Doha: The UAE failed to seal a fifth appearance at the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup when they went down 6-1 to Iran in the Asian Beach Soccer Qualifiers that will conclude in Doha on Saturday.
The UAE failed to spark in their quarter-final clash as Iran made merry with an easy win that took them to a last-four clash with Japan.
The UAE took the lead through Ali Karim, only for Iran to draw level and then go clear 2-1 in the second period. A four-goal blitz early in the final period took the wind out of the UAE’s sails as Iran powered their way to a 6-1 drubbing.
In other quarter-finals, Lebanon smashed six past Uzbekistan for an identical win, while Oman booked their spot in the last four with a 7-2 drubbing of China. Japan stayed one step away from a record eighth entry into the World Cup with a 5-2 win against Bahrain.
Since Asia has three confirmed spots at the World Cup, the two finalists will be joined by the third place finisher.
