A familiar crunch point awaits the UAE and their long-held — but stubbornly unfulfilled — dream of a World Cup return. Hopes of repeating the heroics of 1990 in 2026, so high after the Whites opened the third round of qualifying with a resounding 3-1 victory over double Asian Cup holders Qatar in September, are receding following a dispiriting single point earned from three subsequent outings. Their impending double-header in Abu Dhabi against Kyrgyzstan (Nov. 14) and Qatar (Nov. 19) will decide much for Group A’s third-placed outfit. With a team this mercurial, the UAE could just as easily pass the halfway stage, hot on the heels of automatic entry for the 2026 World Cup, as be cast aside. Last month they were valiant in narrow defeat to second-placed Uzbekistan and insipid throughout a stultifying 1-1 home draw against bottom-placed North Korea. Paulo Bento is the latest manager to feel the heat. His predecessors — Rodolfo Arruabarrena, Edgardo Bauza, Mahdi Ali and others — all came up short. What can the former Portugal and South Korea head coach do differently to ensure a different outcome? “I am confident, because I saw the way that the guys approached the training sessions […]