China secured their second win in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qualifying Tournament with a 1-0 triumph over Bahrain in Manama on Thursday.
The match marked the eighth encounter between the two teams, with China previously winning three times and drawing four consecutive matches. Early in the game, Zhang Yuning broke into the Bahrain area in the 11th minute, but his close-range shot was expertly saved by Bahrain goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla. The visitors faced a setback eight minutes later when Li Lei had to be substituted off due to an injury, making way for Hu Hetao.
China intensified their efforts in the second half, creating several scoring opportunities. Despite a strong performance, most of these attempts were thwarted by Lutfalla, including a powerful header from Zhang in the 54th minute.
In the 87th minute, Ali Haram appeared to put Bahrain ahead, but the goal was disallowed after a video assistant referee (VAR) review confirmed an offside position. The decisive moment came in the first minute of stoppage time when Zhang capitalized on a precise cross from Wang Haijian, finding the back of the net to secure the 1-0 lead for China.
This victory earned China three points, elevating them to fourth place in the group with six points, level with second-placed Australia and third-placed Saudi Arabia. The top two teams will automatically qualify for the World Cup in Canada, the USA, and Mexico, while the third and fourth-placed teams will enter an additional qualification stage. China's next challenge awaits as they host Group C leaders Japan on November 19.
Reference(s):
China get past Bahrain 1-0 in World Cup AFC qualifier for second win
cgtn.com
