Alkass English
Despite being held to a goalless draw by Oman, Qatar remain confident of booking their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they prepare for a decisive showdown against the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.
Julen Lopetegui’s men dominated possession in their Group A opener at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium but failed to convert their chances in a frustrating stalemate against Carlos Queiroz’s side. The result leaves the Asian champions in a must-win situation, with the group’s fate likely to hinge on the upcoming UAE–Oman clash as well.
Only the winners of each group will qualify automatically from this fourth round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers. The runners-up will face the second-placed team from Group B — which includes Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia — in a two-legged playoff next month. The victor of that tie will move on to the FIFA Play-Off Tournament for one final World Cup spot.
Injuries have disrupted Qatar’s preparations for these crucial fixtures, and their inability to find the net against Oman highlighted the challenge ahead. However, star playmaker Akram Afif remains positive.
“A point is better than nothing. The hope is still alive,” said the Al Sadd forward. “All our focus is now on the UAE match — it’s the most important one. I’ll give everything for my team to win.”
Qatar enjoyed over 70 percent of possession and created several chances, but their finishing let them down. Midfielder Assim Madibo felt luck played a major role in the outcome.
“We did everything except score. We controlled the game and deserved to win, but luck wasn’t with us,” he said. “Now we move on — the next match is the most important. We still believe we can qualify, and we’ll turn our chances into goals against the UAE.”
Defender Sultan Al-Brake echoed that determination, vowing that the team will bounce back: “We were hoping to win against Oman, but we’ll make up for it in the next match and make our fans proud.”
With everything on the line, Qatar’s mission is clear — victory over the UAE is the only way to keep their World Cup dream alive.