Bangkok, Thailand// The UAE’s dream of making World Cup 2018 is almost over, despite Ali Mabkhout pouncing at the death to avoid a losing start for new coach Edgardo Bauza in Thailand.

The Whites travelled to Group B’s bottom-placed side knowing only victory would realistically keep the ‘Golden Generation’ in contention. Minus exemplary 2016 AFC Player of the Year Omar Abdulrahman, they then staggeringly proceeded to be outfought by the War Elephants who looked to have gain a deserved win when forward Mongkol Tossakrai tapped in from Al Ahli goalkeeper Majed Nasser’s 69th-minute spill.

A defeat would have seen the UAE officially eliminated, but they avoided this fate with a 1-1 draw at Bangkok’s stick Rajamangala National Stadium as Mabkhout stroked home veteran substitute Ismail Matar’s knockdown deep into injury time for his 34th international goal in 51 games.

This lethargic performance versus winless opponents represented an alarming competitive start to Bauza’s tenure. The man sacked by his native Argentina after eight unsatisfying matches in charge during April must now inspire victories against Saudi Arabia and Iraq in three months’ time, plus hope the Saudis fail to gain any more points and suffer heavy losses.

The bottom-placed War Elephants should have represented easy prey. They were heavily depleted by injury and had conceded seven times in their previous three third-round home qualifiers prior to Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac’s arrival.

Despite this, Jazira marksman Mabkhout wasted both a presentable volley and header in the early running.
These misses were almost punished on the half-hour mark as the waning Whites dangled on the ropes.

Striker Adisak Kraisorn – standing in for injured 40-goal Muangthong United team-mate Teerasil Dangda – saw a header from a corner cleared off the line by left-back Mahmoud Khamis, before forward Siroch Chatthong perplexingly nodded over when unmarked at the back post.

The UAE’s torpid play was finally punished midway through the second half as a combination of Al Wahda centre-back Hamdan Al Kamali and Ahli’s Nasser saw left-back Peerapat Notchaiya centre poked home by Tossakrai for his eighth goal in 28 internationals.

Thailand skipper Kawin Thamsatchanan then pushed away substitute Tariq Ahmed of Al Wahda’s half-volley and Amoory’s late free-kick. A merited win seemed inevitable, prior to midfielder Tariq Ahmed of Al Nasr’s hopeful punt ending with Mabkhout’s last-gasp intervention.