The UAE suffered a blow to their hopes of automatically qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday with a 2-1 defeat to Qatar.
The Emirates had only needed to avoid defeat in Doha to seal their place as one of the 48 teams headed to North America next year.
Second-half goals by Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium sent the hosts through to a second successive appearance at the finals.
Both Qatari goals led to unsavoury scenes from the away supporters, with security and police forcibly removing several UAE fans who entered the field of play in protest.
But all is not lost for the UAE national team.
Can UAE still qualify for World Cup 2026?
The UAE finished second in the mini-team Group A behind Qatar, who topped the table with four points, but ahead of Oman thanks to Saturday's 2-1 win over their Gulf neighbours.
As a result, the UAE will now enter a convoluted play-off process involving teams from other continental federations next month.
Who will UAE play next?
UAE face Iraq, who finished second in Group B behind Saudi Arabia following a 0-0 draw on Tuesday, in a two-legged play-off next month.
UAE will play the first match at home on November 13 before the return leg five days later in Iraq.
The winner over the two legs will then advance to an inter-confederation play-off.
Inter-confederation play-offs
Assuming the UAE can overcome Iraq, they will join one team each from Africa, Oceania and South America and two from Concacaf in the inter-confederation play-offs next March.
Teams will be ranked according to Fifa, with the four lowest-ranked teams playing in two single-elimination matches. The winners will meet the two highest-ranked teams in another set of single-elimination games, with the winners qualifying for the global finals in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Have the UAE ever qualified for a World Cup?
Yes, the UAE's lone appearance at a World Cup was at Italia '90. The Emirates exited at the group stage after defeats to eventual champions West Germany, Yugoslavia and Colombia.
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
More on Yemen's civil war
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
EXPATS
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TEAMS
EUROPE:
Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren, Thorbjorn Olesen, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson
USA:
Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau ( 1 TBC)
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Match info
Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
