Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: A look at the teams in Group B of Asia's third qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
GROUP B
AUSTRALIA
Opening game: September 1 v Iraq (HOME)
The reigning AFC Asian Cup champions lived up to their status as continental champions by winning seven out of eight of their Group B matches with the only slip coming away to Jordan, a defeat later avenged with an emphatic 5-1 hammering of the Hashemite Kingdom in the return fixture as the Socceroos sealed top spot in style.
After first appearing at the FIFA World Cup finals in 1974, Australia didn’t feature again until the tournament returned turned to Germany 30 years later, reaching the Round of 16 in 2006. They failed to get out of the Group Stage in the next two tournaments, although the ‘next generation’ Socceroos that would go onto win the 2015 AFC Asian Cup caught the eye with some impressive performances at Brazil 2014.
JAPAN
Opening game: September 1 v UAE (HOME)
Four-time Asian champions Japan stumbled at the first hurdle on the road to a sixth successive FIFA World Cup finals appearance when they were held to a goalless draw at home by Singapore. The stalemate in Saitama was a wake-up call for the Samurai Blue, who went on to top Group E after scoring 27 times without reply to win their next seven games, a run that ended with a 5-0 hammering of second-placed Syria in their final match.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/sin_jpn_md7_jpg.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/uae_vs_saudi_arabia__2018_fifa_world_cup_qualifiers_.html
