BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- China suffered a 3-1 loss to Australia in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers in Adelaide on Thursday, while Japan secured its third consecutive victory.
China surprised the hosts in the 20th minute when a long free kick by goalkeeper Wang Dalei was headed by Zhang Yuning to Xie Wenneng, who controlled the ball and beat two Australian defenders to score into the bottom right corner from inside the box.
Adelaide-born winger Craig Goodwin became the hometown hero for the Socceroos, assisting the equalizer and scoring the second goal from long range. Winger Nishan Velupillay sealed Australia's victory with the third goal in the 93rd minute, just 10 minutes after making his international debut as a substitute.
This match marked China's third consecutive defeat, leaving them at the bottom of Group C in the third round of AFC qualifying. It was Australia's first win in the third round, placing them second with four points from three matches.
Japan leads Group C with three wins from three matches after defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0, courtesy of goals from Daichi Kamada and Koki Ogawa. Mohamed Marhoon's brace, including a last-minute equalizer, helped Bahrain secure a 2-2 draw at home against Indonesia.
In Group A, Uzbekistan and Iran played to a goalless draw, remaining first and second with seven points each from two wins and a draw. Qatar defeated Kyrgyzstan 3-1, making Kyrgyzstan the only other team without any points, while the United Arab Emirates held DPR Korea to a 1-1 draw.
In Group B, goals from Lee Jae-sung and Oh Hyeon-gyu lifted South Korea to a 2-0 victory over Jordan, leading the group with two wins and a draw. Iraq also holds seven points after beating Palestine 1-0, while Oman cruised past Kuwait 4-0.
The third round of AFC qualifying will continue on October 15 and 16, with China set to face Indonesia at home in Qingdao. ■
