Technical and organizational errors made it difficult to dream of qualifying for the World Cup

The first national football team lost the opportunity to qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals, after defeating Qatar, 2-1, in the decisive match that brought together the two teams the day before yesterday, at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, within the Asian playoff. Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding the team, whether the short rest period after the Oman match, or the great public pressure, the loss was not due to fatigue alone, but rather the result of technical errors and unsuccessful decisions by the Romanian coach Cosmin, in addition to a poor performance by some players who did not live up to the level of the event or the aspirations of the fans.

The UAE will have to wait for another opportunity, when it meets Iraq, second place in Group Two, back and forth on November 13 and 18, to determine the team that will represent Asia in the global playoff.

Error start

Coach Cosmin started the match with a lineup that raised questions, after he played the player Alaa Zuhair in the right defender position for the first time mainly, and changed Meloni’s position to the midfield, which caused the team to lose balance from the beginning, and also entered the match looking for a draw instead of a win, which allowed Qatar to put pressure on the UAE goal in some periods, and reach the goal.

Frequent defensive errors

The defense continued to commit the same mistakes that appeared against Oman, especially when dealing with crosses and high balls. These errors resulted in conceding two almost similar goals, amid the absence of correct positioning and poor control inside the penalty area.

Big mistake

Despite his great brilliance in the previous match, goalkeeper Khaled Issa made a grave mistake in handling the cross ball from which Qatar’s second goal came, after he left his goal without properly assessing the situation, giving the hosts the winning goal in an unexpected moment.

Late substitutions

Cosmin waited until the last minutes to make offensive substitutions, as he was late in bringing on Hareb Suhail and Sultan Adel and Lima, who restored some vitality to the front line, and contributed to creating three opportunities, with the team scoring from only one of them, but the late substitutions were not enough to remedy the situation, after the team wasted an entire half without real offensive effectiveness.

Absence of soul

The biggest question mark in the match was the lack of fighting spirit that distinguished the team against Oman, as the players appeared without enthusiasm or a real desire to achieve victory, as if the goal was to come out with a draw, which reflected negatively on the overall performance, and facilitated the Qatari team’s task of imposing its control until the end.

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Salem Johar: The World Cup dream is over for me

Al Ain player and former national team technical analyst, Salem Johar, directed harsh criticism at coach Cosmin Olario and a number of the team’s players, stressing that “what happened against Qatar cannot be justified.”

Salem Johar told Emirates Al-Youm: “Kozmin is an expert coach and has long experience in Emirati stadiums, but he made mistakes starting with formation, poor defensive positioning, and weak offensive options. The coach entered the match with a defensive plan, as if he was afraid of losing instead of striving to win.” He added: “The dream of the World Cup is over for me. We must not talk about the playoffs after this lackluster performance. The coach bears full responsibility, but he is not alone. There are players who did not show any spirit or desire to fight. Is it possible that this is the level of a team that is only 90 minutes away from the World Cup?

Johar continued his criticism, saying: “Some players like Kwame and Kayo should not be in the front row of the national team, because their level does not qualify them to play in crucial matches of this size. It is unacceptable for enthusiasm and discipline to be absent from a team that represents the UAE at the most important stage in its history.”

He concluded his speech by sending a message to the fans: “We thank the fans for their attendance and great support, but the team let them down. There is no justification for the lackluster performance, and there is no use for excuses. What is required is a comprehensive review and clear responsibility from everyone.”