MELBOURNE: Son Heung-min scored his 50th international goal on Thursday as South Korea beat Kuwait 3-1 to take a big step toward an 11th successive World Cup appearance.
The Tottenham forward converted a penalty to make it 2-0 in the 19th minute and help South Korea earn a fourth successive win in Group B of Asia’s World Cup qualifiers to move five points clear at the top with five games to go.
Oh Se-hun headed in South Korea’s opener in the 10th minute and Son, who had just returned from a hamstring injury, extended the advantage after being fouled in the area. Mohammed Daham pulled a goal back with a spectacular strike with 30 minutes remaining but Bae Jun-ho sealed the win for the visitors.
“(Son is) such an important part of our team,” South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo said. “He just came back after being hobbled by injury.”
Jordan and Iraq stayed in second and third place on eight points after drawing 0-0 in Basra while Oman are now two points behind after defeating the Palestinian team 1-0.
In Group A, Iran defeated North Korea 3-2 in Laos to move onto 13 points, three clear of Uzbekistan which lost 3-2 at Qatar. The 2022 World Cup host stayed in fourth with seven points, level with the United Arab Emirates which defeated Kyrgyzstan 2-0.
In Group C, Australia and Saudi Arabia drew 0-0 in Melbourne and remained level on six points from five games and are joined by China, which defeated Bahrain 1-0 with an injury-time goal from Zhang Yuning. Leader Japan will move seven points clear if they can defeat Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday.
Only the top two of six in each group will qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup. The third- and fourth-place finishers will advance to the next stage.
Son scores 50th international goal as South Korea beat Kuwait in World Cup qualifying
https://arab.news/m7p2k
Son scores 50th international goal as South Korea beat Kuwait in World Cup qualifying
- Jordan and Iraq stayed in second and third place on eight points after drawing 0-0 in Basra
- Oman are now two points behind after defeating the Palestinian team 1-0
Joshua calls out rival Fury after knocking out Paul
- Joshua called out long-time rival Tyson Fury after the clash. “If you’re a real bad man, don’t do all that talking, ‘AJ this, AJ that,’ let’s see you in the ring and talk with your fists,” he said
MIAMI: Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua delivered a dose of reality to American Jake Paul with a savage sixth-round knockout that left the social-media-star-turned prize-fighter nursing a jaw broken in two places.
Joshua called out long-time rival Tyson Fury after the clash. “If you’re a real bad man, don’t do all that talking, ‘AJ this, AJ that,’ let’s see you in the ring and talk with your fists,” he said.
Paul managed to evade the heavily favored Briton through a lackluster first four rounds before Joshua found his range, knocking his opponent down twice in the fifth round and finishing him off with a devastating right hand in the sixth.
“It took a little bit longer than expected but the right hand finally found its destination,” said Joshua, who was returning to the ring after a 15-month layoff.
“Jake Paul has done really well tonight. I want to give him his props. He got up time and time again. It was difficult in there for him, but he kept trying to find a way.
“It takes a real man to do that ... but he came up against a real fighter tonight.”
Paul, who stepped up from cruiserweight for the bout and has brought a new audience to boxing through his fights and promotion company Most Valuable Promotions, was no match for Joshua’s size, strength and experience.
“I think my jaw is broken,” Paul, 28, said before spitting out blood. “It’s definitely broke but man, that was good.”
Paul later confirmed on social media that he had suffered a “double broken jaw,” uploading an X-ray showing two breaks while he joked he was ready to fight Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez in 10 days’ time.
“I’m going to come back and get a world championship belt at some point,” Paul said.
Others were not convinced.
“This is a clown show,” former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling posted on X.
Paul frustrated Joshua, and viewers, by diving at the Briton’s legs repeatedly and ending up on the canvas in the early rounds.
