Paulo Bento says UAE will 'respect' Nepal ahead of 2026 World Cup qualifier

UAE manager Paulo Bento said his side’s “biggest mistake” would be to underestimate Nepal when the pair kick off 2026 World Cup qualification against one another in Dubai on Thursday.

The national team, aiming to become only the second in Emirati football history to reach a global finals, get their campaign under way at Al Maktoum Stadium against the second lowest-ranked country in the 36-nation second round.

At 173rd in the Fifa standings, Nepal sit 104 spots below the UAE. Bahrain (83) and Yemen (156) make up the other two teams in Group H.

Asked on Wednesday if getting three points in his first competitive match with the UAE would be easy, Bento replied: “For sure, not. The biggest mistake we could make if we think like that. In my opening answer [of the press conference], one of the aspects I mentioned was the respect we should have for the opponent.

“It’s the first step, then to respect ourselves, respect the game, respect the people that will come, and it is the best way I know to compete.

“This is what we must do tomorrow: compete as much as possible and as well as possible, try to play well. We have an idea about how the game can be; we will try to make the game as good as we can for us.

“But, of course, on the other side, there will be a team that will want to compete, want to win, as well. And we should be aware of our opponent.

UAE training vs Nepal, Bahrain

“Respect them, for sure, have the right attitude and the right ambition to start this qualification in the best possible way for us. It’s important we know we must perform well in tomorrow’s game."

Appointed in July, Bento has enjoyed a promising start to his UAE tenure, with the team winning all three friendlies since he succeeded Rodolfo Arruabarrena.