in their next match to progress as winners of Group A. On the other hand, Oman's hopes of automatic qualification have been dashed, but they could still advance to another round of playoffs depending on the outcome of the UAE-Qatar match.
The United Arab Emirates is tantalizingly close to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1990, needing only a draw against Qatar to top Group A. This promising position follows their hard-fought 2-1 win over Oman, where late goals secured the victory.
Oman started strong, with Issam Al-Sabhi creating an early opportunity. However, the attack faltered when his shot was blocked. Shortly after, Oman took the lead when Amjad Al-Harthi's shot deflected off Kouadio's heel, catching UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eissa off guard.
Marcus Meloni equalized for the UAE with a header in the 76th minute, before Caio Lucas sealed the win with a long-range shot seven minutes later. This victory puts the UAE in a favorable position heading into their match against Qatar.
The introduction of Harib Abdalla at the start of the second half brought a new level of energy to the UAE's attack. The forward's pace and movement caused problems for Oman's defense, forcing goalkeeper Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini to make a couple of crucial saves.
As the match wore on, the UAE's persistence paid off. With 14 minutes remaining, Marcus Meloni rose highest to meet Ali Saleh's inswinging cross, heading the ball past Al-Mukhaini to level the score and give the UAE a much-needed boost in their bid to qualify for the World Cup.
Caio Lucas scored the decisive goal seven minutes after Meloni's equalizer, sending in a cross from the left that bounced past the Oman goalkeeper to secure a 2-1 win for the UAE.
The loss ends Oman's hopes of automatic qualification for the World Cup. However, Oman could still advance to another round of playoffs depending on the outcome of the UAE-Qatar match.
Six teams from Asia have already secured direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup: Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Jordan. The UAE is on the cusp of joining them, needing only a draw against Qatar to qualify as Group A winners.
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