The third round[note 1] of AFC matches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 2 September 2021 to 29 March 2022.[1][2][3]
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2 September 2021 – 29 March 2022 |
| Teams | 12 (from 1 confederation) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 60 |
| Goals scored | 122 (2.03 per match) |
| Attendance | 639,277 (10,655 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Wu Lei  Alireza Jahanbakhsh Mehdi Taremi  Junya Itō  Saleh Al-Shehri  Son Heung-min (4 goals each) |
← 2018 2026 → | |
Format
editThe twelve teams that advanced from the second round (the seven group winners excluding Qatar and the five best group runners-up) were divided into two groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the two third-placed teams advanced to the fourth round. World Cup hosts Qatar won Group E in the second round (which meant they advanced to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals) but were not required to qualify for the World Cup.
Qualified teams
edit| Group (Second round) |
Winners | Best 5 Runners-up[note 2] |
|---|---|---|
| A |  Syria
|
China
|
| B |  Australia
|
— |
| C | Iran
|
 Iraq
|
| D | Saudi Arabia
|
— |
| E |  Qatar |
 Oman
|
| F | Japan
|
— |
| G |  United Arab Emirates
|
 Vietnam
|
| H | South Korea
|
 Lebanon
|
Draw and seeding
editThe draw for the third round was held on 1 July 2021 at 15:00 MST (UTC+8), in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[5]
The seeding for the draw was based on a special release of the FIFA Men's World Rankings for Asian teams on 18 June 2021 (shown in parentheses below).[6]
Each group contained one team from each of the six pots.
Note: Bolded teams qualified directly for the World Cup. Italicised teams qualified for the fourth round.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
| |
| Pot 4 | Pot 5 | Pot 6 |
Schedule
editDue to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia, FIFA announced on 12 August 2020 that the upcoming qualifying matches originally scheduled for 2020 were moved to 2021,[7] and on 11 November, the AFC Competitions Committee also announced that the final round of the Asian qualifiers would begin in September 2021 and be finished by March 2022.[8]
| Matchday | Date | Original date |
|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | 2 September 2021 | 3 September 2020 |
| Matchday 2 | 7 September 2021 | 8 September 2020 |
| Matchday 3 | 7 October 2021 | 13 October 2020 |
| Matchday 4 | 12 October 2021 | 12 November 2020 |
| Matchday 5 | 11 November 2021 | 17 November 2020 |
| Matchday 6 | 16 November 2021 | 25 March 2021 |
| Matchday 7 | 27 January 2022 | 30 March 2021 |
| Matchday 8 | 1 February 2022 | 8 June 2021 |
| Matchday 9 | 24 March 2022 | 7 September 2021 |
| Matchday 10 | 29 March 2022 | 12 October 2021 |
Groups
editGroup A
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran
|
10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 4 | +11 | 25 | 2022 FIFA World Cup | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | South Korea
|
10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 3 | +10 | 23 | 2–0 | — | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | United Arab Emirates
|
10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 12 | Fourth round | 0–1 | 1–0 | — | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | |
| 4 | Iraq
|
10 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 9 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 1–0 | — | 1–1 | 0–0 | ||
| 5 | Syria
|
10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 16 | −7 | 6 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–3 | ||
| 6 | Lebanon
|
10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 13 | −8 | 6 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | — |
| Iraq | 0–3 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| South Korea | 2–1 | Syria |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| Iraq | 0–0 | Lebanon |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Attendance: 0[note 4]
Referee: Turki Al-Khudhayr (Saudi Arabia)
| Iran | 1–1 | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
Jahanbakhsh  76' |
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Son Heung-min 48' |
| Lebanon | 1–2 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| Iraq | 1–1 | Syria |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| Iraq | 0–3 | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Attendance: 0
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
| Syria | 0–3 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| Iran | 1–0 | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
| Lebanon | 1–1 | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| South Korea | 2–0 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
| Lebanon | 0–3 | Syria |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| Iraq | 1–0 | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)[note 7]
Attendance: 1,320
| Iran | 2–0 | Lebanon |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
| Syria | 1–1 | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Group B
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia
|
10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 23 | 2022 FIFA World Cup | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | |
| 2 | Japan
|
10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 22 | 2–0 | — | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | Australia
|
10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 15 | Fourth round | 0–0 | 0–2 | — | 3–1 | 3–0 | 4–0 | |
| 4 | Oman
|
10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 14 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | — | 2–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 5 | China
|
10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 19 | −10 | 6 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 3–2 | ||
| 6 | Vietnam
|
10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 19 | −11 | 4 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | — |
| Japan | 0–1 | Oman |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Attendance: 4,853
| Australia | 3–0 | China |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Attendance: 0[note 4]
Referee: Ko Hyung-jin (South Korea)
| Saudi Arabia | 3–1 | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
| China | 0–1 | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Attendance: 0[note 4]
Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain)
| China | 3–2 | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates)[note 9]
Attendance: 0[note 4]
| Australia | 3–1 | Oman |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Attendance: 0[note 4]
Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain)
| Oman | 3–1 | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| Saudi Arabia | 3–2 | China |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
| Vietnam | 0–1 | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Attendance: 11,022
| China | 1–1 | Oman |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates)[note 9]
Attendance: 1,700
Referee: Sivakorn Pu-udom (Thailand)
| China | 1–1 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates)[note 9]
Attendance: 1,050
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
| Oman | 0–1 | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| Vietnam | 3–1 | China |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| Oman | 2–2 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Attendance: 0
| Australia | 0–2 | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| Vietnam | 0–1 | Oman |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
| China | 1–1 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Zhu Chenjie 82' (pen.) |
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Al-Shehri 45+1' |
Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates)[note 9]
Attendance: 200
| Japan | 1–1 | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Yoshida 55' |
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Nguyễn Thanh Bình 19' |
Goalscorers
editThere were 122 goals scored in 60 matches, for an average of 2.03 goals per match.
