China wrecked Australia's hopes of a home win to round off their Asian World Cup qualifying campaign with a shock 1-0 victory yesterday.
The Chinese, already eliminated after a dismal campaign, clinched victory with a thunderbolt volley from defender Sun Xiang in the first half.
China even had the luxury of missing a twice-taken penalty from skipper Zheng Zhi as they salvaged something from the wreckage of their qualification bid with their only win in six qualifying games.
PHOTO: AP
Serbian Vladimir Petrovic, bitter at the fall-out directed at him over China’s unfulfilled campaign, confirmed afterward that it was his last game as China’s coach.
“This victory is not very important for us because we already lost the qualification for the World Cup,” Petrovic said. “For Chinese journalists there is always something mystical. When we win it’s not good and when we’re beaten it’s not good as well.”
It was Dutch coach Pim Verbeek’s second defeat as Australia coach, with the Socceroos finishing their group with 10 points from three wins and a draw.
Australia, who had already clinched their place in September’s final qualifying phase, used only four players, including skipper Harry Kewell, from last weekend’s victory over Qatar, relying predominantly on Olympic under-23 squad members.
They could not recover from Sun’s shock 12th-minute goal and endured a frustrating night of near-misses and fitful lead-up play in front of 70,000 expectant supporters.
A freak late goal from defender Atsuto Uchida gave Japan a 1-0 home win over Bahrain in a qualifier played in monsoon conditions yesterday.
Both sides had already secured their places in the final round of Asian 2010 World Cup qualifiers, but Japan’s victory in rain-soaked Saitama meant they finished top of Group 2.
Japan had looked like settling for second place behind the Gulf side in the group standings until Uchida’s 89th minute fluke goal.
As Bahrain struggled to clear the ball, Uchida’s harmless-looking header back into the box bounced over Bahrain goalkeeper Sayed Jaffer and into the back of the net.
South Korea and North Korea played out a drab 0-0 draw.
Both teams had already secured their places in the final stage of qualifying, rendering the game meaningless on paper. But it had historical significance as the first official match in Seoul between the two since the Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953, not a peace treaty.
Both Koreas finished the group on 12 points, with the South having a better goal difference.
■ AFRICA
AFP, JOHANNESBURG
Nigeria outplayed Equatorial Guinea 2-0 on Saturday and became the first country to reach the final phase of the 2010 World Cup-Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Everton striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu scored in first-half stoppage time and substitute Ikechukwu Uche sealed the success with a superb solo goal six minutes from time in the capital Abuja. The result maintained the perfect record of the Super Eagles in Group 4 with 12 points from four outings and they cannot be caught by South Africa or Sierra Leone, who share second spot with four points each.
Woeful South Africa created hardly any clearcut chances when held 0-0 in Atteridgeville on the outskirts of Pretoria by Sierra Leone, a country 33 places lower on the FIFA Africa rankings. While Bafana Bafana are guaranteed a place at the World Cup as the hosts, they must compete in the preliminaries to try and secure a place at the Cup of Nations in Angola.
Samuel Eto’o scored a late winner as five-time World Cup qualifiers Cameroon defeated Tanzania 2-1 in a Group 1 Yaounde clash.
Barcelona striker and three-time African Footballer of the Year Eto’o was the star for Cameroon, opening the scoring on 67 minutes and snatching the winner after Danny Mrwanda leveled in the Cameroon capital. The Indomitable Lions top the group, four points ahead of Cape Verde Islands, who played Mauritius in Praia late yesterday and should win to be just a point behind before entering a top-of-the-table clash in September.
Zambia also snatched a late goal to edge 10-man Swaziland 1-0 in a Group 11 thriller.
Zambia needed a Christopher Katongo goal from the penalty spot five minutes before time to get the better of brave Swaziland, who had Sihawu Dlamini sent off on the stroke of halftime in the northern town of Chililabombwe. Another home win for the Zambian Chipolopolo against shock 2006 World Cup qualifiers Togo in September would seal top spot and a place among the 20 countries in the third round.
High profile Frenchman Roger Lemerre ended a seven-year reign as Tunisia coach with a stormy 2-1 victory over Burundi this weekend.
The Group 9 clash near Tunis erupted midway through the opening half when visiting goalkeeper Janvier Ndikumana was sent off after conceding a penalty and a nine-minute protest ensued, before Chaouki Ben Saada converted the free-kick. Prolific scorer Issam Jomaa added a second goal on 43 minutes only for 10-man Burundi to reduce the arrears nine minutes into first half stoppage time through Henry Mbazumutima.
It was the third consecutive win for the Carthage Eagles and they remain three points behind surprise pacesetters Burkina Faso, who walloped lowly Seychelles 4-1 in Ouagadougou.
Charles Kabore and Mamamoudou Kere gave the Stallions a two-goal advantage, Bernard Saint-Ange pulled one back on the stroke of halftime and Boureima Ouattara and Issouf Kone were on target in the second half.
Morocco exacted revenge for a shock Group 8 away loss to Rwanda last weekend by winning 2-0 in Casablanca through goals from Youssef Safri and Nabil al-Zhar.
Senegal stayed on course to win Group 6 by outplaying Liberia 3-1 in Dakar courtesy of goals from Ibrahima Sonko, El-Hadji Diouf and substitute Henri Camara. Zah Krangar, snatched a last-minute consolation goal for the Lone Stars.
Results from the CONCACAF World Cup 2010 qualifiers played on Saturday:
• Mexico 7, Belize 0 (agg: 9-0)
• Guatemala 4, St. Lucia 1 (agg: 7-1)
• Costa Rica 3, Grenada 0 (agg: 5-2)
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