Sharjah 24: Tomorrow, Tuesday, the UAE national football team will face Bahrain in the final match of the second stage of the joint Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup. The game, part of Group H's sixth round, will take place at Al Wasl Club’s Zabeel Stadium and will be officiated by a Chinese refereeing team led by Ma Ning.
The UAE team currently leads the group with a perfect score of 15 points, having already secured their place in the third stage of the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup finals. Bahrain, second in the group with 10 points, has also qualified for both competitions.
The UAE aims to maintain their winning streak and finish this stage of the qualifiers on a high note before the third stage begins, which will run from September 5, 2024, to June 10, 2025. This match follows the UAE's impressive 4-0 victory over Nepal last Thursday in Dammam, where a youthful squad, with an average age of 24.6 years, performed strongly under the guidance of Portuguese coach Paulo Bento.
In the first round of qualifiers, the UAE defeated Bahrain 2-0 in Manama last November. The draw for the third stage will take place on June 27, with the 18 qualifying teams divided into three groups of six. The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, while the third- and fourth-place teams will enter an additional fourth round. This round will determine two more World Cup spots through a playoff system.
The UAE is determined to continue their success and make a strong impression in the upcoming stages of the qualifiers.
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