Gold Coast: Bahrain delivered a shocking 1-0 victory over Australia on Thursday, thanks to an 89th-minute own goal by Harry Souttar, marking a significant upset in the third round of Asian World Cup qualifying for 2026. The match, held on the Gold Coast, seemed headed for a goalless draw with Australia down to 10 men until Souttar deflected a shot from Abdulla Al-Khalasi into his own net.

This was Bahrain’s first-ever win against Australia, who are ranked 56 places higher. The Socceroos struggled to break down their defensively resolute opponents and were further hampered by a red card issued to striker Kusini Yengi in the 77th minute for a high kick to the neck of defender Sayed Baqer.

The top two teams from each of the three Asian groups will secure spots in the expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Japan, Saudi Arabia, China, and Indonesia are also in Group C alongside Australia and Bahrain.

Australia will next face Indonesia in Jakarta on Tuesday. The Socceroos were favorites, having won all six previous matches against Bahrain, including a 2-0 friendly victory earlier this year. Australia breezed through the second qualifying round with a perfect record, scoring 22 goals without conceding. However, despite a promising start, including a long-range shot from Alessandro Circati tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla, Bahrain’s defense held strong.

Bahrain capitalized on their opportunities, utilizing their right wing effectively for counterattacks. The game saw little action until late in the match when Bahrain secured the win with the late goal.

Meanwhile, Japan made a powerful statement in their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 7-0 demolition of China. Premier League stars Kaoru Mitoma and Wataru Endo both scored, with Mitoma marking his return with a first-half header. Takumi Minamino added two more goals after the break, and Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda, and Takefusa Kubo also found the net.

It was a challenging night for China, who had managed to reach this stage of the qualifiers by a superior head-to-head record over Thailand. Japan’s dominance was evident as they took an early lead with Endo’s header and doubled their advantage just before halftime with Mitoma’s goal. Minamino’s brace and late goals from Ito, Maeda, and Kubo sealed a commanding victory.

Elsewhere, Palestine held South Korea to a 0-0 draw in a spirited performance. Despite the challenges of playing their home matches abroad due to the conflict in Gaza and the suspension of their local league, Palestine put up a strong fight. They had a goal ruled out for offside and managed to keep South Korea at bay despite a series of close chances. The draw is a valuable point for Palestine as they continue their quest to qualify for the World Cup for the first time.- AFP