Group C: China PR 4-1 Singapore

Tue, 26 Mar, 2024

Group C: China PR 4-1 Singapore

Tianjin: Branko Ivankovic secured his first win as China PR head coach as his side defeated Singapore 4-1 in the Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ on Tuesday. 

Wu Lei’s 21st-minute opener for China was cancelled out by a Faris Ramli header in the very next minute at Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, but second half goals from Fei Nanduo, another for Wu Lei, and a late strike from Wei Shihao gave the hosts their second win in Group C of the qualifiers. 
 
The two teams played out a 2-2 draw in Singapore last week as the hosts rescued a point with second-half goals from Faris and Jacob Mahler after Wu Lei’s brace had given China a 2-0 lead in Ivankovic’s first game in charge. 

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Round 2 - MD4: Results & Reports

Wed, 27 Mar, 2024

Round 2 - MD4: Results & Reports

Kuala Lumpur: Matchday Four of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ concluded on Tuesday with six teams confirming early progression.

Australia, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates and Qatar booked their places in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and also confirmed their tickets to the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.
 
The nine group winners and the respective runners-up advance to the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifying, and at the same time seal their places at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027.
 
The other 18 teams from Round 2 will proceed directly to the third and final round of AFC Asian Cup qualifying. Stay updated on all the reaction from Tuesday's matches with the-AFC.com.

Group I: Lebanon 0-5 Australia

Wed, 27 Mar, 2024

Group I: Lebanon 0-5 Australia

Canberra: Australia secured their place in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers and booked their berth at AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ following their emphatic 5-0 win over Lebanon in the Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 2 Group I tie on Tuesday.

Having defeated their visitors by a 2-0 scoreline in the first meeting in Parramatta last Thursday, the home side got off to a fast start at Gio Stadium in Canberra through Kusini Yengi in the second minute of the match, before an own-goal early in the second half then doubled the advantage.
 
A man-of-the-match performance by winger Craig Goodwin was then capped by a stunning strike to make it 3-0 to the Socceroos, before substitute John Iredale and Goodwin once more found the net to wrap up the points for Graham Arnold’s men.

Group I: Bangladesh 0-1 Palestine

Wed, 27 Mar, 2024

Group I: Bangladesh 0-1 Palestine

Dhaka: Michael Termanini’s stoppage time strike earned Palestine a 1-0 win over Bangladesh in their Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ tie on Tuesday.

With Australia already sealing one of the two berths from Group I courtesy of their 5-0 win over Lebanon, the result at Bashundhara Kings Arena sees Palestine open up a five-point gap on Lebanon, who they will meet next on June 6.

Group F: Philippines 0-5 Iraq

Wed, 27 Mar, 2024

Group F: Philippines 0-5 Iraq

Manila: Iraq cruised into the next round of preliminaries for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and booked their berth at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ as Jesus Casas’ side notched up a 5-0 win over the Philippines on Tuesday to stay perfect in Group F.

Aymen Hussein’s first half brace, scored either side of Amir Ali Ammari’s 31st minute strike, sent the Lions of Mesopotamia on their way to a comprehensive victory over the Azkals at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Zidane Iqbal and Zaid Tahseen netted in the second half to seal a win that moves Iraq onto a maximum 12 points from their opening four games and guarantees Casas’ team will finish in the top two places to enter into the draw for the next phase on June 27.

Group F: Vietnam 0-3 Indonesia

Wed, 27 Mar, 2024

Group F: Vietnam 0-3 Indonesia

Hanoi: Indonesia defeated Vietnam 3-0 in their Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ match at My Dinh Stadium on Tuesday.

Shin Tae-yong orchestrated Indonesia’s first win on Vietnamese soil since 2004 thanks to an impressive first half display, giving them a four-point advantage over their Southeast Asian rivals in Group F with two matchdays remaining.

Europe Wrap: Tanikawa keeps on scoring; Kennedy assists in derby win

Tue, 26 Mar, 2024

Europe Wrap: Tanikawa keeps on scoring; Kennedy assists in derby win

Kuala Lumpur: Japanese teenage star Momoko Tanikawa netted for the third game running for FC Rosengard in a 13-0 defeat of IFK Goteborg with her compatriot Mai Kadowaki also bagging a brace in the victory that sent them to the knockout stages of the women’s cup in Sweden.

Alanna Kennedy supplied an assist in Manchester City's derby win against Manchester United which sent them level with defending champions Chelsea at the top of the Women’s Super League while her Australia teammate Ellie Carpenter helped Lyon get a 2-1 victory against Benfica in the quarter-final first leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. 
 
Japanese duo Saki Kumagai and Moeka Minami started for AS Roma as they took another step towards successfully defending their league title in Italy while Afghanistan’s Farkhunda Muhtaj featured in Fortuna Sittard’s big win in the Netherlands, so join the-AFC.com as we find out how the Asian stars performed in Europe over the past week.