Fans predict UAE victory in crucial World Cup qualifier against Qatar
Tickets for Tuesday’s pivotal Fifa World Cup qualifying encounter between the UAE and Qatar went within seven minutes of registrations opening at 8 pm on Sunday.
All UAE need from the Group A match at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha is a draw to secure a direct ticket to the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
And UAE fans keen to cheer on The Whites in the game were not to be denied, snapping up all available tickets that were eight per cent of the capacity at the stadium in Doha.
Excitement is building for the game as the UAE bid to end their 35-year absence from the World Cup, having last featured in 1990 at the global showpiece.
But many UAE fans were left disappointed with the number of seats allocated to the team for the Doha clash.
“What? Is this the only stadium?! Where are the World Cup stadiums that can accommodate 20k to 30k spectators? !” fumed an unhappy UAE fan on social media.
“The registration link opened for me. But after I filled in the form it showed that there were no more tickets.”
The UAE Football Association (UAE FA) has created dedicated fan zones at Doha’s Sheraton Hotel (Majlis Hall) and the Radisson Blu Hotel (Joanna Hall) for the UAE fans unable to get match tickets.
In the meantime, despite a few gripes, the team’s fans are looking forward to the crunch tie against Qatar.
A. AlHammadi is hopeful of the team's chances in the match and is convinced that the recent string of better showings is the result of Cosmin Olaroiu's work.
"Cosmin knows this place, the players and the competition. He is the one who has brought on the boost in communication and in the tactical level, which has reflected greatly in the team's performance," AlHammadi said.
Olaroiu's side produced a remarkable second-half rally to bookend the 2-1 win over Oman on Saturday after the Romanian coach made three substitutions in the second half to turn the match in the UAE's favour.
AlSabry is also predicting a win for the UAE on Tuesday, especially with the quality of players in the team.
"The Qatari team will have the support of the home fans, but our team has its skills and preparations, and we expect good things," he said.
Mubarak is predicting a 2-1 win for the UAE team against Qatar
"The UAE will win the match tomorrow for two main reasons. First, the fans are completely behind the team, and their gathering at Souq Waqif in Doha is a major support, and will encourage and motivate the players. The Qatari team is a professional one, but I don't see them winning," he said.
In another tweet, Abdulrahman said, "We are all brothers and cousins and, God willing, the UAE national team will beat Qatar."
The UAE Football Association has also been running an extensive social media campaign around the slogan "Dream of a Nation" which has been releasing uplifting images and messages to motivate and unify the fans ahead of the game.
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