Bahrain and UAE draw in qualifier

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Hussain Almaskati

In a gripping encounter at the Zabeel Stadium, Bahrain and UAE battled to a 1-1 draw in their final match of the second round of joint qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027.

Both teams had already secured their spots in the next stages. The match kicked off with a flurry of action, seeing both teams score within the first ten minutes.

Bahrain’s Mahdi Abduljabbar opened the scoring just four minutes in, capitalizing on a swift counterattack.

Ali Madan set up the play, with a slight touch from Komail Al Aswad, allowing Abduljabbar to fire a shot past UAE goalkeeper, Khalid Eisa. The home side responded quickly, leveling the score just six minutes later.

Sultan Adil found the back of the net with a left-footed strike from close range, assisted by a long pass from Mohammed Al Attas. This rapid exchange of goals set an exciting pace for the remainder of the match.

Competitive but Consequential Despite several opportunities for both teams, the scoreline remained unchanged after the initial burst of goals. UAE’s Yahya Al Ghassani narrowly missed a chance to put his team ahead in the 30th minute, sending his shot just wide of the left post.

Later, in the 71st minute, a strong effort by Abduljabbar was saved by Eisa, ensuring the match ended in a draw.

The draw marked Bahrain’s second in the six matches of this qualifying stage, finishing with 11 points to secure second place in Group H. The UAE, with their first dropped points of the round, topped the group with 16 points.

Both teams now advance to the third round of World Cup qualifying, which includes 18 teams. The draw for this phase is set for June 27, with matches scheduled from September this year through June 2025.

The top two teams from each group will earn direct qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026, while the third and fourth-placed teams will move on to a further round of qualification.