By Desmond Nleya
After a heartbreaking defeat to Qatar last month, the UAE national football team returns to action with renewed determination to keep their 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes alive.
The Whites will take on Iraq in the first leg of the fifth-round playoff at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday at 8 pm. The return leg will follow on November 18 at Basra International Stadium in Iraq.
The aggregate winner of the two matches will advance to the six-team intercontinental qualifying tournament in Mexico next March, where the top two teams will secure the final spots for the World Cup.
Head coach Cosmin Olaroiu knows the magnitude of the task ahead and the emotional recovery needed after the team’s narrow 2-1 loss to Qatar — a result that denied the UAE their first World Cup qualification in 35 years.
“It wasn’t easy to move past the Qatar game,” Olaroiu admitted. “For me, it was terrible, but I have more experience in handling such moments. I told the players that the best teacher in life is pain. The pain we felt after that game should push us to give everything we have to make sure we never feel it again.”
Despite the setback of Fabio Lima’s injury, the Romanian tactician remains optimistic, relying on the likes of Ali Saleh, Sultan Adil, and Caio Lucas to deliver a strong performance in front of home fans.
The team hopes that the electric atmosphere at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium will serve as an extra source of motivation.
“We use every tool possible to motivate our players,” said Olaroiu. “Pressure exists only when you’re fighting for something meaningful. Representing your country in such a crucial moment brings that kind of pressure — and that’s exactly what we must embrace to advance.”
With the weight of national expectation on their shoulders, the UAE squad will look to turn heartbreak into hope and take a decisive step toward keeping their World Cup
