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World Cup: Can UAE reach the final qualifying round? All you need to know

Dubai - The UAE are facing a must-win situation tonight to qualify for the next stage

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The UAE are playing their crunch World Cup qualifying game against Vietnam at the Zabeel Stadium in Dubai tonight (8:45pm UAE Time).

The second-placed UAE (15 points) trail leaders Vietnam by two points in Group G of the Asian World Cup qualifiers.

The winners of the eight groups will qualify for the third and final round of the qualifiers in Asia.

So, the UAE are facing a must-win situation tonight to qualify for the next stage.

But if they draw against Vietnam or lose by a slender margin, the home team can still advance to the next stage as one of the four best placed runners-up teams across eight groups.

Today’s matches

UAE vs Vietnam

Zabeel Stadium in Dubai

Thailand vs Malaysia

Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium

Both matches start at 8:45pm UAE Time

Standings

Group G

Team P W D L F A P

Vietnam 7 5 2 0 11 2 17

UAE 7 5 0 2 20 5 15

Thailand 7 2 3 2 9 8 9

Malaysia 7 3 0 4 9 12 9

Indonesia 8 0 1 7 5 27 1

Can UAE qualify for the final round?

Yes, the UAE can advance to the final round of World Cup qualifiers if they beat leaders Vietnam on Tuesday. Even if they draw and lose by a slender margin, the UAE can still get into the next round as one of the four best runners-up teams across eight groups.

Who are the runners-up teams across eight groups now?

Team Goal difference Points

Group A

China 25 16

Group B

Jordan 11 14

Group C

Iran 29 15

Group D

Uzbekistan 12 15

Group E

Oman 7 15

Group F

Kyrgyz Republic 11 10

Group G

UAE 15 15

Group H

Lebanon 3 10

Note: Based on their points and goal difference, the UAE are currently the third best runners-up team across eight groups, behind China and Iran. Uzbekistan and Oman are the fourth and fifth best runners-up teams going into Tuesday’s round.

Tuesday’s final challenge for second-placed teams:

Group A

Second-placed China (16 points) will face the already qualified Syria (21 points).

Group B

Second-placed Jordan (14 points) will play the already qualified Australia (21 points).

Group C

Second-placed Iran (15 points) face group leaders Iraq (17 points)

Group D

Second-placed Uzbekistan (15 points) will play group leaders Saudi Arabia (17 points)

Group E

Second-placed Oman (15 points) face bottom-placed Bangladesh (2 points)

Group F

Second-placed Kyrgyz Republic (10 points) face the already qualified Japan (21 points)

Group G

Second-placed UAE (15 points) play group leaders Vietnam (17 points)

Note: Due to North Korea’s withdrawal from the competition, all matches in the four-team Group H have been completed on Sunday with the second-placed Lebanon (10 points) losing to the already qualified South Korea in their final game. Lebanon will now wait for Tuesday’s results in the other groups to see if they can qualify.

Third round

Apart from the eight group winners, the four best group runners-up advance to the third round of Fifa World Cup qualification as well as qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals.

Third round format

12 teams will be divided into two groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group will qualify for the World Cup, and the third-placed teams will advance to the fourth round.

Fourth round for two third-placed teams in third round

The two third-placed teams from the third round will play home and away over two legs. The winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.