The United Arab Emirates gained revenge for its loss to Vietnam in the quarterfinals of this summer's Asian Cup with a 1-0 win on the road Monday in the first leg of their first-round World Cup 2010 qualifying series, the first step in Asian qualifying.

Basheer Al Hammadi scored the game's only goal in the 79th minute.

The only other team to lose its home leg was Palestine, a 4-0 loser to Singapore.

Forty-three Asian countries are vying for four places in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

An additional berth is up for grabs for the fifth-placed Asian team if it can beat the Oceania winner in a playoff.

FIRST ROUND, FIRST LEG
Oct. 8
Vietnam 0 UAE 1
Thailand 6 Macau 1
Bangladesh 1 Tajikistan 1
Palestine 0 Singapore 4
Syria 3 Afghanistan 0
Oman 2 Nepal 0
Lebanon 4 India 1
Yemen 3 Maldives 0