Arnold was able to select Aymen Hussein after the talismanic striker had started the first leg on the bench, but the Australian was left with his head in his hands in the fifth minute when the visitors almost took the lead.

Akam Hashim was put under pressure by Bruno Conceicao as he attempted to feed possession back to goalkeeper Jalal Hassan, who was making his 100th appearance for Iraq, and his pressure almost paid off. The striker, however, could only direct the ball wide.

Neither side was able to impose themselves on the other in the opening 30 minutes and it was only when Hassan pushed away Ruben Canedo’s inviting cross from the left that either team showed any sign of threatening to break through.

Marko Farji tested Khalid Eisa from distance four minutes into the second half and three minutes later the home side found themselves behind.

Yahia Nader’s driving run through the middle had the Iraqi defence backpedalling before the Al Ain FC midfielder slipped a perfectly judged pass into the path of Caio Lucas, whose first touch took the ball into position for the forward to thump beyond Hassan.

Two minutes later the Emiratis were denied a second by the crossbar, Nicolas Gimenez rattling the woodwork from 20 yards out with a powerful strike that fizzed beyond the diving Hassan.

By the 65th minute, however, Iraq had pulled level with a rare sortie into the UAE penalty area. Al Ammari swung his free-kick from the left towards the edge of the six-yard box and Ali rose to meet it, with his header taking a deflection off Nader on the way past Eisa.

Ali squandered two chances to claim the winner for the Iraqis, the first in the final 10 minutes due to a poor second touch as he bore down on goal while the second saw him blaze the ball high over the bar seven minutes into added time.

The striker was involved again as Iraq were awarded the game-winning penalty deep inside stoppage time, heading the ball that hit Nader on the arm to prompt referee Yusuke Araki to point to the spot after consulting the pitch-side monitor.

Al Ammari stepped up to coolly stroke the ball past Eisa, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to take his team through to the playoffs.