Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Vientiane: Japan and Australia recorded opening wins over Laos (2-0) and the Philippines (6-0) respectively as their AFC U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016 Group J qualifying campaigns got underway on Friday.
In what proved to be a closely contested first half, it took the Japanese until six minutes before the break to open the scoring through eventual Player of the Match Koki Ogawa.
Substitute Akito Takagi then added to his side's tally with a strike on 62 minutes to give the East Asians a morale boosting three-point haul.
Meanwhile, in the group's earlier game, Australia led the Philippines 4-0 at the break before adding two more goals one of which came second half injury time.
Nicholas D’Agostino opened the scoring on eight minutes, before Steve Kuzmanovski doubled the advantage on 14 minutes and then bagged a second on the 39th minute mark.
George Mells (28’), Alusine Fofanah (78’) and substitute Dejan Pandurevic (90+1’) were also go on the score-sheet for Paul Okon’s side.
Ten group winners and five best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals while hosts Bahrain received an automatic qualification (total 16 teams).
If Bahrain finish top of their qualifying group or one of the five second best-placed teams, the next (6th) second-placed team will qualify for the final competition.