China has faced a setback World Cup Previous Conflict Uzbekistan and Jordan qualify for the first time leveraging Asia to secure double the guaranteed entries in next year’s inaugural 48-team tournament in North America.
Asian football powerhouse Korea triumphed 2-0 in Iraq, ensuring its 11th consecutive qualification for the men’s World Cup final.
On a busy Thursday night, Australia edged past the already qualified Japan with a 1-0 win but fell 1-0 to Indonesia shortly after.
For Uzbekistan, a 0-0 draw against the United Arab Emirates secured the second automatic qualification spot in Group A, finishing behind Iran.
Asia currently boasts eight guaranteed qualifiers – following just four from the 2022 tournament in Qatar, Uzbekistan made significant strides. Most players compete in local leagues but include several stars based in Europe, such as Roman forward Erdore Shomrodov and Manchester City defender Abdukhodirksanov.
In Group B, Korea and Jordan confirmed their participation in the 2026 tournament, which will take place in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Ali Olwan netted three goals in Jordan’s 3-0 victory over Oman, marking the World Cup debutant’s qualification for the finals after reaching the 2023 Asian Cup, hosted by Qatar. Jordan’s standout player is winger Moosa Tamari, who plays for the French club Rennes.
In Group C, a first-half penalty from Jakarta’s Oleromeni marked the end of their hopes of competing in the World Cup for the first time since 2002, when the tournament was hosted in Asia, allowing Korea and Japan to qualify automatically.
China’s Challenges
This remains a puzzle for many, as a nation of 1.4 billion with a rich Olympic history struggles to reach a spotlight event in football.
Blanko Ivankovic, a Croatian with International coaching experience in Iran and Oman, was hired last year to lead China’s men’s team, and domestic media have pointed fingers at the head coach for another unsuccessful campaign.
“This team has been striving for this goal for over 20 years, and we believed that if we could advance from this competitive group, we had a significant chance of qualifying,” Ivankovic stated. “However, we fell short. As the head coach, I bear a heavy responsibility.”
With one match left in this Asian qualifying round, China has only managed two wins out of nine matches, placing them last in a group featuring Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Indonesia.
“We introduced a younger generation of players who brought energy to the team,” Ivankovic said. “Given their performance, I believe this team has a bright future.”
The World Cup Journey
In Abu Dhabi, Uzbekistani fans rejoiced as they celebrated, thanking goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov for several crucial saves.
Six teams have automatically qualified from Asia (two from each group in this stage) – UAE and Qatar, who have already qualified after defeating Iran 1-0, will finish third and fourth, advancing to the next stage of the Asian qualifiers. At the 2026 World Cup, six teams will vie for two additional spots in the ensuing phase.
South Korea claimed the top spot in the group, aided by Ali Al Hamadi’s red card in the first half.
Kim Jin Kyu scored the first for Korea just an hour later, and Oh Hyun Ki sealed the victory eight minutes before the final whistle. Consequently, Jordan secured at least a second-place finish.
The Palestinian team stayed in contention for a top-four finish with a 2-0 win against Kuwait, just one point shy of the fourth-placed Oman.
Australia clinched a last-minute goal from Aziz Behich in Perth, securing their spot in the World Cup for the sixth consecutive time.
In the 90th minute, Riley McGree received a pass on the right, and Behich headed home, celebrating the team’s victory over Japan for the first time in 16 years.
“It’s not sunk in yet, but it felt amazing when the final whistle blew,” Behich said. “It was a tough match, and we had to fight hard. It has been a long journey, and we worked incredibly hard.”
Australia will need to avoid a heavy defeat against Saudi Arabia, where they previously secured a 2-0 win last week.
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Source: apnews.com