Iraq and Thailand were comfortable winners in Asian World Cup qualifying on Tuesday, while North Korea laboured to a 1-0 home victory over Tajikistan to get their first points on the board. Bahrain ran out 2-0 winners over Indonesia in Jakarta, Sayed Dhiya Saeed Ebrahim on 45 minutes and Abdulatif Ismaeel on 72 doing the damage for the away side. It is a long road to Brazil 2014 for many of Asia’s sides with the latest action, the third round of qualifying, taking in five groups of four teams.
Former Asian Cup winners Iraq beat Singapore 2-0 away in Group A but wasted several chances in a foul-tempered match that concluded in a row between players and officials from both benches. Newly appointed Iraq coach and Brazilian legend Zico had lamented his side’s propensity to squander goalscoring chances, and it was more of the same at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Iraq pressured the Singapore goal from the start, laying siege for long periods, but wayward finishing and determined defending kept the scoreline level at half-time. Iraq’s persistence finally paid off in the 49th minute when forward Ala’a Abdulzehra put them ahead with a bullet header that beat keeper Lionel Lewis.
Lewis, a replacement for the injured Izwan Mahbud, pulled off a string of vital saves to prevent Singapore going further behind. But Iraq put the game to bed in the 85th minute after a seemingly innocuous chip by prolific Iraqi striker Younus Mahmood sailed past a rooted Lewis and bounced into the goal.
The result means Singapore drop to last place in the standings as the only team with no points in the group, putting their World Cup hopes in serious jeopardy.
“It’s tough losing two games but it’s not over. I think our boys have still got fight in them and we will not give up,” said Singapore team manager Eugene Loo. China play away in Jordan later Tuesday.
In Bangkok, Thailand were easy 3-0 winners over Oman to get their qualification campaign back on track, but North Korea put in a disappointing display as they edged out the Tajiks in Pyongyang.
A solitary Pak Nam-Chol goal was enough to give the hosts their first win in the third qualifying round. Uzbekistan play home to Asian giants Japan in Group C later Tuesday. Thai coach Winfried Schaefer said: “I’m very impressed with the match today. It’s because of our hard work after the match with Australia.”
Schaefer’s side went down 2-1 away in Australia in their first game last week and need another victory in their next match, at home to Saudi Arabia next month, if they are to stay in the hunt.
In Tashkent, Reigning Asian champions Japan came from behind to record a 1-1 draw with hosts Uzbekistan in their 2014 World Cup qualifying Group C encounter here on Tuesday. Uzbekistan midfielder Server Djeparov opened the scoring early on only for Shinji Okazaki to equalise for Japan after the break. The result leaves the sides level on four points at the top of the group after two rounds of games.
North Korea, who beat Tajikistan 1-0 earlier on Tuesday, sit third on three points, with Tajikistan still to get off the mark.
Ukbekistan started in lively fashion at the Pakhtakor stadium and had a chance for an opener in the seventh minute when midfielder Timur Kapadze hit the woodwork with a powerful shot from just outside the box. Skipper Djeparov then put the hosts in front 60 seconds later, knocking home the loose ball after the Japanese defence failed to clear Alexander Geynrikh’s cross. The Blue Samurai, who were weakened by the absence of star men Keisuke Honda and Kengo Nakamura, poured forward in search of an equaliser while Victor Karpenko might have made it 2-0 with a long-range shot that almost caught out Japan ‘keeper Eiji Kawashima.
Tadanari Lee then struck the post for Japan just before the interval, but Alberto Zaccheroni’s side eventually pulled level in the 65th minute, Okazaki heading home Maja Josida’s cross.
