Two Halves, One Victory: UAE’s Comeback Keeps World Cup Dream Alive
11 October 2025
Match Recap
Cosmin Olăroiu, the head coach of the United Arab Emirates, expressed pride in his players for turning a deficit into a dramatic 2-1 victory over Oman at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Saturday, in the second round of Group A of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Oman opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Amjad Al-Harth delivered a powerful cross that deflected off UAE defender Kwame Kwado into the UAE net for an own goal.
The UAE responded after halftime with a quick double. Ali Saleh’s cross from the left found Marcus Miloni, who headed home to level the score, and Kai Lucas then delivered the winner from the left to put the UAE in front.
Olăroiu said in the press conference: "We played with two different personalities across two halves. We did everything needed to win, and we hope to seal qualification against Qatar on Tuesday." He added that at halftime he spoke with the players and made important changes to spark a more aggressive attack and overturn the deficit.
Carlos Queiroz, Oman's Portuguese coach, admitted he was not satisfied with the result but was proud of his players' effort and the spirit shown despite a short preparation time and a congested schedule. He noted the team created several chances that could have yielded a better result.
The UAE's victory keeps them atop the group, with the next clash against Qatar looming as a decisive test. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Football Association, congratulated the team and urged continued focus for the final hurdle against Qatar.
The UAE’s victory was celebrated for its resilience, with fans buoyed by the comeback and the squad’s readiness to push for qualification in the last round.
In closing, the coaches emphasized the need for balance and focus in the lead-up to the decisive match, underscoring the players’ responsibility to deliver under pressure.
Punchline 1: If football has two halves, perhaps my life has two lunches—one before the match and one after the victory. Punchline 2: UAE’s turnaround was so fast that even my streaming buffer couldn’t keep up—some things in life just require instant replay.
