The two nations finished third in their groups in Asian third round of qualifying, meaning they will take on each other for a place in the inter-continental playoff against Peru.
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UAE and Australia will lock horns at the AL Rayyan Stadium in Doha in the fourth and final round of the AFC 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday. The two nations finished third in their groups in Asian third round of qualifying, meaning they will take on each other for a place in the inter-continental playoff against Peru. UAE head into the crucial fixture on the back of a 1-1 draw against Gambia in a friendly on May 29 while Australia defeated Jordan 2-1 on Wednesday. The two sides have met six times across all competitions, with the Socceroos winning four of those and UAE having just one win to their name, while two games between the two sides ended in draws.
UAE didn’t have a very smooth AFC World Cup qualifying, winning just two wins from their first four games in the second round, the Whites didn’t look in good position , but they went on to win the final six to comfortably progress to the next stage. And then in the third round of qualifying, Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side found themselves in a tough group featuring the likes of Iran, South Korea, and Iraq. However, Al Abyad managed to secure the third spot with just three wins, from their 10 games. In their previous match against Gambia, Ali Mabkhout and Musa Barrow netted on either side of the break to share the spoils.
Australia on the other hand cruised through the second round of qualifying with a perfect record from their eight games, scoring 25 times and conceding just twice in the process. However, the Socceroos then struggled in the third round and managed to secure a top-three finish, with four wins from 10 games. In their previous match against Jordan, goals from Bailey Wright and Awer Mabil helped the Socceroos to a 2-1 win over Jordan. Graham Arnold’s side aren’t in great form having won just 2 games from their last five and the other win was against Vietnam in January.
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UAE have named a 30-man squad for the game against Australia. There are no injury concerns and Mabkhout, who has 80 international goals to his name, will lead the attack. Goalkeeper Eisa Khalid is likely to get the nod ahead of veteran Ali Khasif.
As for Australia, Arnold has named a 28-man squad. Tom Rogic withdrew due to personal reasons. There are no injuries or suspension concerns at the moment. In the absence of Rogic, Aaron Mooy and Kenny Dougall will operate in the midfield, with Riley McGree playing behind the forward line.
UAE probable starting lineup: Eisa, Hussain, Al Hammadi, Al-Ahbabi, Abbas, Hassan, Ramadan, Abdulrahman, Canedo, Mabkhout, Al-Maazmi
Australia Probable starting Lineup: Ryan, Karacic, Rowles, Wright, Davidson, Dougall, Mooy, Mabil, McGree, Hrustic, MacLaren
The World Cup playoff match between UAE and Australia will take place at the Al Rayyan Stadium and it will kickoff at 11:30 pm IST on June 7, Tuesday.
The Soccer fans in Australia can watch the World Cup playoff match on television via Channel 10 and it will be streamed online via 10 Play and Paramount plus.
