Isaac Mohammed Sharif Al-Shizawi, a 60-year-old Emirati fan, confirmed his dream of the national team’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup when the “White” team meets Qatar today in the Asian qualifiers playoff at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. He hopes his journey, which started from Ajman covering 950 kilometers by his motorcycle, will end with the team’s qualification to the World Cup.

Al-Shizawi told “Emarat Al-Youm” that the match against Qatar is historic for UAE football. He said, “We hope the joy of the UAE fans will be complete after the wonderful victory over Oman with two goals to one last Saturday, and that the team will earn the ticket to the World Cup held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.”

He spoke about his journey to Doha, saying, “I planned to travel to Qatar a long time ago after the Asian playoff draw result was announced. I left Ajman on my motorcycle at 4:30 pm last Thursday, arrived in Al Ruwais at 9:45 pm, and chose to stay overnight and rest from the trip.”

He added, “I continued my journey the next day, Friday, at 10:30 am, and reached Doha in the evening after Isha prayer, having covered a distance of 950 kilometers.”

Isaac Al-Shizawi indicated he is ready to do anything for the team, saying, “I did not feel the fatigue of the trip once the team won against Oman, as the ‘White’ team deserves the effort and all the hard work. Therefore, I hope the joy will be complete with the team’s qualification to the World Cup.”

He continued, “I have been riding motorcycles for 30 years and greatly enjoyed my trip from Ajman to Doha. I intend to repeat this trip from the UAE to the United States next year if the national team qualifies for the World Cup.”

He added, “This is a simple thing, as being part of this global event is a dream for all UAE football fans.” He stressed the difficulty of facing Qatar, saying, “We hope the players will play with great focus and give their all, especially since the team is only one match away from qualifying for the World Cup, a dream we have waited for a long time since the first qualification in 1990 in Italy.”

He concluded by saying, “We hope additional tickets will be granted to UAE fans to attend the match at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium and support the players, but we trust the players’ abilities and capabilities. Thousands of fans will wait for them outside the stadium, and their wish is to achieve victory so celebrations can begin in Doha and Souq Waqif for the historic qualification.”