Dubai, Mar 26 (AP) Paulo Bento has been fired as head coach of the United Arab Emirates soccer team just hours after a 2-1 win Tuesday over North Korea kept alive its slim automatic hopes of qualification for the 2026 World Cup. That victory, which came with a goal in the 98th minute, puts the UAE four points behind second-place Uzbekistan in Group A with two games remaining. The top two teams from each of the three Asian groups are guaranteed a place in the tournament to be hosted next year by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Also Read | IPL 2025: Arshdeep Singh Reflects on High-Scoring Trends After Punjab Kings' 11-Run Win Over Gujarat Titans, Says 'There Is No Par Score Anymore'. “The UAE Football Association has decided to dismiss the head coach of the national team, Paulo Bento, along with his coaching staff,” the UAE football association posted on social media. The 55-year-old Portuguese coach led South Korea to the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup, 10 years after he took Portugal to the last four of the European Championships. He was appointed in July 2023 to succeed Rodolfo Arruabarrena. Also Read | IPL 2025: RR vs KKR Overall Head-to-Head; When and Where To Watch Free Live Streaming Online. If the UAE misses out on second place, then there is another round of qualification as the teams that finish third and fourth in their respective groups play off for two remaining World Cup places. UAE's next qualifier is against Uzbekistan at home on June 5. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)