The United Arab Emirates Football Association dismissed coach Paulo Bento on Wednesday, despite the team keeping their World Cup hopes alive with a 2-1 victory over North Korea.
“The UAE Football Association has decided to part ways with head coach Paulo Bento and his coaching staff,” the association announced. “A new coach will be named soon to lead the team in the remaining 2026 World Cup qualifiers and other official competitions.”
Bento’s replacement will manage the UAE in their final two World Cup qualifier matches against Uzbekistan on June 5 and Kyrgyzstan on June 10. A win over Uzbekistan would reignite their chances of automatic qualification, as the UAE trail second-placed Uzbekistan by four points.
Bento, 55, was appointed in July 2023 but struggled to achieve consistent results, including a 2-0 loss to Iran in Tehran last week. His team faced further criticism after narrowly beating North Korea in the eighth minute of injury time on Tuesday.
The UAE are currently third in Group A with 13 points, behind leaders Iran, who secured qualification on Tuesday. The top two teams in the group qualify directly for the World Cup, while third and fourth place teams enter a further qualifying round.
AFP
