07/06/2025

SPORTS SATURDAY | JUNE 7, 2025

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China suffer more World Cup heartbreak

SHORTS Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run

CHINA’S hopes of reaching only a second World Cup in their history were ended on Thursday after a 1-0 defeat to Patrick Kluivert’s Indonesia in Jakarta. Ole Romeny scored the only goal, his controversial penalty just before half time following a VAR check leaving China rooted to the bottom of Asian qualifying Group C with one game remaining. President Xi Jinping once said he wanted China to win the World Cup, but this defeat means they have still only been to the tournament once, in 2002. “As a coach of course I have the responsibility for the result,” said manager Branko Ivankovic, who will likely face calls to quit. The Croat said the future was bright for Chinese football despite the latest heartbreak. They have won just two of their nine games in this round of Asian qualifying, losing seven.

“We brought the new generations and players into team China. I think we brought the motivation as well, I think this is where the future will be,” said Ivankovic. The scrappy win leaves Indonesia in fourth spot to remain alive in qualifying for next year’s tournament in North America. Indonesia have 12 points with one game remaining, with teams finishing third and fourth going into a further round of qualifying for 2026. “The result is the most important thing. We are happy with the result. After this, we are going to build even more,” said Indonesia coach Kluivert, the Dutch great. “The things that we wanted to see came off in the game. I am very proud of my team.” Fed-up Chinese football fans and pundits expressed dismay yesterday. Football commentator Zhan Jun said Branko Ivankovic’s men lost “due to lack of experience,

lack of ability and poor handling of details”. The Croatian coach’s tactics were “not suitable for the team” and put too much pressure on defensive midfielder Wang Shangyuan, Zhan wrote on the Weibo social media site. Veteran pundit Ji Yuyang complained that Ivankovic’s leadership had let the team down and that the coach was “not as good as several of his predecessors”. China’s long-suffering fans vented online. One said that “these national players simply don’t realise that the point of football is to kick the ball into the opponents’ goal”. “They only know how to stupidly chase the ball!” The national team play again on Tuesday in the southwestern city of Chongqing in what is now a deadrubber against similarly eliminated Bahrain. – Reuters/AFP

HAJIME MORIYASU has already led Japan to qualification for next year’s World Cup finals but there was no disguising his frustration at his understrength side losing 1-0 to Australia in Perth on Thursday. “It ended up being an extremely frustrating and disappointing result,” Moriyasu told reporters. “Many inexperienced players were in action, but they were enthusiastic in practice, showed their best, and were prepared to fight like Japan as a team. “I don’t think we were technically and physically second best. Maybe, a lack of experience cost us,” Moriyasu said “I wanted to see what (inexperienced) players could do in a high-pressure environment. We have to improve and expand our squad.” Japan round out their qualifying campaign against Indonesia in Suita on Tuesday and Moriyasu said his team would be aiming to get back to winning ways. South Korea turn focus to 2026 COACH Hong Myung-bo immediately turned his thoughts to next year’s World Cup in North America after South Korea secured qualification following a turbulent campaign. Hong’s side belatedly saw off 10-man Iraq 2-0 in front of a noisy Basra crowd on Thursday to seal an 11th straight World Cup appearance. Substitutes Oh Hyeon-gyu and Kim Jin kyu scored in the second half to send South Korea through with a game to spare. “Now that today’s match is over and our qualification is confirmed, we will focus everything on the World Cup from this point forward,” Hong told reporters. “There are many things to consider but I believe we need to prepare step by step, steadily, for the World Cup finals.” South Korea top Group B from Jordan with five wins and four draws but it has not been an easy qualifying campaign. South Korea host Kuwait on Tuesday in their last qualifier. Uzbekistan savour sweet taste of success UZBEKISTAN coach Timur Kapadze lauded the efforts of his players after the Central Asian country qualified for the World Cup for the first time. The White Wolves claimed their spot at the expanded 48-team 2026 finals on Thursday with a 0-0 draw in the United Arab Emirates, which guaranteed Kapadze’s side a top-two finish in Group A, alongside already-qualified Iran. Uzbekistan have tried and failed to qualify seven times since their independence after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, suffering heartbreak in the final stage of continental qualifiers for Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014. A genuine force in Asia since their 1994 Asian Games triumph, the Uzbekistan FA has invested heavily in youth development in the attempt to take the final step onto the world stage. Kapadze has reaped the dividends with a young generation of players, including Manchester City’s 21-year-old centreback Abdukodir Khusanov at his disposal. “We have achieved an important result after a long and difficult journey. A lot of work was done for this result, I sincerely congratulate our people,” Kapadze told Uzbekistan’s online publication Zamin . “This is not only our victory, but the victory of our entire people. Our players showed determination in every match, worked with all their might, and we achieved the result.”

