SYDNEY: Australia’s Scottish connection helped them to a 2-0 victory over a determined Lebanon on Thursday to take a step closer to the 2026 World Cup.
St. Mirren midfielder Keanu Baccus struck early in the first half before Hearts defender Kye Rowles added a second on 54 minutes in front of a near-full house of 27,000 at Sydney’s Parramatta Stadium.
It was their first international goals and kept Australia unbeaten on the road to the 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
With three wins from three, they top Asian Group I after previously putting seven unanswered goals past Bangladesh before a 1-0 away win against Palestine.
They face Lebanon — who drew 0-0 against both Palestine and Bangladesh — again in Canberra next week with victory ensuring they progress to the next stage of qualifying.
“It’s very satisfying. Obviously the most important thing is a win and the clean sheet,” said Australian midfielder Connor Metcalfe.
“But we can do a lot better. We were too sloppy and too many easy mistakes, but happy with the win.”
A record eight direct spots and one intercontinental playoff berth are at stake for Asian Football Confederation sides, from nine groups of four.
The top two from each group go through to the final qualifying round for 2026.
Fellow Asian heavyweights Japan and South Korea play later Thursday, against North Korea and Thailand respectively.
Japan are targeting an eighth straight World Cup and the Koreans an 11th.
Asian champions Qatar, the 2022 World Cup hosts, meet Kuwait in Doha.
Back in action for the first time since their disappointing quarter-final exit at the Asian Cup in Qatar, Baccus opened the scoring for Australia with a stroke of luck.
After intercepting a pass, he ran down the right and whipped in a looping cross that curled past flummoxed Lebanon goalkeeper Mostafa Matar, who seemed to think it was going wide.
Both sides created half-chances as the match opened up, but they struggled to capitalize, with Australia taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
But Rowles made no mistake nine minutes into the second half, blasting home a half-volley when the ball fell to him after bouncing around in the box following a corner.
Australia step closer to 2026 World Cup with Lebanon win
https://arab.news/c4wf5
Australia step closer to 2026 World Cup with Lebanon win
- With three wins from three, they top Asian Group I
- The top two from each group go through to the final qualifying round for 2026
Kane double fires Bayern into Champions League last 16
- The six-time European champions sit second in the standings behind Arsenal ahead of their last league-phase outing at PSV Eindhoven next week
MUNICH, Germany: Harry Kane scored twice in three second-half minutes as Bayern Munich saw off Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.
Bayern joined Arsenal in sealing a top-eight finish in the 36-team table with a game to spare, avoiding a potential two-legged knockout play-off round.
The six-time European champions sit second in the standings behind Arsenal ahead of their last league-phase outing at PSV Eindhoven next week.
Kane headed in from a corner before winning and converting a penalty to put the hosts firmly in control.
The England captain had a chance for a hat-trick but missed a late spot-kick, after Bayern center-back Kim Min-jae had been dismissed for a second yellow card.
“Coming back into the second half we wanted to show more intensity and I think we did that,” Kane told DAZN.
“We scored at the right times, were a bit unlucky with the red card but even after that when we went down to 10 men we controlled the game well and earned the three points.”
Bayern’s Champions League defeat at Arsenal remains their only loss in all competitions this season, in which they have also already opened up an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga.
Kane’s second goal was his 34th of the campaign, bringing Bayern’s total tally to 103 strikes from 29 games.
Bayern were sluggish in the opening half, perhaps unsettled by the absence of their 9,300-strong ultra contingent, with the lower stand closed due to a UEFA sanction for setting off pyrotechnics.
“We’re used to that from the Covid period, of course, but fundamentally we always want the fans there in a sold-out stadium — unfortunately it wasn’t possible today,” Bayern captain Manuel Neuer told DAZN.
The best chance of the opening half fell to Belgian champions Union SG.
With half an hour played, an unmarked Promise David got away from the Bayern defense and had just Neuer to beat, but headed his effort directly at the goalkeeper.
Bayern needed a set-piece to break the deadlock with 52 minutes gone.
Michael Olize lofted the ball into the six-yard area and Kane found space at the near post to head his side in front.
One minute later, Kane was felled by Union ‘keeper Kjell Scherpen and stepped up to double Bayern’s lead.
Kim, handed a rare start with Dayot Upamecano out sick, was sent off in the 63rd minute, picking up a second yellow for yanking Raul Florucz’s arm as the winger went on the attack.
But the red card did not disrupt Bayern’s flow.
Kane uncharacteristically blasted a penalty against the bar with 10 minutes left, while Olize chipped another opportunity over with just Scherpen to beat.
