BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iraq took a big step toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 1-0 victory over Indonesia on Saturday in Group B of the fourth round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers.

The match at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium witnessed a tense battle, with Indonesia creating more chances in the early stages.

Iraq broke the deadlock with 14 minutes remaining. Following Indonesia's loss of possession deep in its own half, the ball fell to former Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal, who fired a left-footed strike into the bottom corner for the winner.

Despite being reduced to 10 men after Zaid Tahseen received a second yellow card in stoppage time, Iraq held its nerve to secure the victory, which sent Indonesia at the bottom of the group with two consecutive losses.

In Group A, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) produced a late turnaround to defeat Oman 2-1 and keep its World Cup dream alive.

Oman started strongly, taking a 12th-minute lead after Amjad Al Harthi's shot took a deflection into the net. The UAE leveled the score in the 76th minute when Marcus Meloni powered a header into the net from Ali Saleh's cross.

Just seven minutes later, Caio Lucas unleashed a curling effort from distance that dipped beyond the Oman goalkeeper, sealing a 2-1 victory for the Emiratis.

The results set the stage for a dramatic final round of matches on Tuesday. In Group B, the victory puts Iraq level with Saudi Arabia ahead of their head-to-head. In Group A, the UAE now only needs to avoid defeat against Qatar to book its ticket to the World Cup finals, while Oman's campaign has ended.

Group winners will directly qualify for the World Cup, while runners-up enter a two-leg playoff scheduled for November, with the winner advancing to the inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026 in North America. ■