Kyrgyz Republic Snatch Dramatic Draw Against United Arab Emirates in AFC Asian Qualifiers
The Kyrgyz Republic’s never-say-die attitude paid off with a dramatic late equalizer, as they held the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to a thrilling 1-1 draw in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 Group A match on Tuesday at Dolen Omurzakov Stadium.
With this result, the Kyrgyz Republic ended their campaign with eight points, securing a hard-earned finish. Meanwhile, newly appointed UAE head coach Cosmin Olaroiu is still awaiting his first win, as the UAE closed out the group stage with 15 points.
Despite the draw, the UAE successfully secured qualification for the AFC play-offs, the gateway to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held next October. The UAE had looked set for victory after Harib Abdullah put them ahead in the 30th minute, but Kai Merk rescued a point for the hosts with a dramatic strike in the 90+5 minute.
Elsewhere in Group A, the Uzbekistan national team produced an impressive performance, defeating the Qatar national team 3-0 at home. This win boosted Uzbekistan’s tally to 21 points, solidifying their position at the top of the table, while fourth-placed Qatar remained on 13 points. Both teams, together with the UAE, have secured spots in the AFC play-offs.
Later today, group contenders Iran (with 20 points) are set to face the bottom-ranked North Korean national team (on 3 points), as the final standings take shape.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
