Soccer Football – World Cup – AFC Qualifiers – Third Round – Group C – Japan v Bahrain – Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan – March 20, 2025 Japan’s Daichi Kamada celebrates scoring their first goal with Takefusa Kubo REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Japan became the primary team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday as Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo struck within the second half to earn Hajime Moriyasu’s side a 2-0 win over Bahrain at Saitama Stadium and make sure their place at next 12 months’s finals.
Midfielder Kamada got here off the bench to place Japan in front after 66 minutes and Kubo added the second three minutes from time to maintain the Samurai Blue in pole position in Group C of Asia’s preliminaries.
The win guarantees Japan a top-two finish within the standings and sees them qualify for an eighth straigh Fifa World Cup.
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Iran moved to the cusp of a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance with a 2-0 win over the United Arab Emirates in Tehran in Group A motion where Uzbekistan edged closer to their first qualification with a 1-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan.
The primary two in each of Asia’s three qualifying groups are certain to progress to the finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico next 12 months, with the third- and fourth-placed teams advancing to an extra round of playoffs.
Kamada struck three minutes after coming on from the bench at Saitama Stadium, ending off a move that began with Hiroki Ito finding Ayase Ueda within the centre circle, and his pass released Kubo to establish the Crystal Palace man to attain.
Kubo had been Japan’s most potent threat and it was fitting that the Real Sociedad playmaker added the second, beating goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfallah at his near post to place the final result beyond doubt.
AUSTRALIA CRUISE
Soccer Football – World Cup – AFC Qualifiers – Third Round – Group C – Australia v Indonesia – Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Australia – March 20, 2025 Australia’s Martin Boyle celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Hollie Adams
The result means Japan continues to steer Group C by nine points from second-placed Australia, who thrashed Indonesia 5-1 in Sydney in Patrick Kluivert’s first game in command of the visitors.
Martin Boyle put Australia ahead from the spot and Jackson Irvine scored twice, with Nishan Velupillay and Lewis Miller also on track to reinforce Australia’s qualification hopes.
Saudi Arabia climbed into third place, one point behind Australia, as Salem Al-Dawsari scored his side’s first goal in five qualifiers for a 1-0 win to see off 10-man China, who had Lin Liangmin sent off in first-half injury time in Riyadh.
Iran lead Group A by three points and wish a draw on Tuesday with Uzbekistan to book their ticket after goals from Sardar Azmoun and Mohammed Mohebi downed third-placed UAE on the Azadi Stadium to open a nine-point gap over Paulo Bento’s side.
Uzbekistan remain in second place after the victory over Kyrgyzstan enhanced their prospects of progressing to their first World Cup, while Asian Cup holders Qatar thrashed North Korea 5-1 to tug level with the UAE on 10 points.
South Korea suffered a minor setback in Group B as Hong Myung-bo’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Oman in Goyang.
Hwang Hee-chan had given the house side the lead within the forty first minute but an Eightieth-minute strike by Ali Al-Busaidi levelled for the Omanis against a Korean outfit that saw Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in leave the sector with an ankle injury.
The Koreans remain in first place on 15 points, three ahead of Jordan, who climbed into second spot above Iraq with a 3-1 win over Palestine in Amman.
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Iraq, meanwhile, salvaged a 2-2 draw with Kuwait as added-time goals from Akam Hashim and Ibrahim Bayesh cancelled out Yousef Al-Sulaiman’s double for the visitors in Basra.