Lacklustre Ancelotti debut … as Brazil held to goalless draw at Ecuador C ARLO ANCELOTTI got off to a disappointing start as Brazil coach in yesterday’s South American World new coach only last month, tasked with pulling the team back from a difficult period – a challenging mission as they seek to become six-time world champions.

Cup qualifiers, drawing 0-0 against runners-up Ecuador, putting the Italian manager under considerable pressure. Brazil were unable to break down Ecuador’s organised defence and had few chances in the first half, the clearest coming from a Vinicius Jr attempt assisted by Gerson that was saved by goalkeeper Gonzalo Valle. Ecuador threatened in the second half when John Yeboah attempted a through ball, but striker Nilson Angulo was caught offside. Ancelotti’s side created more chances, but failed to capitalise, with Richarlison squandering a well-placed pass from Vinicius Jr in the box and Casemiro’s powerful long-range shot being saved by Valle. “Of course we always have to improve, but little by little we’re getting better. It’s only been two or three days with a new coach. The dynamic is good, the atmosphere is good. I’m very happy to be back. The atmosphere is excellent,” Casemiro said after the match. “Ancelotti hasn’t had time to show us his game plan yet. It’s only been two or three days of training,” Vinicius added. Brazil remain in fourth place with 22 points. Ancelotti was appointed as the

Their next opponents are third-placed Paraguay, who won 2–0 against Uruguay earlier. Meanwhile, Ecuador are closer to qualifying, remaining in second place with 24 points. The top six teams qualify directly for next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. They play ninth-placed Peru on Wednesday. – Reuters LIST OF QUALIFIED TEAMS FOR THE 2026 WORLD CUP United States – Best perform ance: Third place (1930) Mexico – Best performance: Quarterfinals (1970, 1986) Canada – Best performance: Group stage (1986, 2022) Japan – Best performance: Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022) New Zealand – Best perform ance: Group stage (1982, 2010) Iran – Best performance: Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022) Argentina – Best performance: Winners (1978, 1986, 2022) Uzbekistan – Best perform ance: Never previously quali fied. South Korea – Best perform ance: Fourth place (2002) Jordan – Best performance: Never previously qualified.

Ecuador’s Angelo Preciado (left) and Brazil’s Alex Sandro fight for the ball during the 2026 Fifa World Cup South American qualifiers match. – AFPPIC

Socceroos perfect the art of qualifying ugly TONY POPOVIC would not deny that his Australia team are tough to watch at times but the former centre half has done what he was brought in to do and taken them to the brink of qualification for the 2026 World Cup. point, and we want to go to Saudi Arabia now and really finish the job off.” Saudi Arabia was the site of Popovic’s greatest triumph as a club coach in 2014, when his Western Sydney Wanderers team drew 0-0 with powerhouse Al Hilal in Riyadh to become Asian champions in only the second year of the club’s existence.

with four wins and three draws, having conceded just five goals and scored 14 in the seven games. Popovic acknowledged there was plenty of room for improvement but said the seconds before Behich’s goal proved there was already a strong platform of resilience to build on. “Although football wise, we need to get better, and we will get better, but in that moment, the 90th minute, we had six players in the box, six players trying to score a goal,” he said. “We were tough, we kept a clean sheet, and we’ve done something that many Australian sides have found hard to do.” – Reuters

The Socceroos were distinctly second best to an understrength Japan in Perth on Thursday but Aziz Behich’s late winner means they only have to avoid a 5-0 loss to Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Tuesday to punch their ticket. “It was a special, special night,” Popovic told reporters. “The outpouring of emotions when we scored, and obviously after the game, yeah, they are moments I’ll always remember. “We’ve all played a part in getting us to this

It was partly that continental experience that encouraged Football Australia to bring Popovic in as coach last September when Graham Arnold quit with the World Cup qualification in trouble. The football has not always been pretty but the Socceroos are unbeaten since he took over