Japan continued their flawless start in the third round of qualification for the 2026 World Cup, securing a 2-0 win against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Thursday.
This victory maintains their 100 percent record and places them at the top of Group C with nine points from three matches.
The match, played in front of over 56,000 fans at King Abdullah Sports City, saw Japan take the lead in the 14th minute.
Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada finished from close range after a clever setup from Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma.
Japan sealed the win eight minutes before the final whistle, as substitute Koki Ogawa headed home a corner from Junya Ito.
Looking ahead, Japan will host Australia in Saitama on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, under pressure with manager Roberto Mancini, drops to third in the group.
In other qualifying action, Australia revived their campaign with a 3-1 comeback victory against China earlier on Thursday, marking a successful debut for coach Tony Popovic.
After falling behind to a goal from Xie Wenneng in the 20th minute, Australia responded with goals from Lewis Miller, Craig Goodwin, and debutant Nishan Velupillay, propelling them above Bahrain into third place in the group on goal difference.
Bahrain was held to a 2-2 draw at home against Indonesia.
Only the top two teams from the six-team group secure direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams will enter a secondary qualifying phase.
In Group B, South Korea remained unbeaten despite the absence of their captain, Son Heung-min, defeating Jordan 2-0 in Amman.
Son, who was injured while playing for Tottenham in the Europa League, missed the match, but South Korea still triumphed thanks to goals from Mainz midfielder Lee Jae-sung and Genk forward Oh Hyeon-gyu.
This win gives South Korea seven points from nine in the group, placing them at the top on goal difference ahead of Gulf champions Iraq, who defeated Palestine 1-0 in Basra.
Aymen Hussein’s goal propelled him into the top five in Iraq’s all-time scoring charts, with a total of 29 goals.
Oman made a statement with a stunning 4-0 victory over Gulf rivals Kuwait in Muscat, marking their first points in the group.
In Group A, Uzbekistan held the highly regarded Iran to a goalless draw in Tashkent, maintaining their position at the top of the standings, while Iran sits in second.
The UAE is in third after a 1-1 draw at home against North Korea in Al Ain.
Rounding off the group, Asian champions Qatar secured their first win of the third round with a 3-1 victory against Kyrgyzstan in Doha, placing them fourth, level with third-placed UAE on four points and trailing Uzbekistan and Iran by three points.
AFP
