In Tuesday’s late fixtures, Asian champions Qatar, along with Iran, Uzbekistan, and the United Arab Emirates, secured progression to the next round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Qatar secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Kuwait, with Almoez Ali netting a late brace to maintain their dominance in Group ‘A’. With four wins from four matches, Qatar comfortably secured their place in the next round.
In the same group, Afghanistan revived their hopes of advancing by clinching a come-from-behind 2-1 win against India.
Uzbekistan solidified their spot in the third round with a convincing 3-0 triumph over Hong Kong. Goals from Eldor Shomurodov, Hojimat Erkinov, and Oston Urunov ensured their progression from Group ‘E’.
Joining Uzbekistan in the next round from the group is Iran, who secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Turkmenistan. Mehdi Ghayedi’s header from Mehdi Taremi’s cross in first-half stoppage time secured Iran’s advancement.
Meanwhile, the UAE advanced from Group ‘H’ with a comfortable 3-0 win over Yemen, courtesy of Fabio Lima’s brace. Bahrain strengthened their hold on second place in the group with a convincing 3-0 victory over Nepal.
In Group ‘D’, Kyrgyzstan and Oman are tied at the top with nine points each. Kyrgyzstan cruised to a 5-1 win over Taiwan, while Oman secured a 2-0 victory over Malaysia.
Lastly, Syria showcased dominance with a resounding 7-0 victory over Myanmar, with Omar Khrbin scoring a hat-trick. This victory puts Syria within two points of Group ‘B’ leaders Japan, who had their match against North Korea cancelled due to the latter’s decision not to host the fixture in Pyongyang.
