The Chinese mainland faced a tough battle against Australia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifier held in Adelaide, Australia, on Thursday. Despite taking an early lead, the Chinese team ultimately fell 3-1.
The match saw the Chinese newcomers make a strong start, scoring the first goal in the 20th minute. Zhang Yuning headed the ball to Xie Wenneng, who drove into the box to secure his first goal for the national team.
Australia responded by tying the game near the end of the first half. Craig Goodwin's free kick from the left wing in stoppage time set up Lewis Miller, whose header leveled the score at 1-1.
In the second half, the Socceroos took the lead seven minutes in with a powerful shot from Craig Goodwin that left goalkeeper Wang Dalei no chance. Australia sealed their victory by scoring a third goal in the third minute of stoppage time, as Nishan Velupillay capitalized on a defensive lapse by Li Yuanyi.
This win propels Australia to second place in Group C, while the Chinese mainland suffers their third straight loss, remaining last among the six teams in the pool. Looking ahead, China will host Indonesia in Qingdao on October 15, while Australia will visit first-placed Japan.
Thursday's other Group C matches included Japan defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0, keeping the Samurai Blue atop the group with nine points. Bahrain and Indonesia ended their match in a 2-2 draw, placing them in fourth and fifth positions respectively.
Reference(s):
China fall to Australia 3-1 in 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier
cgtn.com
