Australia dominated Lebanon with a 5-0 victory, securing their spot in the third round of Asia’s World Cup qualifiers for 2026. The win came after Kusini Yengi’s early goal set the pace for the Socceroos’ fourth consecutive win in Group I.
Palestine, meanwhile, secured a 1-0 victory against Bangladesh, maintaining their second position in the group and aiming for their first appearance in the third round of qualifiers.
Australia’s strong start saw Craig Goodwin delivering an impressive cross, allowing Yengi to score his debut goal for the team within two minutes. The Socceroos continued their momentum in the second half, with Bassel Jradi accidentally scoring an own goal and Goodwin adding a third goal.
Coming off the bench, John Iredale contributed another goal, followed by Goodwin’s second with an assist from Iredale. Palestine’s victory came from Michel Termanini’s goal in stoppage time in Dhaka. Palestine leads the group with seven points, five points ahead of Lebanon and six points clear of Bangladesh.
Unfortunately, the North Korea-Japan qualifier in Pyongyang was canceled by FIFA due to Korea’s inability to host the game.
In the next round, the top two teams from each of the nine groups will progress, with six of Asia’s eight increased automatic World Cup slots up for grabs.
