SYDNEY: Australia boosted their World Cup qualifying hopes on Tuesday with a tense, 2-0 win over UAE, whose under-pressure coach Mahdi Ali announced his resignation after the match. Goals from Jackson Irvine and Mathew Leckie handed Australia a crucial victory which kept them in touch with the top two spots in Group B and an automatic berth at Russia 2018. It was a tense, niggling encounter in Sydney with a total of 42 fouls, 26 committed by the home side, but the first of five yellow cards was not shown until the 80th minute.
The Asian champions now have 13 points, after starting the day three adrift of group leaders Japan and Saudi Arabia.
“Everyone stressed the importance to us before the game and it was just about keeping calm and composed and taking our opportunities when they came,” Australia skipper Mile Jedinak said. “We squandered a few chances and might have got the second goal a little bit earlier, but in the end the boys delivered tonight and that’s all we can ask.”
While Australia lived to fight on, there were tears in the UAE camp with their qualification hopes now looking remote. UAE coach Ali, with a talented squad at his disposal, has come under increasing fire during a campaign which appears doomed after four defeats in seven games.
Australia midfielder Irvine, who plays for Burton Albion in the English Championship, gave the Socceroos a sixth-minute lead with his first international goal.
Irvine attacked James Troisi’s corner and had a free header into the UAE goal.
Australia were on top in the second half but it took until the 78th minute before they killed off the UAE with their vital second goal.
A Troisi corner was thumped home by a leaping Leckie, who scored a similar goal against Iraq last week.
S Korea edge Syria
In Seoul, Hong Jeong-Ho’s early goal gave South Korea a 1-0 win over war-torn Syria on Tuesday to put their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track.
China-based Hong struck in the fourth minute but it was an unconvincing margin of victory for the Koreans, who were upset 1-0 by China last week.
Uli Stielike’s men remain well placed at second in Group A with three games to go. The top two qualify automatically for next year’s World Cup in Russia.
Okazaki nets 50th goal
In Saitama, Japan, Leicester City striker Shinji Okazaki celebrated his 50th international goal as Japan brushed aside Thailand 4-0 to edge closer to a sixth successive World Cup.
Shinji Kagawa gave the hosts the lead in their Asian Group B qualifier with a sharp finish after eight minutes, before Okazaki thundered home a diving header to bring up his half-century in swashbuckling style.
Okazaki’s landmark goal, on his 108th Japan appearance, came on 19 minutes in Saitama and effectively killed the contest. — AFP
World Cup Asian qualifiers results
At Tehran: Group A
Iran 1 (Taremi 46) China 0
At Seoul: Group A
South Korea 1 (Hong Jeong-Ho 4) Syria 0
At Saitama: Group B
Japan 4 (Kagawa 8, Okazaki 19, Kubo 57, Yoshida 83) Thailand 0
At Sydney: Group B
Australia 2 (Irvine 6, Leckie 78) UAE 0
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
