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Chaos broke out in Doha on Tuesday night as Qatar secured their place at next summer's World Cup with a victory against the United Arab Emirates.
Qatar's 2-1 win saw them go top of their three-team play off, leaving the UAE in danger of prolonging their 35-year wait to compete in football's premium tournament.
The dead-lock was broken in the Qatari capital on 49 minutes when Boualem Khoukhi fired home for the hosts, with the centre-half wheeling away to celebrate in front of the visitors' travelling support.
The move enraged UAE supporters, who threw sandals, plastic bottles and cups onto the field in retaliation, with a member of the Qatari coaching staff struck by a flying object.
A video posted on X of the crowd unrest even shows UAE fans attempting to storm the pitch amid attempts from police officers to restore order, with the game temporarily paused.
When the fixture eventually restarted, Qatar went on to make it 2-0 thanks to a Pedro Miguel strike before Sultan Adiil Alamiri pulled back a consolation for the visitors late on.
Chaos broke out in Doha on Tuesday night as Qatar secured their place in next summer's World Cup with a win against the UAE
UAE fans stormed and hurled objects onto the pitch after Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi celebrated in front of them
The UAE's loss does not totally diminish their hopes of securing a place in 2026's North American World Cup however.
The Middle Eastern nation will now face Iraq in a two-match play off which, if they win, will see them progress into an intercontinental play-off with five sides from around the world.
But Wednesday's scenes in Doha could see their participation in such qualifying rounds thrown into doubt.
FIFA or the Asian Football Confederation could choose to hand the UAE a punishment after their supporters' behaviour against Qatar, which could mean a fine or possible suspension.
After a similar incident during a Qatari victory over the UAE in the 2019 Asia Cup, the UAE were handed a fine and ordered to play one match behind closed doors due to crowd unrest.
The visitors' coach however, Cosmin Olaroui, chose not criticise his fans for their behaviour, instead blaming the play-off's 'unfair' conditions.
Travelling supporters were indeed handed a stadium allocation of just eight per cent for the clash, although it appears as though far more made it into the ground.
Speaking to reporters, Olaroui said: 'It happened from both sides. It was not OK, but what can we do?
The victory sees Qatar qualify for their second consecutive World Cup, while the UAE's 35-year wait is prolonged
UAE supporters were afforded just eight percent of the stadium's allocation for the clash
'When you play these kinds of tournaments, all teams should have an equal chance. It was very simple. This group should be playing in Saudi (where Saudi Arabia won a similar play-off involving Iraq and Indonesia) and that group should play here.
'That way everybody would have an equal chance. Nobody would play a home game in front of their fans, and take 80-90 per cent of the tickets.
'It was very simple, just to put it in different [neutral countries]. In the beginning of the competition they say that third place [in the previous round of qualifying] will host the group.
'We reached third place, and we play away because it was decided like this. And they decide who plays first, who plays third, and everything. But now, it’s too late. What can we do? We have to look at our mistakes, and things we did and didn’t do.
'I don’t want to come here and say this and that. It is obvious to everyone, but now we cannot change this. They got their target.'
Julen Lopetegui, Qatar's coach, took a different view.
'We have to avoid this kind of situation,' the Spaniard said, 'these are dangerous things that we have to avoid.
'We all want to see passion supporting teams and to celebrate, but we have to avoid this kind of behaviour. Football is one sport that joins countries and people.'
