The UAE are one game away from qualifying for the 2026 World Cup after a nerve-shredding comeback win against Oman in Doha.
The national team trailed until the 76th minute. Defeat would have meant the end of their chances of direct qualification via this three-team play-off.
But they struck back via goals from Marcus Meloni and Caio Lucas to keep alive their hopes of a first appearance at a World Cup in 36 years.
Now, if they avoid defeat against Qatar in the final match on Tuesday, they will write their name next to the heroes who went to Italia ’90, which was the UAE’s only previous appearance in the finals.
Fair to say, they put their fans through emotional turmoil. That accounted for the majority of the 8,817 who were present at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in the Qatari capital.
The UAE’s quota of 5,000 was fully sold out, while there were empty seats in the Oman half of the ground.
The remarkable volume of travelling support from the UAE had stunned everybody. The scenes of Emirati supporters swamping Souk Waqif in the centre of Doha the evening before the game grabbed the attention of the home supporters.
Qatar fan groups have posted that they will need to be out in force ahead of Tuesday if they are to match the noise of their neighbours.
The backing did not go unnoticed by the players, either. Erik, the UAE full-back who started among the substitutes against Oman, took to social media to acknowledge the fans. He reposted an image of the Emiratis in the souk lit by a pink flare, with the message: “Vamos.”
Thousands of UAE fans were in their seats up to two hours ahead of kick off. When the players arrived shortly after, still track-suited, and went to get a feel of the pitch, many of them stood staring at the roaring support, trying to digest it.
Whether they managed it successfully was open to doubt. Judged on the start they made, they were racked with nerves.
They could have been behind as early as the sixth minute, after Lucas Pimenta was caught in possession at the back. It required a brave block by Majed Hassan to stop Issam Al Sabhi putting Oman ahead.
They did not have to wait much longer, though. In the 12th minute, Kouame Autonne deflected an Amjad Al Harthi should past Khalid Essa in the UAE goal.
The UAE looked like the side who had played a game three days earlier, not Oman. The Omanis, still recuperating from the plucky rearguard in the goalless draw against Qatar on Wednesday, dominated the first half hour.
It took till the 32nd minute for the national team to fashion an opening of their own. It spoke of the desperation they were already feeling that a number of UAE players threw themselves to the floor after Nicolas Jimenez saw his shot fly past the post.
Yahya Al Ghassani created the chance with a brilliant rampaging run. It only added to the tension the Emirati support was floored by an injury in the next play.
He was treated on the field, but looked disconsolate, and Ali Saleh, his prospective replacement, was stripped and ready to come on.
Al Ghassani had his thigh heavily strapped and tried to play on. But he was in tears when he succumbed to the inevitable and was substituted.
The situation was so dire that Cosmin Olaroiu, the UAE manager, made three more substitutions at half-time.
Caio Canedo and Harib Abdallah came on the bolster the attack, while Yahia Nader was introduced to try to gain some semblance of control in the midfield.
With all the changes, the UAE were far more progressive after the restart, and yet the tension continued to mount.
It reached an unbearable stage for the Emirati fans when the saw a penalty overturned after four minutes of consideration by VAR.
In the 68th minute, Alireza Farghani, the Australian referee of Iranian origin, initially ruled that Saleh had been fouled in the box by Thani Al Rushaidi.
Lucas had the ball on the spot and was ready to take the kick when the referee was finally sent over the pitchside monitor. On second viewing, he decided the defender had got the ball in front of Saleh.
Although it was an opportunity lost, the UAE’s players and supporters kept believing. Finally, the ball fell right for them, as Meloni powered in at the far post, from his position at right-back, to head the equaliser.
Despite the huge relief, still the nerves showed. Oman mounted an attack, and it required a scarcely believable save by Essa to keep the UAE level from a shot by Abdulrahman Al Mushaifri.
Revived, the national team went back on the attack. It might have had an element of fortune, but Lucas curved in a cross to the back post which evaded everyone, and drifted into the net.
It sparked jubilation on the field and in the stands. They live to fight another day.
