The national football team lost 0-1 to its Iranian counterpart, during the match that brought them together yesterday at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, in the second round of Group One in the final round of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The only goal of the match came through Mehdi Kaidi in the 45th minute.
The national team’s balance froze at three points, dropping to third place, while the Iranian team raised its balance with this victory to six points, achieving a full score in second place in Group One, behind the Uzbekistan team, which is in first place after its victory yesterday over Kyrgyzstan 3-2 in the same group. North Korea and Qatar come in fourth place with one point, while the Kyrgyz team is at the bottom of the standings with no points.
The team played the match with the same starting lineup that played its previous match against Qatar.
This loss was a great shock to the “White” fans who were hoping that the team would continue its victories after achieving a dazzling victory over the Qatari team in the first round, noting that the team will host North Korea in the third round on the tenth of next month.
In this match, Al-Abyad lacked the required effectiveness and offensive boldness against a strong team full of professional stars in the European leagues.
The referee of the match, after using the video assistant referee (VAR) technology, cancelled a penalty kick for Al-Abyad that he had awarded in the 87th minute, and also cancelled a goal for the Iranian team scored by player Mehdi Qaedi (31) due to offside.
The match witnessed a large audience presence in the stands, as the audience strongly supported the team and interacted with the events of the match to spread enthusiasm among the team players.
The match was characterised by seriousness, strength and excitement from both teams since its beginning. The Whites sought to surprise the Iranian team with a quick goal, but the offensive attempts lacked focus.
In contrast, the Iranian team seemed more organized and active on the field, and pressed hard and threatened goalkeeper Khaled Eisa’s goal with more than one attempt led by Mehdi Taremi and Mehdi Qaedi.
In the 29th minute, the national team player, Caio Canedo, made a dangerous attempt to reach the Iranian goal from a quick attack, but the Iranian defense cleared the ball in time.
The Iranian team sought to use all its offensive cards, but the team’s defense, and behind it goalkeeper Khaled Issa, blocked all its attempts, especially in the last part of the first half.
Although the first half was heading towards a goalless draw, the Iranian team managed to snatch the lead through Mehdi Qaedi (45), taking advantage of a fatal defensive error by defender Khalid Al-Dhanhani in the danger zone.
In the second half, the team tried to change the picture and return to the atmosphere of the match and adjust the result. Coach Paulo Bento made changes by bringing in Ali Saleh and Fabio de Lima in an attempt to strengthen the offensive side. Some opportunities appeared in front of the attacking line, but they were not exploited in the appropriate manner. The team’s goalkeeper, Khaled Issa, also stopped more than one dangerous attempt by the Iranian team, which maintained its lead by a single goal, and was able to obtain the three points.
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