World Cup qualifiers: Japan scrape past North Korea, South Korea held by Thailand, Middle East big guns stay unbeaten
- Ao Tanaka scores the only goal to give Japan a nervy 1-0 win to make it three wins out of three, while Son Heung-min scores in surprise 1-1 draw
- Lebanon lose to Australia but Asian champions Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Jordan all won comfortably on the road to 2026 finals in North America
Japan and Australia strode towards the next stage of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup but South Korea dropped points despite leading through talisman Son Heung-min.
Later, Iran thrashed Turkmenistan, Asian champions Qatar beat Kuwait and Saudi Arabia won against Tajikistan as the Middle East’s heavyweights remained unbeaten.
And Palestine, their supporters in Gaza reeling from the Israel-Hamas war, crashed five unanswered goals past a porous Bangladesh for their first win in Group I.
In Tokyo, Germany-based midfielder Ao Tanaka scored the only goal after two minutes to give Japan a nervy 1-0 win over North Korea.
With three wins from three, Japan are firmly on course to reach the third stage of qualifying for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
North Korea, who are still in the hunt despite the defeat, were cheered on by a vocal contingent of supporters from Japan’s 300,000-strong ethnic-Korean community.
“We wanted to bring good results for our compatriots but we couldn’t, and for that, we’re very sorry,” said North Korea’s coach Sin Yong Nam.