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
Craig Goodwin- Rhyan Grant
- Ajdin Hrustic
- Riley McGree
- Aaron Mooy
- Tom Rogic
Aloísio- Wu Xi
- Xu Xin
- Zhang Yuning
- Zhu Chenjie
Ehsan Hajsafi- Ahmad Nourollahi
Amir Al-Ammari- Hussein Ali Al-Saedi
Takumi Minamino- Ao Tanaka
- Maya Yoshida
Maher Sabra
Arshad Al-Alawi- Rabia Al-Alawi
- Khalid Al-Hajri
- Amjad Al-Harthi
- Mohsin Al-Khaldi
- Salaah Al-Yahyaei
Yasser Al-Shahrani
Cho Gue-sung- Hwang Hee-chan
- Hwang In-beom
- Jeong Woo-yeong
- Kim Jin-su
- Kim Young-gwon
- Lee Jae-sung
Mahmoud Al Baher- Mohammad Al Marmour
- Mardik Mardikian
Harib Al-Maazmi- Yahya Al Ghassani
Nguyễn Quang Hải- Nguyễn Thanh Bình
- Phan Văn Đức
1 own goal
- Aziz Behich (against Japan)
- Mohammed Al-Attas (against Iraq)
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ On the AFC's official YouTube page, "The AFC Hub," it is referred to as the Final Round.
- ^ This would usually be a "Best 4", but because the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts Qatar won their group (their participation in the second round was to secure a spot in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup), the draw for the third round of the FIFA World Cup's qualification included 5 runners-up instead.[4]
- ^ Qatar had already qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup as the tournament hosts, but competed in the second round as part of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia, the match was played behind closed doors.
- ^ a b The Korean FA (South Korea) and Lebanese FA (Lebanon) agreed to switch the order of their home-and-away matches.[9]
- ^ a b c d e Due to the Syrian civil war, Syria played its home matches at neutral venues.
- ^ a b c d e Due to the security concerns, Iraq played its home matches at neutral venues.
- ^ a b Due to the border closures in Australia because of COVID-19 pandemic, Australia played two of their home matches at neutral venues.
- ^ a b c d e Due to the quarantine restrictions in China because of COVID-19 pandemic, China played its home matches at neutral venues.
References
edit- ^ "AFC Competitions Calendar 2021" (PDF). AFC. 17 September 2021.
- ^ "AFC Competitions Calendar 2022" (PDF). AFC. 20 October 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL MATCH CALENDAR 2020-2024" (PDF). FIFA. August 2021.
- ^ "Groups finalised for Qatar 2022 & China 2023 race". China.org.cn. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ "2022 World Cup Asian qualifiers Draw: When will be the third round matches played?". Goal. 1 July 2021.
- ^ "Asia World Cup qualifying: What's next?". FIFA. 18 June 2021.
- ^ "Update on upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Asia". FIFA. 12 August 2020.
- ^ "2022 FIFA World Cup: Asian qualifiers to be completed by March 2022". Olympics.com. 12 November 2020.
- ^ "National confirmation... Lebanon outside its land in September" (in Arabic). 2 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ "Socceroos to host China PR in Doha". Football Australia. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ "Chinese national football team gears up for World Cup qualifiers". Xinhuanet. Xinhua. 19 August 2021.
- ^ Francis, Kieran (15 September 2021). "Socceroos World Cup qualifier against Oman won't be played in Australia". Sporting News.
External links
edit- Official FIFA World Cup website
- Qualifiers – Asia Matches, FIFA.com
- FIFA World Cup, the-AFC.com
- FIFA World Cup 2022, stats.the-AFC.com