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[Awards Review]
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▶ Son saves Korea, Japan stay perfect and Saudis battle back
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[2024/09/15 ]
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Ayase Ueda netted two more goals for Japan in their win in Bahrain, Son struck late to help Korea Republic win, while Korea DPR and Kuwait claimed draws.
Group A
Korea DPR 2-2 Qatar
Korea DPR and Qatar both earned their first Group A points after battling out an entertaining draw in neutral Laos. Ri Il-song gave the Koreans the lead in spectacular fashion, finding the top corner with a stunning strike from outside the area. They were soon down to 10 players, however, with captain Jang Kuk-chol sent off for a foul inside the penalty box. Akram Afif slotted home the resulting spot-kick, and Almoez Ali’s scorching effort put Qatar 2-1 ahead.
 Korea DPR came out fighting after half-time and equalised through Kang Kuk-chol’s stunning free-kick. By this stage, the game was being played in torrential rain and the referee was forced to halt proceedings just before the hour. The match restarted after conditions improved, but neither team were able to find a decisive goal.
Kyrgyz Republic 2-3 Uzbekistan
Both Kyrgyz Republic's and Uzbekistan's opening third-round matches featured just two goals between them, but the pair were involved in an instant classic in Bishkek which the visitors ultimately edged.
The hosts opened the scoring inside 15 minutes through Joel Kojo's well-taken volley, only for Uzbekistan captain Eldor Shomurodov to break through the White Falcons' defence and poke home barely two minutes later. Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov restored the home side's lead when he flicked in a loose ball following a deep-free kick, but the Uzbeks once again quickly recovered when Husniddin Aliqulov headed home on the stroke of half time. It took more than 25 second-half minutes to find another goal, but it was worth the wait. Shomurodov back-heeled into the path of a heavily-guarded Oston Urunov, who danced around two Kyrgyz Republic bodies and rifled in a magnificent winner.
United Arab Emirates 0-1 IR Iran
IR Iran made it two 1-0 wins out of two as a first-half Mehdi Ghayedi strike earned Team Melli all three points in Al Ain.
Ghayedi thought he had given Iran the lead after half an hour as he tapped in Mehdi Taremi's cross-cum-shot, but the assistant referee's flag denied him. Iran's No10, who plays his club football in the UAE with Kalba FC, wouldn't be stopped for long, though, as he wrestled the ball back inside the home side's box and clinically found the bottom-left corner with only seconds of the first half remaining.
Group B
Palestine 1-3 Jordan
A brace from Yazan Al-Naimat helped Jordan stretch their unbeaten qualifying run to six games as they sunk a dogged Palestine side in neutral Kuala Lumpur.
Jordan took the lead inside just five minutes, when Al-Naimat carried the ball from halfway to the edge of the penalty area, where he beat one man, then another, and arrowed a drive into the bottom-right corner. Jordan continued to press but would be sucker-punched at the end of the half, as Camilo Saldana looped an inviting ball into the box, which Wessam Abou Ali confidently headed in. Despite that setback, Jordan continued to dominate proceedings and netted their second goal five minutes after the restart, when Al-Naimat was played through and found the bottom corner. The result was put beyond all doubt in the 72nd-minute by Noor Al-Rawabdeh's well-taken finish from just inside the Palestine box.
Oman 1-3 Korea Republic
Korea Republic needed two late goals – including a Son Heungmin thunderbolt – to record a crucial victory over a stubborn Oman in Muscat.
The Taeguk Warriors took the lead in the 10th minute when Son laid the ball into Hwang Heechan, who got it out of his feet before rifling a powerful effort into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box. Oman hung in there and, despite having not had an effort on target, would level the contest in first-half stoppage time, when Harib Al-Saadi's whipped free-kick was headed into his own net by the unfortunate Jung Seunghyun. It looked like Oman would take a well-earned point off their illustrious counterparts until the 82nd minute, as captain Son received the ball off Lee Kangin and curled in a ferocious left-footed effort, before Joo Minkyu put the cherry on the top with a breakaway goal in the 11th minute of added time.
Kuwait 0-0 Iraq
Ten-man Iraq saw their perfect start to qualifying come to an end with a goalless draw in Kuwait City. The Lions of Mesopotamia got off to the worst possible start, when Rebin Sulaka was sent off for dragging down Yousef Nasser when through on goal just seven minutes in. Both sides huffed and puffed from then in a game of few chances, the best of which falling to Iraq's Ali Jasim who stung the palms of Sulaiman Abdulghafour late on, but neither could find the decisive goal.
Group C
Indonesia 0-0 Australia
Indonesia held Australia to a goalless draw in an absorbing clash in Jakarta. After a bright start from the hosts, the Socceroos carved out a series of chances and came closest when Nestory Irankunda's shot struck the post.
Graham Arnold's side continued to press in the second half, with Harry Souttar regularly a threat from set-pieces, but they could not find a way through the hosts' resilient backline. The result means Arnold's team have taken just one point from their opening two Group C matches, while Indonesia have drawn both their games in the section.
China PR 1-2 Saudi Arabia
Hassan Kadesh scored twice as ten-man Saudi Arabia came from behind to record a superb victory over China PR in Dalian. China hit the front early on when Saudi defender Ali Lajam diverted a cross into his own goal. The away team’s task was made all the more difficult when Mohamed Kanno was sent off, but they drew level through Kadesh’s bullet header.
Saudi Arabia were almost in front just after the hour, with captain Salem Al-Dawsari’s curling effort hitting the crossbar. They would have the last word, however, with Kadesh powering home another headed effort in the 90th minute to clinch a dramatic win.
Bahrain 0-5 Japan
Braces by Ayase Ueda and Hidemasa Morita helped Japan stay perfect in qualifying and secure their sixth win from seven World Cup qualifiers against Bahrain in Riffa.
The away side took the lead from the spot after Abdulla Al-Khulasi was penalised for a handball, allowing Ueda to step up and sweep home the opener. Ueda then climbed to joint-top of the qualifying scoring stakes with eight just after the restart, when good work down the right from Junya Ito found the cold-blooded forward, who turned and fired in off the post. The lead was then doubled shortly after the hour, as some nice interplay let Hidemasa Morita through to tuck home, before the midfielder was on hand again just moments later to tap in a flowing Japan move. Four then became five in the 81st minute, as Koki Ogawa rose highest to nod home after a fine Ebrahim Lutfalla save.
How qualifying works
Asia has been allocated eight direct spots at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and another potential berth via the FIFA Play-Off Tournament. In this, the third, round of qualifying the continent's remaining 18 nations were divided into three groups of six. The group winners and runners-up advance to the global finals, while the third-place and fourth-placed teams will advance to the fourth round.
- The origianl text resource is from FIFA Official Website |
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