Doha, Qatar: Despite a frustrating stalemate against Oman, Qatar remain confident of securing their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they swiftly shift their focus to Tuesday's decider against the United Arab Emirates.

Julen Lopetegui's side had to settle for a point in their Group A opener after a goalless draw with Oman on Wednesday, despite dominating the match.

The result has left the Asian champions in a must-win situation, with tomorrow's second group match between the UAE and Oman also expected to play a crucial role in determining the fate of the three teams.

Only the group winners will secure automatic qualification from the play-off round - the fourth stage of the AFC Asian Qualifiers - which follows a single round-robin format.

The runners-up will face the second-placed side from Group B comprising hosts Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia in a two-legged play-off next month.

The winners of that tie will advance to the FIFA Play-Off Tournament, which offers one final spot for the World Cup.

Qatar, whose build-up to the crucial play-offs was affected by injuries, delivered a below-par performance against Oman in front of home fans at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, failing to convert rare chances in a drab draw against Carlos Queiroz's men.

Playmaker Akram Afif, who missed the best chance of the match in the second half, remained optimistic of a winning performance against the UAE, who defeated Qatar twice during the third round of qualifiers.

“A point is better than nothing. I expect that the hope is now present,” said the Al Sadd star in a post-match comment.

“Any team can qualify at this stage and all our focus is now on the match against the UAE. It is the most important match, and we are looking forward to winning it. I try to give everything for my team, and I will give my best against the UAE.”

Qatar enjoyed over 70 percent of ball possession and made several attempts, but lacked execution against Oman.

Midfielder Assim Madibo said luck was not on Qatar's side in a match he felt the team deserved to win.

“I think we did everything in the match, except for the goal. We controlled the match, we played better than them. Honestly, we deserved to win. But now, a point is better than nothing.

“We were very close to scoring until the last minutes. I cannot say there was no shortcoming or anything, but luck was not on our side and we did not win. But that is it. The guys took a step. It is over and the most important step remains. This match [against the UAE] is the most important.”

Madibo expressed confidence that Qatar will top the group and secure a place in the World Cup.

“Until now, we believe and are certain that we can reach the World Cup, and I think this is the only thing we are thinking about now. In the next match, we will turn the opportunities into goals.”

Meanwhile, defender Sultan Al-Brake said:“Of course, we were hoping to win against Oman and come away with three points. We didn't take advantage of the opportunities we had today, but we will try to make up for it in the next match and make our fans happy.”

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