The United Arab Emirates National Team played to a 1-1 draw against Kyrgyzstan at the Dolin Omarzakov Stadium in Bishkek during the tenth and final round of Group A in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, thereby securing third place in the group with a total of 15 points.

The UAE finished two points ahead of Qatar, which ended in fourth place following a 3-0 defeat to Uzbekistan at the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent.

The UAE opened the scoring in the 30th minute through Harib Abdullah.

Kyrgyzstan equalized in the fifth minute of added time with a touch from substitute Kai Merk.

The result of the match did not impact the qualification of both the UAE and Qatar to the Asian playoff from their group.

The UAE started the match with a defensive caution to absorb the enthusiasm and aggression of the home team, bolstered by a large crowd.

This allowed Kyrgyzstan to control possession and apply pressure from mid-field, while the UAE attempted to exploit gaps in the opposing defense through counterattacks that lacked decisive finishing until the 30th minute.

During a rapid attack, a perfect pass set Harib Abdullah through on goal, whose shot, after hitting the body of goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotayev, found its way into the net.

Harib Abdullah missed an opportunity to double the lead in the 41st minute as his shot went past the left post.

UAE goalkeeper Ali Khaseef performed well, saving a surprise shot from Kyrgyzstan’s Magomed Ozdinov, with the left post clearing the ball at the end of the first half.

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was consulted regarding a potential penalty after long discussions with Kuwaiti referee Ahmed Al-Ali, resulting in an offside call on a Kyrgyz forward.

The first half concluded with the UAE ahead by one goal.

The UAE made a substitution at the start of the second half, bringing in Badr Nasser for Abdul Rahman Saleh while maintaining the same defensive strategy and continuing to rely on counterattacks.

Kyrgyzstan increased their corner kicks due to continuous pressure in search of an equalizer, which the UAE defense managed to handle effectively.

Coach Cosmin Olaroiu introduced player Alvaro Oliveira, who made his debut for the UAE in the 70th minute.

Harib Abdullah's weak shot followed a counterattack in the 74th minute, resulting in a missed chance to extend the lead.

Harib was substituted out in the 77th minute for Lythiri Silva, who also made his first appearance for the UAE.

In the 78th minute, a goal scored by the UAE was disallowed for offside.

Khaseef confidently caught a header from the home team in the 80th minute, which preceded Kyrgyzstan's equalizer in the fifth minute of additional time, courtesy of substitute Kai Merk.

The ball traveled through all UAE defenders, allowing the Kyrgyz player to easily slot it into the net.