Kuala Lumpur: In a year after national team football, only one match of the Asian Qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2020 AFC China Asian Cup was played, with Qatar against Bangladesh on 4 December.
The Group E match ended 5-0 in favor of Qatar, bringing the defending champions one step closer to qualifying for the 2023 China AFC Asian Cup.
As guests, Qatar are certain of their place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup but for the remaining 39 teams, there is still to play in the Asian qualifiers.
While some may already be running for places in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it is still in the process of advancing to the third round of qualifying for the Cup. Asian AFC China 2023.
With that in mind, all the teams will be putting in extra work in preparation for the resumption of the Asian qualifications in March.
Five perfect wins from five games have marked Syria out not only as Group A leaders ahead of China PR but it sees the West Asian country stand out above the entire qualification level with the best result so far.
The Syrians put themselves in a pole position to secure their place in the next round of warrants, sitting eight points ahead of Li Tie’s side although, with the Chinese having played one game less, the the fight for third-level boxes is still alive.
The Philippines, which drew a stunning 0-0 draw with the Chinese in Bacolod in October 2019, is level on seven points with China, with the Maldives another point of concern while Guam are out of contention.
Meanwhile, Australia and Japan are the only other teams with unrecorded records, with both sides winning their first four games in Group B and F respectively to be in a position. strong for looking forward to the next round as well.
Graham Arnold’s side are two points ahead of Kuwait after playing one game less than West Asia’s side, with the Socceroos already finding winners against their opponents as they watch qualification for the fifth consecutive FIFA World Cup.
The Japanese are in an even stronger position after winning all their games against their opponents in Group F and Hajime Moriyasu’s team are five points clear of second-placed Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, with Myanmar the other point.
Elsewhere, however, the battle for the slots in the next phase of warranting is exciting. The winners of each of the eight groups are guaranteed to go on while a box is also earned by the four runners-up with the best records.
If Qatar wins Group E, the fifth-best team in second place will advance to the third round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, which will also seal a qualification for the finals of the 2023 China Asian Cup.
As a result, the fight for points is definitely intensifying when play begins, with Matchdays 7 and 8 scheduled for March 25 and 30 while Matchdays 9 and 10 are set for June 7 and 15. .
Iraq will lead a two-point lead over Bahrain in Group C but both teams have played five games for the four rivals of Islamic Republic of Iran, which are in third place on six points.
Team Melli head coach Dragan Skocic will be looking to close the five-point gap with the Iraqis once they play again against Hong Kong while the Asian Centrals face looking to qualify for the third round of the FIFA World Cup.
In Group D, Uzbekistan are top with nine points from their first five games but lead Saudi Arabia by a lone point, with Herve Renard ‘s side holding the game in hand at the expense of Vadim Abramov.
The Saudis will face Yemen in the next round of matches and, with Uzbekistan on a week off when the games begin in March, the five-time FIFA World Cup qualifiers would move to a pole position with a win over the West Asian teammates. .
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will host Qatar E’s top group with just a 0-0 draw with India pushing their record over their first six games and leading Oman’s Felix Sanchez side with four points – after playing a game more – as the West Asian pair gain the upper hand in leading events in Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh.
Vietnam, meanwhile, are in the driver’s seat in Group G as they maintain a two-point lead over Malaysia in an interesting group where five points separate the first four teams. This Hang-Park side holds the lead with 11 points, with Malaysia on nine and Thailand another point behind.
The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, are fourth in the group with six points but the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying team has a game over the teams above them and a win over Malaysia in their next game would draw the West Asians back into the account. .
The Republic of Korea’s effort to expand their record of a consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance to double figures is still alive, even as Paulo Bento’s side sit second in Group H behind Turkmenistan.
The Taeguk Warriors are a point behind the Central Asian side but have played one game less, with both countries set to go out in the next game day. The Republic of Korea currently has eight points and shares that total with Lebanon and DPR Korea who, like Turkmenistan, have played five times.