UAE coach Olaroiu shifts focus to crucial playoff preparation

UAE will be aiming to lock down third spot when they travel to face Kyrgyzstan in their final AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 26 Group A tie on Tuesday.

Thursday’s goalless draw with Uzbekistan ended UAE’s hopes of automatic qualification and the West Asian side sit only a point ahead of Qatar, with both having sealed their places in the playoffs.

Cosmin Olaroiu would have known before the tie against Uzbekistan that automatic qualification was going to be a long shot but the newly appointed head coach saw positives in the match and is already preparing for the playoffs.

“You have a once in a lifetime chance,” Olaroiu said. “I don’t think you should talk about motivation as much as preparation. That is the most important thing. Now is the end of the season, we have a break, then the clubs will start their preparations.

“In September, there is (an international) break and we will have some friendly games. The preparation is very, very important because the work the clubs will do now will influence it.”

Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, will be aiming to finish their debut campaign at this stage of the AFC Asian Qualifiers on a high note.

Cosmin Olaroiu

In a setback to the team ahead of the crucial match, the UAE Football Association has suspended defender Khalid Al Dhanhani and forward Sultan Adel for five domestic matches and fined each player Dhs500,000 on Sunday for misconduct during a national team training camp.

The players have left the camp with immediate effect due to a violation of disciplinary rules and will not travel with the squad to Kyrgyzstan.

“The disciplinary committee of the UAE Football Association (UAEFA) has decided to suspend Sharjah player Khalid Al Dhanhani and Shabab Al Ahli player Sultan Adil for five domestic matches, and to impose a fine of Dh500,000 on each,” the UAEFA said in a statement on Sunday.

“They have also been removed from the senior national team list after committing a violation inside the national team training camp on June 7.”

The clubs of the two players dismissed from the UAE national team have expressed their support for the Football Association’s decision. While the specific nature of the “violation” has not been disclosed, both players’ clubs have backed the FA’s actions.

“While the club reaffirms its full respect for the decisions and regulations of the UAE Football Association, it will proceed with the necessary disciplinary action against the player,” Sharjah club stated.

Saudi aim for miracle against Australia: A Saudi squad that has scored six goals through nine qualifying games need to beat Australia by a five-goal margin to earn a direct spot at the 2026 World Cup.

Head coach Herve Renard knows it’s an extremely unlikely outcome for his Saudi team, but he’s urging his players to go all in Tuesday in the last game of the third round of Asian qualifying for next year’s global tournament.

“The door is closed but we have to try to qualify even if it is through the window,” Renard said after his team’s 2-0 win over Bahrain last week kept Saudi Arabia in contention. “Everything must go very well for us if we are to qualify; we have to score goals.”

Anything less than a five-goal deficit means Australia — in second spot in Group C — will qualify for a seventh World Cup.

The last time the Socceroos lost by such a margin was in successive 6-0 defeats against Brazil and France in 2013. The Australians have scored 14 goals and conceded six through nine qualifiers.

After successive World Cup qualifications through the playoffs, Australia are close to securing a direct route but coach Tony Popovic is taking nothing for granted.

“We need to do a job in Saudi,” Popovic said. “We’re in a great position, but we need to finish it off.”

Popovic has only been in the job since September, stepping in after Graham Arnold resigned after collecting just one point in the group’s first two qualification games.

“It’s been a really intense period since I’ve come in but everyone’s embraced what we’re aiming to do,” he said. “And we’re very close now to achieving our goal.”For China, Kuwait, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan and Bahrain, the run to 2026 is already over.

UAE players take part in a training session in Bishkek on Monday, ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Kyrgyzstan.