Has the UAE admitted that they are out of the race for a World Cup spot?

The head coach of the United Arab Emirates national football team, Paulo Bento, has been dismissed from his post. In an interview with the "Daryo" publication, prominent football commentator Mirzahakim Tokhtamirzayev explained this situation by the fact that the leadership of the Emirates team has lost hope of a direct qualification for the World Cup.

- "I think the UAE national team has lost hope of getting a direct ticket to the World Cup. The reason is that they have already started preparing for the play-off stage. The Emirates leadership realized that they would not be able to qualify for the World Cup with this specialist and showed the Portuguese coach the way out. There are two important matches ahead - Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Both matches are of great importance. Because our neighbors, who defeated Qatar, are also fighting for a play-off ticket. If the United Arab Emirates cannot achieve the desired result in the remaining two matches, they aim to fight for the remaining 2.5 tickets," says Mirzahakim Tokhtamirzayev.

For information, 8.5 places have been allocated to the Asian continent for the tournament, which will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada. The teams that finish 1st and 2nd in each of the 3 groups will qualify directly, while the teams that finish 3rd and 4th in each group will compete for the remaining 2.5 places through play-offs. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”