In the past night, the second stage of the World Cup Asian qualifiers was fierce, and finally Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan and Iran and other six strong teams all qualified in advance and got the ticket to the round of 18.
Qatar lore
In this round of matches, Qatar played away against Kuwait. A few days earlier, they had beaten their opponents 3-0 at home. This time, the Qatari team encountered stubborn resistance. Qatar did not break the deadlock until the 79th minute of the second half thanks to Ali's goal, but they were soon equalised by Kuwait. Fortunately, at the critical moment, Ali seized the opportunity again, and in the end, his goal helped the Qatar team to beat the opponent 2-1.
After getting three points, Qatar won four consecutive victories in the second stage, and they also locked up the top two in the group two rounds ahead of schedule and advanced to the next round of 18. As the champions of the Asian Cup, the Qatar team is indeed strong, and they definitely have a chance to get a ticket to the World Cup.
UAE advances
In addition to the Qatar team, the UAE team also qualified for this night. In this round, the UAE defeated Yemen 3-0, and they also picked up 12 points from the first four rounds to secure the top two places in the group. In this group, the UAE stands out and is completely stress-free. However, in the next round of 18, the UAE will meet strong teams from other groups, and they may not be so easy.
Iran and Uzbekistan qualified
In Group E, Iran and Uzbekistan both defeated their respective opponents in this round, and currently have 10 points in the top 2 and have qualified for the group 2 rounds in advance. Iran, in particular, is the favourite to qualify for the World Cup as a traditional Asian powerhouse. Due to the expansion of the next World Cup, with the strength of the Iranian team, it is believed that it will not be a problem to win the top four in the group in the round of 18.
The Saudi team was upset
Originally, the Saudi Arabian team also had a chance to qualify early, but unfortunately they were upset 1-1 away and failed to beat the Tajikistan team. After this draw, the Saudi team currently have 10 points, and they need one point to lock up the top two in the group.
Due to the cancellation of the Japanese game, it has not yet been determined whether they will get the three points directly, and if the AFC directly awards Japan a win, then they will also qualify from the group. In addition, South Korea currently has 10 points and will advance to the next round against Singapore, as long as they are undefeated. As for the national football team, as long as they beat the Thai team at home, they will qualify for the first round in advance!