Japan became the first country to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 win over Bahrain on Thursday, while China suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Saudi Arabia to remain bottom of its group.
Second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo earned Japan a convincing win. After collecting 19 points from seven matches, Japan is assured of one of Group C’s two automatic qualification places, reaching the World Cup finals for the eighth consecutive time.
Saudi Arabia’s players thought they had taken the lead in the 37th minute, but Faisal Al Ghamdi’s goal was disallowed by VAR for handball. China’s situation was made worse late in the first half, with center-back Jiang Guangtai forced off with injury in the 45th minute, and just a minute later, Lin Liangming was shown a straight red card for a high boot that struck an opponent’s face, leaving China with 10 men for the entire second half.
Salem Al Dawsari scored the only goal for Saudi Arabia in the 50th minute when he capitalized on a rebound after China goalkeeper Wang Dalei had blocked an initial shot.
With the win, Saudi Arabia moves up to third with nine points, one point behind second-placed Australia, which thrashed Indonesia 5-1, while China remains bottom with six points, level with Indonesia and Bahrain.
China wil face Australia in Hangzhou next Tuesday, before taking on Indonesia and Bahrain in June in the quest to stay alive in the race for qualification.
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In Group A, Iran continued its unbeaten run with a 2-0 win over the United Arab Emirates, remaining top of the group with 19 points. Uzbekistan secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan to sit second with 16 points. Reigning Asian Cup champions Qatar thrashed DPR Korea 5-1, bringing its tally to 10 points – level with the UAE but ranking fourth due to an inferior goal difference.
In Group B, South Korea was held to a 1-1 home draw by Oman, but continues to sit top with 15 points. Jordan claimed a crucial 3-1 victory over Palestine, moving up to second with 12 points. Iraq scored two goals in injury time to secure a 2-2 draw with Kuwait, leaving the team level on 12 points with Jordan.
After the conclusion of this stage, the top two teams from each group will directly qualify for the World Cup, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will enter a playoff.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
