DOHA :Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui called his side's qualification for next summer's World Cup finals "truly special" after a 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday secured the country's first ever successful passage through the preliminaries.

Second half goals in Doha from Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel ensured Qatar finished top of Group A in the fourth phase of Asia's qualifiers ahead of the UAE and Oman.

"We made history and entered through the grand gate," said the former goalkeeper, who led Sevilla to the Europa League title in 2020. "The dream has come true."

"I've won many titles, but this experience with Qatar is truly special. We must enjoy what we've achieved. Now we'll celebrate and recover physically. We went through some tough days leading up to this match."

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