Saudi Arabia, Japan qualify for 2022 FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar

Saudi national football team qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, after the Japanese team defeated Australia 2-0 on Thursday, securing their qualification with the Saudi counterpart for the World Cup Championship hosted in Qatar.

Read also: Saudi Railways Starts First Passenger Services to Al-Qurayyat

Australia came third among the Group B teams and will play in the Asian play-offs against the third-placed team in Asian Group A. The winner will then meet the fifth-placed team from South America for the right to play in Qatar later this year.

Japan qualified for a seventh successive World Cup after beating Australia 2-0 in Sydney and ending the Socceroos' chances of automatic qualification on Thursday.

The result also qualified Saudi Arabia from Asia Group B.

Japan was on top of the group with 21 points, two ahead of Saudi Arabia before it faced China later Thursday.

Australia remained in qualifying contention in third place. It faced a playoff against the third-place team from Group A, currently the United Arab Emirates, and a possible final game against South American opposition.

The two late goals from substitute Kaoru Mitoma ended an entertaining game during which Japan had been wasteful. Takumi Minamino came close on five occasions.

Australia, however, thought it took the lead after 26 minutes when Gianni Stensness headed home a corner only for the referee to rule Trent Sainsbury fouled goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda.