UAE, Iraq play to thrilling draw

Caio Canedo fired the hosts ahead midway through the first half, but a Mohamad Al Attas own goal 16 minutes from time gave the visitors a foothold, and substitute Aymen Hussein sparked mass celebration among the Iraqis when he put them ahead in the 90th minute, only for Ali Mabkhout to snatch an equaliser in the fourth minute of added time.

It was a thrilling encounter, but the result does little to help either side’s hopes of direct qualification for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, with both UAE and Iraq sitting seven points behind group leaders Islamic Republic of Iran, and five adrift of second placed Korea Republic.

China PR scored twice in the second half, but it was not enough to mount a comeback as the Saudis held on to earn their first-ever win against the Chinese in FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Korea Republic looked set to claim their first ever away win at the Azadi Stadium when Son Heung-min put them ahead three minutes after half-time, but a stirring fightback and Jahanbakhsh’s towering header gave the hosts a share of the spoils.

The result ends Iran’s 10-game winning streak under head coach Dragan Skočić, but keeps them clear on top of the group on 10 points from four matches, while Paulo Bento’s side remain two adrift after four of 10 Final Round matches.

Behich bundled the ball over his own line after Maty Ryan struggled to deal with Takmua Asano’s looping shot, which came back off the post before being redirected into the Socceroos’ goal.

The win earns Japan a FIFA World Cup lifeline after only one win in their previous three matches and came after Ajdin Hrustic had cancelled out Ao Tanaka’s early effort with a stunning 69th minute free-kick.

Caio Canedo fired the hosts ahead midway through the first half, but a Mohamad Al Attas own goal 16 minutes from time gave the visitors a foothold, and substitute Aymen Hussein sparked mass celebration among the Iraqis when he put them ahead in the 90th minute, only for Ali Mabkhout to snatch an equaliser in the fourth minute of added time.

It was a thrilling encounter, but the result does little to help either side’s hopes of direct qualification for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, with both UAE and Iraq sitting seven points behind group leaders Islamic Republic of Iran, and five adrift of second placed Korea Republic.

Syria had scored two goals in the first three matches while Lebanon had yet to score prior to this match, but with both sides needing a win to kickstart their campaigns, a five-goal thriller was produced with elite counter-attacking play contributing to a mesmerising encounter between the two neighbours in Jordan.

Oman had lost two games on the trot after a famous opening day win against Japan, while Vietnam were yet to get off the mark, losing all three of their games, most recently 3-2 against China PR.

Guam took the lead through Devan Mendiola in the first half, but a tenacious Cambodian side came back stronger after the break with goals from Sos Suhana and substitute Keo Sokpheng securing the win.

Guam kicked off the match on the attacking foot as they sought to reverse their 1-0 first leg defeat and were successful in containing the Southeast Asians within their own half in the opening minutes.

Guam had their first sight on goal in the 10th minute when Jason Cunliffe collected Jonahan Romero’s long-range pass, but his run was cut short by the Cambodian defence, before Devan Mendiola failed to convert the loose ball from inside the box.

UAE, Iraq play to thrilling draw