Van Marwijk rues referee as UAE miss out on win

Bert van Marwijk said an incorrect refereeing decision cost the UAE three valuable points in their bid to reach the 2022 World Cup, as the national team’s attempt to make the global finals suffered another set-back.

The UAE were held to a 2-2 draw against Iraq at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai on Tuesday night as they search for a first win in the final round of qualification.

In a frenetic finish, Ali Mabkhout’s equaliser four minutes into injury time cancelled out Ayman Hussein’s 90th-minute strike.

Moments later Khalfan Mubarak appeared to have poked home a late winner, only for the Video Assistant Referee to deem Iraq goalkeeper Fahad Talib had prevented the ball from crossing the line as he threw himself across his goal.

One replay afterwards suggested the ball had actually crossed the line, although the angle was not conclusive. It proved the final kick of the match.

“If you come back in the room after the game and I see the images of the 3-2, it’s so clear on television that the ball is over the line ... so unbelievably clear,” Van Marwijk said.

“And we live in 2021 with all the technology, it’s not possible in this game, where it is for the World Cup, that nobody can see that the ball is over the line.”

“I think we started well, we get a few half chances and then slowly we gave the initiative away,” Van Marwijk said. “We did it ourselves.

“If you don’t take the chances, I think the ball possession was 65-35 in our advantage. So, as I began, actually we should have won this game 3-2. But I’m no VAR and no referee.”

As it stands, the UAE sit fourth in Group A on three points from four games, five points off the top two slots that guarantee qualification to the World Cup. They lie two behind Lebanon in third, which could yet offer another route to Qatar.