RIYADH: Saudi Arabia secured a 1-0 victory over a 10-man China in Riyadh on Thursday, reigniting their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.
Salem Al-Dawsari’s second-half strike lifted Herve Renard’s squad to third place in Group C, just one point behind Australia in the race for automatic qualification and three points clear of Indonesia, Bahrain, and China.
Japan cemented their dominance with a 2-0 win over Bahrain, maintaining a nine-point lead at the top of the group and becoming the first nation to officially qualify for the tournament. Earlier in the day, Australia’s emphatic 5-1 victory over Indonesia intensified the pressure on Saudi Arabia, who desperately needed a win after securing just two points from their previous four qualification matches. With a daunting trip to Japan looming, only three points would suffice.
The Green Falcons controlled possession early and nearly broke the deadlock midway through the first half when Nawaf Boushal’s curling effort rattled the underside of the crossbar. Eight minutes before halftime, Faisal Al-Ghamdi bundled home a cross from Musab Al-Juwayr, but the goal was disallowed for handball after a VAR review.
China’s woes deepened in first-half stoppage time when Lin Liangming was sent off for a reckless challenge on Hassan Kadesh, who had scored twice in Saudi Arabia’s previous win over China but had to be stretchered off after the tackle.
The breakthrough finally arrived five minutes after the interval. Ayman Yahya’s shot from the left side of the area was parried by Wang Dalei, but Saud Abdulhamid quickly squared the rebound to Al-Dawsari, who clinically finished from close range ending Saudi Arabia’s 410-minute goal drought in the qualification campaign.
Despite relentless attacking play, the hosts couldn't extend their lead, but the lone goal proved enough for a vital win.
The top two teams in the six-team group earn automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, while the third- and fourth-placed teams advance to a playoff phase.
[Reported by Arab News]
