China's Wei Shihao (left) contests the ball with Japan's Ao Tanaka. — AFP

Japan's relentless performance edged them closer to securing their eighth consecutive World Cup qualification after a 3-1 victory over traditional rivals China on Tuesday. This commanding win marked Japan's fifth victory and one draw in Asian qualifying Group C, bringing them to the cusp of securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup. The top two teams from each of the three groups will advance to the prestigious event in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Group C's second-place position remains highly competitive following Indonesia's surprising 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia in Jakarta, with Marselino Ferdinan scoring both goals before and after halftime. This result leaves Australia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and China all tied on six points, with the Socceroos set to face Bahrain later on Tuesday, who currently have five points.

Japan, the group leaders, took a commanding two-goal lead by halftime through headers from Koki Ogawa and Ko Itakura. Lin Liangming managed to pull one back for China early in the second half, but Ogawa's second goal six minutes later dashed any hopes of a comeback, silencing the 45,000-strong crowd in Xiamen.

The match was marked by a hostile reception, with loud boos greeting the Japanese national anthem before kick-off and a brief interruption in the first half due to a pitch invasion by a fan. "It was challenging at times, and we understood that the first goal would be crucial," said Dutch-based striker Ogawa. This was Japan's first senior international match in China in nine years, and the game was played against a backdrop of historical rivalry between the two nations.

A significant police presence was noted outside the Xiamen Egret Stadium, where approximately 750 Japan fans were expected to attend. "All the players contributed to this victory today," said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu. "The players on the pitch, those on the bench, and those who weren't called up today — it was their energy that secured the win."

Japan made several changes to the team that defeated Indonesia 4-0 on Friday, with Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma and Crystal Palace's Daichi Kamada among those dropping to the bench. Ogawa opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a powerful header from a corner, and Japan doubled their lead just before halftime, again capitalizing on a corner. Koki Machida flicked on Junya Ito's delivery, and Itakura headed the ball home unmarked at the back post.

Despite trailing, China showed significant improvement from their 7-0 loss to Japan in Saitama in their opening group game. They pulled a goal back three minutes into the second half when Xie Wenneng cleverly dummied Wei Shihao's pass, allowing Lin to slot the ball past goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. However, China's joy was short-lived as Ogawa headed in another Ito cross six minutes later to restore Japan's two-goal advantage.

Japan's next fixtures in March are against Bahrain and Saudi Arabia at home, with a World Cup spot within reach. "These last two games were challenging as expected, but it was very positive to secure two wins," said Itakura. "There are many areas we need to improve, but it was a positive outcome, and we'll prepare for the next games."

Asia has eight direct slots for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will feature 48 teams. Eighteen teams have been divided into three groups of six each in the third round of the Asian qualifiers. The UAE are in Group A with Qatar, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and North Korea. South Korea, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, and Kuwait compete in Group B, while Group C includes Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, and Indonesia. The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the World Cup, with the third and fourth-placed teams competing in the six-team fourth round of qualifiers.

The six teams in the fourth round will be divided into two groups of three. The winners of each group will secure the last two direct slots for the World Cup, while the two runners-up will face off in a playoff. The winner of the Asian playoff will then compete in an inter-confederation playoff tournament against five other teams for the final two slots in the World Cup. The UAE has not qualified for the World Cup since their debut appearance at the global event in 1990.

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