Hong Kong: Japan and Australia marched towards the next stage of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup but South Korea dropped points despite leading through talisman Son Heung-min.
Later, Iran defeated Turkmenistan, Asian champions Qatar defeated Kuwait and Saudi Arabia won over Tajikistan as the Middle Eastern heavyweights remained unbeaten.
And Palestine, their supporters in a war-torn Gaza between Israel and Hamas, fired five unanswered goals past a leaky Bangladesh to win in Group I.
In Tokyo, Germany midfielder Ao Tanaka scored the only goal after two minutes to give Japan a nervy 1-0 win over North Korea.
With three wins from three, Japan is firmly on course to reach the third stage of World Cup qualification in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
North Korea, still in the hunt despite defeat, were cheered on by a vocal contingent of supporters from Japan’s 300,000-strong ethnic Korean community.
“We wanted to bring good results to our compatriots, but we failed to do so, and for that we are very sorry,” said North Korean coach Sin Yong Nam.
Japan and North Korea are set to meet again on Tuesday in a match that was supposed to be played in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.
However, according to Japan’s football boss, it looks set to move after the North Koreans told Japan at half-time they could not host it.
Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan barely sparkled but it was a welcome if unconvincing return to winning ways after a disappointing Asian Cup quarter-final exit.
Another team looking to advance from the Asian Cup was South Korea, who hosted Thailand in Seoul.
Spurs skipper and ace Son scored in the first half but the Koreans were held to a 1-1 draw in their first game since Jurgen Klinsmann’s sacking.
It was also the first match since the revelation of the debacle between Son and Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in at the Asian Cup, where South Korea lost 2-0 to Jordan in the last four.
Son was left with a dislocated finger in the fracas at their team hotel in Qatar on the eve of the semi-final.
Lee started on the bench on Thursday but came on soon after Thailand’s shock equalizer through Suphanat Mueantu.
Thailand are second in Group C on goal difference to China, who squandered a two-goal lead in Branko Ivankovic’s first match as China coach to draw 2-2 in Singapore.
In Sydney, the Australian-Scottish connection helped them to a 2-0 victory over a determined Lebanon to move to a perfect nine points.
St Mirren midfielder Keanu Baccus struck early in the first half before Hearts defender Kye Rowles added a second on 54 minutes.
Iran beat Turkmenistan 5-0 in Tehran as Hossein Kanani scored twice and Sardar Azmoun, on loan to Roma from Bayer Leverkusen, also got on the scoresheet.
Jordan, who lost the Asian Cup final to Qatar last month, beat Pakistan 3-0 to claim their first win in Group G.
Qatar cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Kuwait thanks to Akram Afif’s double either side of Ahmed Al Rawi’s strike.
But Saudi Arabia, the sole contenders for the 2034 World Cup, needed a first-half goal from Salem Al-Dawsari to win 1-0 over 99th-ranked Tajikistan in Riyadh.
