FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers: Bahrain shock Australia; United Arab Emirates defeat Qatar

The teams fought well against each other in AFC World Cup Qualifiers.

The third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers kicked off, delivering a thrilling day for Asian football fans. Bahrain made history by defeating Australia for the first time. In another game, Palestine showed their resilience and forced the Korean Republic into a draw. The matches between Uzbekistan vs North Korea and Iraq vs Oman ended in narrow 1-0 victories for Uzbekistan and Iraq. Japan played a one-sided match in Group C, defeating China by a 7-0 margin. Here is a summary of the matches that took place.

Australia 0- 1 Bahrain, Group C

Bahrain, a team that never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, upset the Australian football team, ranked 56 in FIFA World rankings in the 3rd round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers, in a Group C match at the Gold Coast on Thursday.  At 89 minutes, Mahdi Humaidan’s cross took a deflection off Harry Souttar, which passed goalkeeper Mathew Ryan on the far side of the goalpost, leading Bahrain to their first victory against Australia.

Despite dominating the match, Australia failed to score from open chances. The team was reduced to 10 players after Kusini Yengi received a straight red for a high-boot challenge on defender Sayed Baqer in the 77th minute of the game. In the final moments, Australia got a free kick in a promising position. The free kick was taken perfectly, but Mitch Duke could not direct it into a shot on goal.

Australia now face Indonesia in their next game, and Bahrain will face Japan on the 10th of September, respectively.

Qatar 1-3 United Arab Emirates, Group A

An incredible comeback from the United Arab Emirates Football team in the second half saw them defeat the Qatar football team 3-1 in Al-Rayyan in a Group A match. Ibrahim Al-Hassan scored his first international goal, giving Qatar the lead until the 68th minute of the game.

Harib Abdalla beat two defenders and scored the equalizer for UAE with a curling effort using his left foot. Khaled Aldhanhani netted the second goal in the 80th minute with a powerful shot from outside the box. In stoppage time, Ali Saleh scored the final third goal for his team.

China 0- 7 Japan, Group C

Japan thrashed China by a 7-0 margin in another Group C match, held in Saitama. The Japanese dominated from the start, and China’s defense looked helpless. Wataru Endō started the scoring for Japan in the 12th minute. The Japan team had several chances but failed to convert until added time in the first half when Kaoru Mitoma scored the second.

Japan did not slow down in the second half, maintaining the same attacking intensity. Takumi Minamino scored the third goal in the 52nd minute, and China’s defense collapsed afterward. Minamino scored again in the 58th minute. Afterward, Junya Ito’s shot deflected, giving Japan a 5-0 lead in the 77th minute. Daizen Maeda scored Japan’s sixth goal, and in the final moments, Takefusa Kubo’s powerful strike gave China’s goalkeeper no chance to make a save. The China football team failed to attempt a shot on target throughout the match.

Korea Republic 0 – 0 Palestine, Group B

The Palestine football team fought hard and grabbed a point in a Group B match of the World Cup Qualifier Round 3 against football powerhouse Korea Republic in Seoul. The Palestine team created chances in the first half but failed to convert. They succeeded in scoring a goal in the 22nd minute, but the referee ruled it offside.

The Korean team created several chances, but Rami Hamadeh, the goalkeeper of Palestine, became a wall that Korea failed to break through. Unfortunately, the Korean side also missed open goal-scoring opportunities.

Palestine had a one-on-one chance in the 90th minute, where Jo Hyeon-woo stood tall and saved his team. The game was played with the same intensity until the end, but both sides failed to score. This result will give the Palestine football team a morale boost for the upcoming matches.

Uzbekistan 1 – 0 North Korea, Group A

Uzbekistan continues its unbeaten FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers streak to seven games after defeating North Korea by a narrow margin of 1-0. A solitary goal from Jaloliddin Masharipov in the 20th minute helped the side win in the Group A match held at the Bunyodkor Stadium on 5th September. Utkir Yusupov did a superb job, saving a penalty in the first half and becoming the hero for his team. Uzbekistan will now face Kyrgyzstan on 10th September, while North Korea will face the Qatar national side on the same date.

Iraq 1 – 0 Oman, Group B

Iraq started their Group B matches on a winning note, defeating Oman by a margin of 1-0. Aymen Hussein converted an Ali Jasim Eliabi corner to a goal with a powerful header in the 13th minute, registering the only goal of the game for Iraq. Despite having the highest possession in both halves, the Oman team failed to penetrate Iraq’s defense.

In the 95th minute, Oman’s Arshad Al Alawi was shown the red card. Oman will host South Korea on 10th September at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat. On the other hand, Iraq will face Kuwait on the same date.

Saudi Arabia 1-1 Indonesia, Group C

Maarten Paes, the goalkeeper for Indonesia, displayed brilliance between the sticks, helping his national team earn a point against Saudi Arabia in a Group C match held at King Abdullah Sports City in Saudi Arabia. Ragnar Oratmangun scored the first goal for Indonesia in the 19th minute. In stoppage time of the first half, the home side equalized when Musab Al Juwayr’s shot got deflected, leaving the goalkeeper no chance as it went into the goalpost.

Maarten Paes fouled Feras Albrikan in the 77th minute inside the penalty box, giving Saudi Arabia a golden opportunity to take the lead. However, the goal custodian redeemed himself by staying composed until the final moments, making the correct guess and saving a powerful spot-kick from Salem Al-Dawsari. In the dying stages, Paes stood tall once more, denying a one-on-one goal-scoring opportunity for Saudi Arabia.

Jordan 1-1 Kuwait, Group B

The game between Kuwait and Jordan ended in a 1-1 draw in their Group B match at Amman International Stadium. Mousa Al-Taamari opened the scoring for Jordan with a left-footed effort in the 13th minute. In the final seconds of the 90th minute, as the fourth official signaled 4 minutes of stoppage time, Kuwait was awarded a penalty, which Yousef Nasser converted to secure a point in the dying moments of the match.

Asia’s Path to FIFA World Cup 2026

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.

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