Jordan and Uzbekistan have made history recently, as both teams qualified for the World Cup for the first time, giving their fans something to cheer about. They achieved this by clinching a Top 2 spot in the third-round group stage, with Uzbekistan finishing behind Iran in Group A and Jordan finishing behind South Korea in Group B. These two neophytes will join Iran, South Korea, Japan, and Australia, with several others expected to join them after the next few rounds and in the inter-confederation play-offs.
Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, Palestine, Bahrain, China, and Kuwait are officially eliminated from World Cup 2026 contention after finishing at the bottom of their groups. On the other hand, UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia will battle for the last few spots.
Just in case you missed the football action in Asia, you can learn about the latest World Cup 2026 updates in today’s SBOTOP recap.
Olwan seals the deal for Jordan
Jordan only needed one win to clinch their spot in next year’s World Cup after Iraq dropped their game against South Korea, and that’s what they did. Jamal Sellami’s men secured a 3-0 win over Oman, as top scorer Ali Olwan went off at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex last Friday.
The Selangor striker recorded a rare hat-trick against the hosts. He gave Jordan a one-goal lead before halftime by converting his penalty after teammate Mohannad Taha drew a foul inside the box. Olwan got his second six minutes after the halftime break by side-footing home a brilliant pass from Yazan Al-Naimat. His third came in the 64th minute when he caught Oman goalkeeper Faiz Al-Rushaidi out of position and away from his net. Overall, Olwan has notched nine goals in the Asian qualifiers.
Jordan lost 1-0 to Iraq earlier today, but the result was a little too late for the Mesopotamian Lions. Jordanian fans are in pandemonium back home, and the national team players received praise from His Majesty King Abdullah II.
“I wholeheartedly congratulate the sons and daughters of our dear people on our national football team’s qualification for the World Cup finals. This historic qualification is well-deserved by our team, which includes stars and cadres of whom we are proud. Special thanks go to our loyal fans who have been our support and encouragement,” Abdullah II wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Uzbekistan’s undefeated streak is enough
Uzbekistan head coach Timur Kapadze can finally breathe a sigh of relief because his team clinched their first World Cup appearance after years of heartbreak. The White Wolves booked their spot because they’re in superb form, going undefeated in their last five third-round matches (W3, D2).
After a goalless draw against the UAE last Friday, Uzbekistan notched a dominant 3-0 win over Qatar at Bunyodkor Stadium yesterday to end up with at least a six-point cushion over third-seeded UAE (15 points).
Azizbek Turgunboev opened the scoring in the 28th minute by evading two tackles and launching a screamer that gave Qatar goalkeeper Salah Zakaria no chance to save the ball. Eldor Shomurodov and Jaloliddin Masharipov kept Qatar’s backline on their toes the whole evening.
Shomurodov scored Uzbekistan’s second goal in the 86th minute when he latched onto a long pass from Jamshid Iskanderov, controlled the ball, and unleashed a left foot shot past the outstretched arms of Zakaria. Igor Sergeev put the final nail in the coffin with a close-range header during stoppage time.
With Shomurodov and Abbosbek Fayzullaev leading the attack and Abdukodir Khusanov marshalling the backline, Uzbekistan have a bright future ahead of them, and they’re ready to defy the World Cup 2026 odds.
Japan fresh from a dominant performance
Japan finished their World Cup 2026 Asian qualifiers campaign in style by registering a 6-0 rout of Indonesia yesterday at Suita City Stadium, with five players on the scoresheet for the Samurai Blue.
Daichi Kamada scored twice in the first half to help Japan build a three-goal lead. His first was a header in the 15th minute, and after Takefusa Kubo doubled the advantage four minutes later, Kamada added another one during stoppage time. Ryoya Morishita and Shuto Machino scored the fourth and fifth goals in the 55th and 58th minutes, and Mao Hosoya came off the bench and put on the finishing touches with the sixth goal in the 80th minute.
Before this, Japan suffered a 1-0 loss against Australia last Thursday, prompting head coach Hajime Moriyasu to make drastic lineup changes against Indonesia. Kubo took the captain’s armband, and the Real Sociedad winger repaid his manager’s trust.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
