UAE take on Kyrgyzstan in crucial World Cup qualifying clash, Australia face Saudi challenge

The UAE will need to defeat Kyrgyzstan in their AFC Asian World Cup qualifying clash on Thursday to revive their campaign.

Trailing group leaders Iran and Uzbekistan by six points, anything less than a win will have dire consequences on UAE’s hopes of a second appearance at the global stage.

Paulo Bento’s side kicked off their campaign with a stunning 3-1 defeat of Qatar but have since gone on a winless run with just a draw against North Korea adding to their haul.

Edged 1-0 by both Iran and Uzbekistan, UAE have been competitive but that is not enough to take them through and need maximum points against Kyrgyzstan.

The Central Asia side, making their debut at this stage of FIFA World Cup qualifying, have also been competitive but have lacked the killer instinct required at this level.

The 1-0 win over North Korea on Matchday Four, however, would have boosted confidence and they will travel to Abu Dhabi with a spring in their step and hoping to add points to their campaign.

Australia boss warns of ‘desperate’ Saudis: Australia coach Tony Popovic said on Wednesday that he is expecting an energetic Saudi Arabia ‘desperate’ for a result under new boss Herve Renard in their World Cup qualifying clash in Melbourne.

Japan are five points clear in Group C after four games with Australia, the Saudis and Bahrain all level behind them and in a race to take second spot.

The top two will seal their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America, with third and fourth going into another round of Asian qualifying.

The Socceroos face Renard’s team on Thursday before heading to Bahrain next week.

“We expect a very energetic, determined side, maybe desperate to get a result,” Popovic said of Saudi Arabia.

“We know what’s coming and we have to match that energy and enthusiasm, but have the patience and calmness to play our football at the right moments and identify what the game presents.

“We feel it is in our hands, at our home stadium,” he added. “The players look calm and confident and I want to see that in their performance tomorrow.”

Australia made a poor start to their qualifying campaign with a 1-0 home defeat to Bahrain then a scoreless draw in Indonesia, results that cost coach Graham Arnold his job.

Popovic took over in September and steadied the ship with a 3-1 victory over China before a battling 1-1 draw away to Japan.

Australia meet a Saudi side that also lost patience with their coach after a string of indifferent results, including a home defeat to Japan and a draw with Bahrain.

Former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini was sacked three weeks ago, with Renard taking over for his second stint in charge.

The Frenchman managed them between 2019 and 2023 before leaving last year to take over the French women’s team ahead of the Paris Olympics.

The 56-year-old famously masterminded a 2-1 win over eventual champions Argentina at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

“Renard obviously has a lot of experience with the team, he had them for four years. He did a very good job with them, fantastic at the World Cup, he had the women’s Olympic team,” said Popovic.

“We’ve monitored what he did in both jobs and we expect them to bring that energy and enthusiasm that comes with playing for your country.”

Popovic shed no light on his starting XI with four uncapped players in his squad.

Qatar meet Uzbekistan: Qatar know that defeat to Uzbekistan in Group A will be catastrophic to their hopes of securing automatic qualification to showpiece event.

The two-time AFC Asian Cup champions are on four points, six behind Iran and Uzbekistan, with the qualifying campaign reaching the halfway stage.

Head coach Marquez Lopez will expect a reaction from his Qatar side following their stunning 4-1 defeat to Iran on Matchday Four.

The loss was a bitter pill to swallow as Almoez Ali had given Qatar the lead but their defensive frailties cost them dearly as Iran turned on the power to grab all three points.

Lopez, who led Qatar to the AFC Asian Cup 2023 title on home soil in February, has recalled Mohammed Muntari, who makes a return after a long injury layoff, with Akram Afif and Ali are also part of a squad who desperately need a win to keep their hopes of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup on merit for the first time alive.