Manama: Bahrain defeated Uzbekistan 1-0 at the National Stadium yesterday to book a place in the World Cup Asian playoffs.
The win ensured they finished third in Group One behind Australia and Japan, who both qualified automatically for South Africa 2010.
Bahrain next play the third-placed team from Group Two, still to be determined, over two legs with the winners advancing to a home and away playoff against Oceania winners New Zealand for a place in South Africa.
Bahrain needed a draw on Wednesday to secure their spot in the playoffs but grabbed all three points when Mahmood Abdulrahman scored in the 74th minute.
Earlier on the day, Australia came from behind in Melbourne to beat Japan 2-1 with a second-half double from Tim Cahill to finish top of Asian World Cup qualifying Group One.
Both countries had already reached the 2010 finals in South Africa with their last qualifier, played out by second-string teams, deciding who would take the plaudits in the group.
Cahill struck just before the hour and in the 77th minute after Japan’s Brazilian-born defender Tulio ended Australia’s seven-game streak of clean sheets with a header in the 40th.
The result left Australia on top of the group with 20 points, five more than Japan. They conceded only one goal in eight matches and were unbeaten in their final round of qualifying.
In Seoul, Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung scored a second-half equalizer to give South Korea a 1-1 draw against Iran and close out their World Cup qualifying without a loss.
The goal from team captain Park means Asian Group 2 winners South Korea end their qualifying campaign with four wins and four draws from their eight games, along with a coveted place at the table in South Africa next year.
Iran finish with 11 points and their hopes for advancing hinged on the result of the Saudi Arabia-North Korea match, which was to begin later yesterday in Riyadh.
The scoring opened early in the second half when Mohammad Nosrati lofted in a cross that was met by a pack of Iranian and South Korean players in the goal mouth.
South Korean keeper Lee Woon-Jae dived to deflect the ball, which replays appeared to show bounced off the leg of the charging Masoud Shojaei in the 51st minute.
Seven minutes later, Lee was tested again when he jumped to punch out a free kick by Mehdi Mahdavikia over a crowd of Iranian players.
South Korea’s Park Chu-Young had two close calls as the hosts tried to level the score.
In the 63rd minute, the AS Monaco forward dummied two defenders deep in the box to launch a left-foot shot, but Iranian keeper Mehdi Rahmati saved it with his left leg from point-blank range. - Reuters |
