Australia faces a tough away match on Tuesday against a strong Japan team at Saitama Stadium. A victory would help the Socceroos get back on track for their sixth straight World Cup appearance after a shaky start in the third round of qualifying.
This Group C matchup is also a chance for new coach Tony Popovic, who took over in September, to achieve a notable win in just his second game. He is up against a former teammate, Hajime Moriyasu, who is now the coach of Japan.
“I know their head coach very well; he was my captain during my time in Japan. A remarkable person who has dedicated years to developing the national team,” Popovic said.
Japan is aiming for its eighth straight World Cup appearance, having won all three of its matches against China, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, scoring 14 goals and allowing none.
“This is undoubtedly a significant challenge, but it also presents a fantastic opportunity to etch our name in history by winning in Japan,” Popovic said after Australia’s 3-1 win against China in his first game, bringing their total to four points in the group, five behind Japan.
The top two teams from each of the three groups of six automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the third and fourth place finishers move on to the next round.
Like Australia, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also have four points and will face off in Jeddah, while winless China plays against Indonesia at home.
In Group B, South Korea hosts Iraq, with both teams sitting on seven points. This game has been moved to Yongin due to poor field conditions at Seoul World Cup Stadium. South Korea will be without Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan because of injuries.
In Group A, Uzbekistan and Iran lead with seven points each. Iran will host Qatar in Dubai, while Uzbekistan takes on the United Arab Emirates, who are in third place.
