Underdog Krause Shocks World Pool Champion as Arab Players Shine

Palestine made history on Thursday as they secured a spot in the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the first time ever with a goalless draw against Lebanon in Doha. This achievement comes on the heels of their debut appearance in the Asian Cup knockout phase earlier this year.

Despite facing rough tactics from Lebanon, Palestine only needed a draw to progress and they managed to hold on to secure their spot in the next round. This will be the fourth consecutive time that Palestine has qualified for the AFC Asian Cup finals, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia in 2027.

Manager Makram Daboub’s team will now face Australia on June 11 in their next match. Australia, who defeated Bangladesh 2-0, had Bayern Munich-bound Nestory Irankunda make his debut and play a key role in their victory.

In other matches, South Korea dominated Singapore with Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min both scoring twice in a 7-0 win. Meanwhile, India legend Sunil Chhetri made his final appearance for his country in an emotional goalless draw against Kuwait, receiving a guard of honor from nearly 59,000 fans in Kolkata.

In the Middle East, Afghanistan held reigning Asian champion Qatar to a surprising goalless draw, while the United Arab Emirates defeated Nepal 4-0 and Saudi Arabia secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Pakistan.

South Korea’s victory over Lebanon secured their top spot in Asia Group C and passage to the final qualifying stage. Their next match against China will determine the second qualifying place in the group.

Iraq continued their winning streak with a 2-0 victory over Indonesia, who finished the game with 10 men after a red card. Vietnam’s thrilling 3-2 win over the Philippines keeps them in contention for the second qualifying spot, while Japan cruised past Myanmar 5-0.

Overall, it was a day of historic achievements and intense competition in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with teams from across Asia battling for a chance to make their mark on the global stage.