The luckless defender stuck out a foot in the hope of cutting out Younis Mahmoud's cross but poked the ball into the back of his own net.

The win means Iraq have three points in Group D and a draw with North Korea in their final match will be enough to send them into the last eight.

Only the woodwork denied UAE the lead after 23 minutes when Hamdan Al Kamali's glancing header from a Subait Khater corner bounced back off the bar.

Srecko Katanec's side had another chance minutes later when Ali Al Wehaibi lofted a cross into the area from the byline and Ismaeil Matar headed on for the unmarked Ahmad Khalil, but the young striker could only loop a header harmlessly over the goal.

The UAE continued to dominate and only a superb one-handed save by Mohammed Kassid from a well-struck Khater free-kick kept them at bay just after the half-hour.

UAE goalkeeper Majed Nasser had largely been a spectator in the first half but had to be alert in the 39th minute to push away a rasping Nashat Akram drive from outside the box.

Qusay Muneer then delivered a fine shot from outside the area that had Nasser beaten but bounced back off the crossbar as Iraq finished the first half strongly.

Khater struck a free-kick straight at Kassid eight minutes into the second half for UAE before some neat individual skill by Ismail Al Hammadi deserved a goal in the 63rd minute. The midfielder smartly controlled a high ball on the right of the box, cleverly turned flicked the ball between two defenders and hit a stinging drive that came back off the underside of the bar.

But they had a lucky escape two minutes later when Nasser raced out to punch away a cross. He failed to make contact with the ball but Ala'a Abdulzehra headed just wide of the open goal.

Substitute Kerrar Jasim nodded wide in the 80th minute as once again Iraq began to dominate the latter stages of the half.

And they secured victory at the death when Mahdi Kareem's deep cross found Mahmoud inside the area and the Iraq striker played a low ball across the face of goal that Abbas diverted into his own goal.